Documentary AreaSimply the best Documentaries

As the early June sun begins to set over a calm river in Central Hungary, masses of ghostly shapes emerge from their larval cases to take to the air for the first time. They are mayflies and in a spectacular display, thousands of them demonstrate how the very first wings were used. From the stunning aerobatics of hoverflies in an English garden to the mass migration of purple crow butterflies in the valleys of Taiwan, this episode tells the tale of the first animals ever to take to the air. Unique footage reveals the lightning fast reactions of bluebottles and hoverflies, filmed with one of the world's fastest cameras, and Sir David Attenborough handles the world's largest (and perhaps most ferocious) insect - the Titan beetle.

In the third episode, prominent adventure sports photographer Krystle Wright captures the immersive world of free-diving in Vanuatu, athletes who appear to walk on air in the canyons of Colorado, and powered para-gliders on the flooded salt pans of Utah.

The photographer of the second episode of the series is Richard I'Anson, who documents a fire rite, attempts to photograph the elusive Himalayan snow leopard and captures the colorful Festival of Holi.

In this series, the pursuit of the perfect image takes five adventurous photographers on journeys to the ends of the Earth, where they push the limits of their craft. In the first episode, Australian marine photographer Darren Jew captures mating humpback whales in Tonga, a 70-year-old biplane wreck and an active New Guinea volcano.

In the fourth episode of the series, legendary nature and cultural photographer Art Wolfe captures the great brown bear with the stunning backdrop of Alaska’s mountains and glaciers, immigrating wildebeests in the plains East Africa, and the hard-to-find gorillas of Uganda.

In Episode 4, you can witness a gripping journey through the hidden threads that connect Asia's most complex societies. From the snow leopards of the Himalayas to the elephants of Sri Lanka, and from the forests of Borneo to the bustling streets of Bangkok, this episode explores how nature, tradition, and modernity collide. It uncovers the silent role of animals in shaping cultural identity and the fragile balance between preservation and progress.
With breathtaking imagery and powerful storytelling, it reveals how the destinies of creatures, cities, and civilizations are more intertwined than we ever imagined.