Documentary AreaSimply the best Documentaries

Our planet has amazing power, and yet that's rarely mentioned in our history books. This series tells the story of how the Earth has influenced human history, from the dawn of civilisation to the modern industrial age. It reveals how geology, geography and climate have been a far more powerful influence on the human story than has previously been acknowledged. A combination of epic story telling, visually stunning camerawork, extraordinary locations and passionate presenting combine to form a highly original version of human history" In the first episode professor Iain Stewart explores the relationship between the deep Earth and the development of human civilisation. He visits an extraordinary crystal cave in Mexico, drops down a hole in the Iranian desert and crawls through seven-thousand-year-old tunnels in Israel. His exploration reveals that throughout history, our ancestors were strangely drawn to fault lines, areas which connect the surface with the deep interior of the planet. These fault lines gave access to important resources, but also brought with them great danger.

A look at public shaming in modern day culture. This original documentary film examines social behavior by embedding with individuals from across the U.S. who have been publicly shamed or cyber-harassed – while exploring the bullies, the bystanders, the media, psychologists, politicians and experts in between.

Journey through the long-vanished corners of prehistoric North America, beginning when man first entered the vast, unspoiled continent some 14,000 years ago, in this appealing BBC documentary. Witness ancient beasts, mammoths, mastodons, giant bears, and sabre-toothed cats, and see the legacies each has passed to their modern successors. Computer animation and digital effects bring to life mammoths, saber-toothed cats, giant ground sloths, short-faced bears, glyptodonts, and a plethora of smaller animals in a lush Ice Age mosaic. Discoveries from sites across America are the basis for the reconstructions.

How did the Chinese government turn pandemic cover ups in Wuhan into a triumph for the Communist party? Award-winning filmmaker Nanfu Wang recounts the experiences of people on the ground in the earliest days of the novel coronavirus and the way two countries dealt with its initial spread, from the first days of the outbreak in Wuhan to its rampage across the United States. The film explores the early confusion and parallel campaigns by authorities to try to contain the virus as well as shape the public narrative through misinformation, resulting in a devastating impact on citizens of both countries.
With emotional first-hand accounts from medical professionals, patients, and grieving family members, and startling, on-the-ground footage from both Wuhan and the U.S., In The Same Breath is a revelatory illustration of the devastating toll that resulted from official missteps at containment of the infection and the widespread phenomenon of social media misinformation, while also highlighting the strength and resilience of the people who risked everything to communicate the truth.

After several rogue traders stories made the headlines these last years, revealing the human factor behind the global economy, neuroscientists have started to scrutinize traders' brain and stress management. What stimulates and motivates them? How can their brain cope with such a high level of stress and competition? This film investigates further into Neuroeconomics, showing how traders are being governed by unconscious psychological and biological processes which can trigger borderline behaviours and have disastrous financial consequences on the financial markets.

(click CC for subtitles) 'a-ha' is Norway's only international pop band and their hit 'Take On Me' is still one of the most-played songs of the last millennium. The film follows the band over a period of four years, telling the full story of how three young men followed their impossible dream of becoming Norwegian pop stars. When 'Take On Me' reached number 1 on Billboard in the US in 1985, the dream came true. Or did it?
Almost 35 years after their breakthrough, a-ha still creates magic on stage with their melancholic and timeless music. They tour the world but drive in separate cars and stay in separate hotel rooms. They only meet on stage, doing the one thing they love. The film closely portrays the challenging creative and personal dynamics of a group of three strong individuals who have grown up together, but in different directions. What does success do to friendship? Why are they not capable of creating new music together anymore? This is a story of great music, big ambitions, broken friendship--and maybe forgiveness.