Archeology / History

The daughter of the Yellow River - a Chinese Woman in her time

The captivating epic of Franco-Chinese pianist Chow Ching Lie. Chow Ching Lie's unconventional, intimate story is closely linked to the upheavals that China underwent in the 20th century. She rose from nothing to become an adored pianist, a successful writer and a businesswoman rooted in two cultures: China and France.

The glorious history of French cuisine

How did France become the country of gastronomy? During the 1900's, thousands of motorists took to the roads of France for the first time. And in particular on the Nationale 7 which links Paris to the French Riviera. At each stop, restaurants and inns opened to serve this new clientele. Thus were born true dynasties of cooks who would make France THE country of food.

When Champollion meets Ramses II

An exceptional documentary on the magical encounter between Champollion and Ramses II When Champollion, the genius who unlocked the secret of hieroglyphs, embarks on his first expedition to Egypt and meets Ramses II in the sumptuous temple of Abu Simbel, his fascination for this civilization reaches its peak. Follow in the footsteps of the brilliant and passionate man who succeeded in "cracking the Egyptian code" and allowed the world to finally read into the history of one of the greatest and most powerful civilizations. Relive Champollion’s journey in Egypt and his unforgettable face to face with Ramses the Great. A unique film that shines light on one of the longest ruling pharaohs in antiquity and that allows us, thanks to 3D imaging, to see Ramses II' s real face for the very first time!

The mystery of the Nazca lines

From the first explorations to the most recent discoveries of the archaeologists, we are going to try to lift the veil on the mystery of the Nazca lines.  It is one of the biggest enigmas of modern archaeology. A discovery which gave place to all kinds of theories since one century and which did not reveal all its secrets yet.  In Peru, to 350 km in the south of the capital, Lima, in the valley of Nazca, one can see from the sky of gigantic figures representing stylized animals, a hummingbird, a monkey, a spider, a whale, as well as spirals and lines of several kilometers long. These figures were nicknamed the "lines of Nazca". And all have not been discovered yet.  Who drew these lines? How and why? What represent these drawings and what is their meaning?

Who wrote the Bible? Revelations about one of the greatest mysteries in History

A fascinating archaeological and scientific investigation on the world's best-selling book. When was the Bible written ? Who wrote it?  Under what circumstances ? For what purpose ? These questions have long remained unanswered.  With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, the thorough study of the texts, the advances in science, and the recent archaeological discoveries, one of the greatest historical mysteries is gradually being unveiled. Meet the most eminent specialists in the Bible who try to unearth brand new information and answer the enigmatic and fundamental question : who wrote the Holy Book ?

Who wrote the New Testament ? Revelations on the founding book of Christianity

A fascinating archaeological and scientific investigation on the origins of the founding text of Christianity. When was the New Testament, the founding text of Christianity, written? Who wrote it?  Under what circumstances and with what objective? At first sight, the question should not be debated since it has been affirmed for more than 2000 years that it is the Evangelists and the Apostles who would have written the founding texts of this new religion, in a concern to transmit the extent of their knowledge on the person of Jesus, his teaching, and his fate. But did these famous authors of the New Testament really exist ? Who were they ? Did they really know Christ ? Where did they live ? What language did they speak ? To try to answer all these questions, the greatest specialists in the study of the holy text, historians, epigraphists, archaeologists, will be called upon to solve the mystery and find the trace of the real authors of the New Testament.

Louis Blériot, the impossible crossing

A great documentary on the significance of the first cross-channel flight that marked the beginning of aviation. This is the story of a French aviator and his incredible challenge: the first ever overseas flight across the English Channel in 1909. 110 years later, a team of Blériot XI enthusiasts makes the crazy gamble to fly their fully authentic reproduction of the aircraft across the channel, propelled, for the first time, by its original engine.

Sapiens and the sea: prehistory underwater

The extraordinary discovery of the Cosquer cave, considered one of Europe's most important in prehistory. From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, scientists are reconstructing vanished geographies. Prehistorians are questioning the resources drawn from the coast. Others are taking a fresh look at what we thought we knew: our maritime presence is much stronger than we thought. All are gradually revealing the link that has so long united man with the sea.

And there was music

Music is everywhere: in bars, churches, shops, ritual ceremonies, in the headphones of our smartphones, in both public places and private places ... It adopts an infinite number of different forms, as varied as the forms of the living world. Everything around us happens as if music had proliferated over time, transforming itself through a series of mutations. How to explain this universality and diversity? Would it be possible to go back to a source? To an origin? Let's try to jump back in time, to the sources of music.

The Moon beneath the sea

“The Moon beneath the Sea” plunges the viewer into the heart of an exceptional 3D adventure on the wreck of La Lune, the Sun King’s warship. Two international experts in underwater archaeology, Michel L’Hour and Paul-Henry Nargeolet - the man with 30 dives on the Titanic - guide us to the depths of the Mediterranean to discover a unique wreck that is laden with history. The 3D techniques used for the film immerse us in the heart of a unique exploration operation that foreshadows underwater archaeological research of the future.

The Sun King's Secret Shipwreck

Louis XIV’s ship La Lune was wrecked off Toulon in November 1664. The ship was returning from an expedition to the Barbary Coast with nearly one thousand people on board, simple seamen or nobles of the highest rank. In an instant all was lost, men and their belongings, the cargo and the ship. Under pressure from the Sun King and his entourage, who planned to conceal the disaster, La Lune was quickly forgotten. Discovered by an Ifremer submarine in 1993, the wreck lies in 90 metres of water. In a state of magificent preservation, like some underwater Pompei, she will, starting in 2012, be the subject of an exceptional archeological investigation, bringing together history and robotics, the expertise of archeologists and the passion for the deep. Michel L’Hour, whose renown in the domain of underwater archeology needs no introduction, invites us on an exceptional dive. He goes down, as if in a live broadcast, to the wreck of La Lune / The Moon, the flagship of Louis XIV. A wreck that he considers to be unique in the world… Jury Prize winner of the 12th Amiens Archeological film Festival
Screenplay Prize winner of the 7th FILMAR of Hendaye

The real story of the Raft of the Medusa

The Machine… that was the name given to the raft of the Medusa by those whose sorry task was to build and launch it at the height of the storm. 148 sailors and one woman, willingly or not, were heaped aboard this makeshift craft. 7 were to survive. Many people know Gericault’s magnificent and frightening painting. But who knows the real story that lies behind this world-famous painting?  Using a double investigation - one contemporary carried out by a passionate historian and one from the past carried out by Gericault for the creation of his work - The Machine invites the viewer on a voyage to rediscover piece by piece this astonishing page in our colonial and maritime history. The Raft of the Medusa is not only a painting. On the eve of its 200th anniversary, it’s time to shed the full light upon it…