Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano set sail to gain control of the global spice trade, but end up becoming the first expedition to circumnavigate the earth. The yearslong voyage—along with the suffering, the violence and the loss of life and property—were all in pursuit of a shorter route to the so-called Spice Islands (now the Maluku Islands) and their much-coveted aromatics. The film puts in perspective the 16th century—the Age of Exploration, the Age of Discovery and the Age, problematically, of Colonialism. It also was an age of heroes. As the documentary insists, the journeys undertaken by the men whose names we learned in grade school and whose exploits straddled the 1400s and 1500s—including Ponce de Leon, Vasco da Gama, Lope de Aguirre and even Columbus—were about money, sometimes trade, sometimes plunder. But just as advances in medicine have often been propelled by war, knowledge about the world has been a byproduct of profit-seeking. Likewise, heroism.
The film is an immersive chronicle of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, when thousands of Donald Trump's followers from across the country gathered in Washington D.C. to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election, many with the intent of disrupting the certification of Joe Biden’s presidency. 'Four Hours at the Capitol' features never-before-seen footage and vivid first-hand accounts from lawmakers, staffers, police officers, protesters, and rioters who stormed the Capitol building where the electoral votes were being counted. The film details how the violence quickly escalated, leaving Capitol security forces outnumbered and overwhelmed, and highlights the high-stakes standoff between police and rioters. The documentary presents a stark reminder of the wider ramifications of the events of that unprecedented day, which ended with the deaths of five people and more than 140 police officers injured.
Described as one of the most influential female boxers of all time, helping legitimize women’s participation in the sport, Christy Martin shocked the world by becoming a superstar after winning a blood-soaked undercard match at the Mike Tyson/Frank Bruno fight in 1996. After her meteoric rise, the film breaks down Christy’s incredible fight for survival both in and out of the ring as she battled substance abuse, domestic violence and a harrowing brush with death. We also see Christy’s struggle with her sexual orientation and her journey of self-discovery. This is a story stranger than fiction, that must be seen to be believed.
Lesotho's Maseru Central Correctional Institute in Southern Africa holds the country's most dangerous and disturbed criminals. Shockingly almost half the inmates are doing time for rape. The culture of sexual violence in Lesotho has deep roots in society. Women are taken as secondary citizens in their culture. And sexual aggression continues inside the prison. In this episode, Raphael Rowe will spend a week locked up in this African prison surrounded by sex offenders.
Michael Moore examines the current state of American politics, particularly the Donald Trump presidency and gun violence, while highlighting the power of grassroots democratic movements. Fahrenheit 11/9 finds the filmmaker in fine fighting form, delivering a political call to action that ranks among his most effective works.
The film puts in perspective the 16th century—the Age of Exploration, the Age of Discovery and the Age, problematically, of Colonialism. It also was an age of heroes. As the documentary insists, the journeys undertaken by the men whose names we learned in grade school and whose exploits straddled the 1400s and 1500s—including Ponce de Leon, Vasco da Gama, Lope de Aguirre and even Columbus—were about money, sometimes trade, sometimes plunder. But just as advances in medicine have often been propelled by war, knowledge about the world has been a byproduct of profit-seeking. Likewise, heroism.