In episodes 13 and 14, the war reaches a decisive new stage as the Allies prepare to launch Operation Overlord and open the long-awaited second front in Nazi-occupied France. Behind the invasion of Normandy lies an enormous gamble of planning, deception, weather, timing and nerve, with Dwight D. Eisenhower carrying the weight of one of the most dangerous military decisions in history. From the beaches of D-Day to the struggle to break through Hitler’s Atlantic Wall, the episode captures the fear, scale and sacrifice of the operation that begins the liberation of Western Europe. The story then moves to World War II’s often overlooked Asian theater, where Allied forces and Japan fight across jungles, mountains, plains and impossible supply routes. In Burma, India and China, commanders such as Joseph Stilwell, William Slim and Lord Mountbatten face a brutal war of disease, exhaustion, monsoon terrain and relentless Japanese resistance. From the Burma Road and the deadly airlift over the Hump to the fighting at Myitkyina, Imphal and Saipan, these episodes reveal a vast and punishing conflict far from Europe’s headlines, where survival itself becomes a battle and victory demands endurance on a staggering scale.
An ambitious scientific quest is underway to recreate the power of the Sun here on Earth. This fascinating documentary takes viewers inside one of the most complex engineering projects ever attempted: the construction of the world's largest nuclear fusion reactor. Bringing together thousands of scientists, engineers, and technicians from dozens of countries, the project seeks to harness the same process that powers the stars and transform it into a virtually limitless source of clean energy for future generations. With unprecedented access to the massive ITER facility in southern France, the documentary reveals the extraordinary challenges of building a machine capable of containing plasma hotter than the Sun itself. Through stunning visuals, cutting-edge technology, and firsthand accounts from the people making it possible, the film explores the race to unlock fusion energy, the scientific breakthroughs required to achieve it, and the potential to revolutionize humanity's energy future if this historic experiment succeeds.
France, 17th Century. For more than three decades, a mysterious prisoner was moved from fortress to fortress under extraordinary secrecy, his identity concealed behind a mask and known only to a handful of powerful men. Ordered into confinement by the minister of Louis XIV in 1669, he would remain locked away until his death in 1703 — alive, but erased. Why was he hidden so carefully? What secret was so dangerous that it demanded absolute silence? Drawing on archival research, expert analysis, and the turbulent politics of the Sun King’s reign, this gripping historical investigation revisits one of France’s greatest unsolved enigmas. From theories of royal bloodlines and forbidden romances to diplomatic conspiracies and mistaken identities, the film explores the many faces behind the mask and the fragile power structures of absolutist France. A tale of intrigue, paranoia, and state secrecy that continues to fascinate more than 350 years later.
In the heart of southern France, the Mandrin Cave has drawn archaeologists for over three decades, its soils preserving an extraordinary archive of human life stretching back tens of thousands of years. Within its layers lie traces of fire, tools, and bones that tell the story of survival in a harsh prehistoric world. In 2015, the remarkable discovery of a Neanderthal individual—nicknamed Thorin—revealed that these ancient humans once lived side by side with the first Homo sapiens to arrive in the region. Following an international team of scientists, the investigation uncovers fragile relics of the Palaeolithic era that are rewriting our understanding of how two human species encountered one another. With every excavation, new details emerge about resilience, adaptation, and coexistence, offering a powerful re-examination of what it meant to be human 50,000 years ago. This is not only the story of the Neanderthals’ fate, but also of the deep roots of our own identity.
A documentary by Werner Herzog, who gained exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France and captures the oldest known pictorial creations of humanity. Some of them were crafted as much as 32,000 years ago. The film consists of images from inside the cave as well as of interviews with various scientists and historians. Also includes footage of the nearby Pont d'Arc natural bridge.
A documentary about this 15th-century polymath, exploring one of history's most curious and innovative minds though his paintings, drawings and writing. The first part takes a look at Leonardo's journey to becoming an artist and craftsman, while the bustling streets of Florence provide a rich backdrop. Viewers are also taken to Milan, where Leonardo embarked on a monumental project - painting the iconic fresco of the Last Supper. The second part looks at how Leonardo worked as a military engineer, designed fanciful flying machines, studied light and shadow, investigated gravity and more. Plus, examining the polymath's time in Florence, Milan, Rome and France, as he poured the sum of his scientific and artistic knowledge into a portrait that would become the most famous painting on earth.
The story then moves to World War II’s often overlooked Asian theater, where Allied forces and Japan fight across jungles, mountains, plains and impossible supply routes. In Burma, India and China, commanders such as Joseph Stilwell, William Slim and Lord Mountbatten face a brutal war of disease, exhaustion, monsoon terrain and relentless Japanese resistance. From the Burma Road and the deadly airlift over the Hump to the fighting at Myitkyina, Imphal and Saipan, these episodes reveal a vast and punishing conflict far from Europe’s headlines, where survival itself becomes a battle and victory demands endurance on a staggering scale.