Michael Wood embarks on a great historical adventure, exploring the stories, people and landscapes that have helped create China's distinctive character and genius over four thousand years. Is the history of the world's newest superpower, from its ancient past to the present day. Starting in Wuxi, Michael joins the Qin family reunion, when 300 relatives gather to worship their ancestors on Tomb Sweeping Day. 'Like the nation, the family has been through so much,' one says. 'Now everyone wants to know - what are our roots?' Looking for the origins of the Chinese state, he visits the excavations at Erlitou and sees an exquisite turquoise dragon sceptre from 2000 BC. China's first writing is found on 'oracle bones' dug up from the Shang royal tombs at Anyang in the 1920s. At the Beijing Planetarium, Michael travels back in time as astronomers plot the planetary conjunction that the ancients believed foretold the overthrow of the Shang Dynasty. Next, the Age of Philosophers and Confucius, whose book Analects has had greater influence worldwide than even the Bible, according to some. In Xi'an, we hear how the First Emperor united China and created the authoritarian Qin state that gave us the word China. Finally, Michael returns to the temple fair in Henan for a dramatic night ceremony to give thanks to the ancestors. China, Michael concludes, is rising again, not just because of its economic strength, but because of the incredible solidarity of the Han Chinese view of their own civilisation, their sense of family and, of course, the presence of the ancestors.
The film is a intimate diary of Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of Britain, chronicling reactions as his tunes caught the nation off-guard, but ultimately won him critical acclaim and worldwide fame and fortune. Featuring interviews with various Sixties cult figures, including the man himself, his then-girlfriend Joan Baez and poet Allen Ginsberg.
Many consider it the greatest team ever assembled, in any sport. Yet even that description fails to give it proper credit for its impact. The original the Dream Team, the first U.S. Olympic team to include NBA stars was a phenomenon on and off the court. It mattered not that it dominated the Olympic competition. It won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, beating its eight opponents by an average of 44 points. What was important was that the Dream Team, gave fans a glimpse of basketball at its finest, and an entire world responded. The film is the definitive documentary of the historic 1992 USA Basketball team, featuring recent interviews with all 12 members, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley. Includes rare footage from USA Basketball's film library, and the untold story behind what has become part of basketball legend. Since 1992, basketball has exploded in popularity around the globe, rising to a place where it truly challenges soccer's status as the world's most popular sport. Much of that is due to the impact of the Dream Team, which attracted fans and followers wherever it went. "It was," said Coach Chuck Daly, "like Elvis and the Beatles put together. Traveling with the Dream Team was like traveling with 12 rock stars. That's all I can compare it to." And what a band it was. Start with three of the game's all-time greats: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Add the irrepressible Charles Barkley for a little spice, as well as seven more NBA All-Stars: centers David Robinson and Patrick Ewing, power forward Karl Malone, swingmen Scottie Pippen, Chris Mullin and Clyde Drexler and point guard John Stockton. Complete the roster with Christian Laettner, the best college player of 1991-92 and a future NBA All-Star. Opponents didn't have a chance, but they didn't care.
The film exposes the dark world of ivory trafficking. Ivory is a prized status symbol for middle class Chinese, and poachers in pursuit of elephants in Africa are causing a great damage. Award-winning director Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson filmed undercover for 16 months infiltrating and documenting the deep-rooted corruption at the heart of the global ivory trafficking crisis.
The documentary shows the daily activities performed by the local and international staff who lives and works inside the Bear Rescue Center situated in Tam Dao National park, Northern Vietnam. Interviews, original and archive footage are edited to explain life, tasks and achievements of this NGO managed by Animals Asia. In this natural sanctuary, moon bears and sun bears are rescued, treated, kept safe and nursed: they are now free from the suffering caused by the cruel tortures of bile farming and extraction process. Since thousands of years bear bile products are in use in traditional oriental medicine and even nowadays it generates around two billions dollars of illegal business. Animals Asia staff is not only assuring better living and relief for rescued bears but promotes educational awareness about the bile farming issues, employees and generates fare trades for a relevant number of people of this rural area of Vietnam.
Starting in Wuxi, Michael joins the Qin family reunion, when 300 relatives gather to worship their ancestors on Tomb Sweeping Day. 'Like the nation, the family has been through so much,' one says. 'Now everyone wants to know - what are our roots?'
Looking for the origins of the Chinese state, he visits the excavations at Erlitou and sees an exquisite turquoise dragon sceptre from 2000 BC. China's first writing is found on 'oracle bones' dug up from the Shang royal tombs at Anyang in the 1920s. At the Beijing Planetarium, Michael travels back in time as astronomers plot the planetary conjunction that the ancients believed foretold the overthrow of the Shang Dynasty. Next, the Age of Philosophers and Confucius, whose book Analects has had greater influence worldwide than even the Bible, according to some. In Xi'an, we hear how the First Emperor united China and created the authoritarian Qin state that gave us the word China. Finally, Michael returns to the temple fair in Henan for a dramatic night ceremony to give thanks to the ancestors. China, Michael concludes, is rising again, not just because of its economic strength, but because of the incredible solidarity of the Han Chinese view of their own civilisation, their sense of family and, of course, the presence of the ancestors.