China's Lost Pyramids
For more than 2,000 years, hundreds of pyramid tombs towered over the fabled Silk Road near the ancient Chinese city of Xian, their secrets buried and largely ignored. These enormous structures, built in preparation for the afterlives of China's Emperors and other royalty, may hold riches beyond belief. Mostly still unexcavated they are slowly revealing their mysteries to archeology. (More info)

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Michael Hacking
English
50 minutes
2005
 



At the Edge
All but invisible, the snow leopard waits. On great cliffs across the valley, bharal males fight viciously over mating rights. They neglect to eat. Many are injured. The snow leopard bides its time until nightfall when it will prey on the weak.

December is freezing and bleak in the Rumbak valley in Ladakh, Northern India. Five thousand metres up, the air contains only half oxygen of a breath taken at sea level. On the rain-shadowed northern side of the Himalaya, few plants grow. Much of the landscape is vertical. (More info)

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Michael Hacking
English
50 minutes
2005
 



A Forest for all Seasons
The far northern regions of Asia are dominated by long and bitter winters. To the south, in contrast, tropical Asia is dominated by continual heat and humidity. Between these two extremes is a different world. Stretching from the foothills of the Himalaya in the west to the islands of Japan in the east are Asia's temperate forests. Here plants and creatures have to find a way of living with both extremes, heat and cold, and adapt their lives to the four seasons. (More info)

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Alison Ballance
English
51 minutes
2005
 



Creatures of the Thaw
There is a remarkable quantity and variety of life that moves from the top of the Northern Hemisphere and the bottom of the Southern Hemisphere to be near the Equator each year....

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 Alison Ballance
English
51 minutes
2005
 



Paradox of the Andes
The Equator is not only the line that divides the Earth in two; it is also the climatic and evolutionary powerhouse of the world. Here, where the sun burns at its most intence, the pace of evolution quickens. The high slopes of Ecuador's volcanoes are a cold desert known as the paramo, the 'Inhospitable lands'......

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Alison Ballance
English
51 minutes
2005
 



The Arid Heart
Staying alive in Asia's barren heartland of desert and dry grasslands is a challenge, yet many animals thrive. The Arid Heart explores life in the arid interior, revealing the secrets of surviving both searing summer heat and bitter winter cold.Przewalski's horses are the only true wild horses in the world. They are nomads who roam the grasslands in search of the best grazing. The Demoiselle Cranes' journey from India takes them across the stony Gobi desert, the bleak centre of Asia's arid heart. Here, there is hardly any water, yet the desert is still home to a thousand wild Bactrian camels, who are superbly adapted to the desert. The Arid Heart is the story of life in Asia's dry lands and grasslands of the Mongolian steppe, the stony Gobi Desert, and the sandy deserts of India. These are places of extreme, where summers are intensely hot and winters are bitterly cold. The animals who live here are tough and resilient, and not only survive, but thrive.

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Alison Ballance
English
50 minutes
1999
 



China Circus: On Ice
The Heilongjiang Acrobatic Troupe is one of China's most respected acrobatic groups. Two years ago, artistic didrector Mr Guan Xin Min decided on a new and innovative direction - they would become the only acrobatics troupe in China to perform on ice......

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Max Quinn
English
501 minutes
2005
 



Kingdoms of the Coast
Wild Asia: Kingdoms of the Coasts explores the ongoing struggle between land and sea along Asia’s vast coastline, including a look at the life of Indonesia’s Pigmy Sea Horse in its natural habitat in the Lembeh Strait, despite strong currents and the extremely small size of the sea horse. The Pigmy Sea Horse measures just 8-10mm high and lives on the spectacular coral reefs of Indonesia. Here it demonstrates fascinating strategies for survival which include camouflage and an unusal sharing of reproductive responsibility.

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Michael Hacking
English
51 minutes
1999
 



Challenge of Change
For much of the year the African Savannah bakes under the oppressive Equatorial sun. The dryness is unusual for the Equator, whose regions are often covered with dense rainforests and associated with a seasonless annual cycle. But the Savannah is a product of unique circumstances, of profound geological events that have combined to create a habitat for many of Africa's iconic mammal species. Thirty million years ago part of east Africa was torn apart. Massive volcanic activity combined to form the beginnings of what would be the Great Rift Valley. Over millions of years the valley widened and grew longer, spreading north and south for more than 4,500 kilometres.

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Toshio Hashiba
English
53 minutes
2005
 



Reef of Riches
The Indonesian archipelago in the Indo-Pacific Ocean comprises thousands of islands, atolls and the largest concentration of coral reefs in the world. This rich and diverse environment is a product of a unique set of natural circumstances.

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Mark Ferns
English
50 minutes
2005
 



Island Magic
Asia is the continent of islands: At its southern limit alone there
are some 30,000 islands dashed across the watery surface of
the world. On these islands, freed from the certainties of
continental life and powered by the magic of islands, species
multiply and diversify.

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Rod Morris
English
50 minutes
1998


 



A Kingdom for the Dzanga Gorillas
Deep in the “heart of darkness” in the lush rain forest of the Congo, is a woman with a very big heart. Italian scientist Chloe Cipoletta has dedicated her life to protecting and studying a remarkable family of lowland gorillas. Until now, these wonderful animals have lived a quiet, secret life away from people. But with human development on the horizon, the race is now on to ensure that Congo’s gorillas have a permanent home in the future. Chloe’s solution is radical, yet simple.

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Emmanuel Robin
English
50 minutes
2006
 



Borneo's Pygmy Elephants
DNA testing has confirmed that Borneo's diminutive pygmy forest elephants are a unique subspecies who have lived on Borneo for a least 300,000 years.

This film tells the story of a conservationist, Bert Dausip, who observes and befriends the elephants. His daily expeditions deep into the jungle reward him with some of the most intimate and close up encounters with forest elephants ever filmed. This story tells of Bert's observing, befriending the elephants and his mission to save them from poachers. We witness some incredible footage revealing the most intimate secrets of elephant family life. Bert's familiarity with the elephants would lead to an action plan to save them. (More info)

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Joe Kennedy
English
50 minutes
2006
 



Ocean Voyagers
An ancient species and one of the largest animals ever to live on planet earth, Humpback Whales have been traveling - and singing their mesmerizing songs - throughout the world's oceans for millions of years. Like the oceans themselves, what we know of Humback's lives is surprisingly little. Ocean Voyagers provides a startlingly intimate portrait of Humpback life through the eyes of a mother whale as she teaches her baby all he will need to know to survive in the ocean. (More info)

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Joe Kennedy & Feodor Pitcairn
English
70 minutes
2007
 



Battle for the Light
In Southern Asia's lush forests one remarkable group of trees cast their pervasive shadows over the extraordinary array of plants and animals living below. The equatorial rainforests of South East Asia are amongst the tallest and richest forests on earth towering up to 80 meters high. The canopy is dominated by a single family of forest giants called dipterocarps, which cast enormous influence on the huge diversity of plants and animals living in their shadow. While the bottom-dwelling plants must battle for their tiny share of the light; the giants towering trunks have affected the animals here too - forcing them to become acrobats, leapers and gliders to cross the gaps between. (More info)

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Mark Ferns
English
52 minutes
2005

 



The Amazon: River of the Sun
At the Equator the sun rises over the greatest rainforest on earth - Amazonia. Here one thousand rivers flow, the water and the sun fuelling an environment that is home to half the known species in the world. Here there is a diversity of species like nowhere else on earth, the bizarre and the beautiful, the iconic and the obscure. This great abundance of life is the result of intense heat from the equatorial sun and the rains that come every November. Brought by trade winds from far out in the Atlantic, heavy clouds pass over the great South American landmass. Grown even more bloated from the rich forest, the clouds reach saturation point, the rain is released. The vast river system of Amazonia receives twenty percent of all the fresh water in the world. The land is perfectly flat, the rains fill the valleys faster than they can drain and every year Amazonia floods. From the collusion of climate and topography comes an abundance of life. Under the waters of the flooded forest swims the ancient pirarucu fish. This armoured dinosaur has swam among the submerged forests for one hundred million years; its heavy scales belie the speed with which it hunts. This predator is as swift as it is deadly. Above the water the air hangs heavy with moisture. A three-toed sloth chews on the leaves of the cercropia tree and uacari monkey sits high in the trees, cracking nuts and seeds with its strong jaws. "Rivers of the Sun " is a stunning examination of one of the world's great locations. Portraying both the vastness and the detail of Amazonia, "Equator: Rivers of the Sun" is an unforgettable journey into an incredible place. (More info)

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Satoshi Okabe
English
51 minutes
2005

In the Realm of the Red Ape
Tropical rainforests are one of the oldest habitats on the face of our earth - ollder than many of the stars. The first programme in the Wild Asia series is set in the tropics of Asia and explores a small area of rainforest in Northern Sumatra. This forest is the realm of our central character, Asia's largest ape, the orangutan, dubbed the "red ape" in honour of its orange-coloured coat.For the last five years an Indonesian/ British research team have been studying a group of orangutans in this swampy area of rainforest. Their work is the basis of this film. The film explores the very special relationship that this group of orangutans have with the forest in which they live. A forest that is, itself, like a huge organism. The forest breathes in rain and expels oxygen. The canopy of the forest is like a skin. Beneath it, the forest floor is like the gut. Everything ends up here, dead animals, leaves, seeds and droppings and eventually it will all be recycled. In the Realm of the Red Ape opens with the unique sounds of a primate dawn chorus and follows the red apes through their day as they interact with the forest. It explores the special relationships of the forest as a living organism. It ends as the orangutans settle for the night in the nests they build for themselves in the trees. Each night a new tree, each night a new nest. (More info)

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Jeremy Hogarth
English
50 minutes
2006

Power of an Ocean
At the Equator, the power of the sun and the spin of the earth combine to set in motion great ocean currents which move across the Pacific Ocean shaping life on two very different islands. On tiny Palmyra Atoll, in the central Pacific, thirty meter-high Pisonia trees thrive in the constant warmth and rain. Coconut crabs rule the forest floor: the world's largest terrestrial invertebrates dine on coconut flesh and live at Palmyra without fear of predators. Ocean currents shape life on the Galapagos in very different ways. The western shores of the islands are bathed by the reliable Cromwell Current, and when this cold deep water hits the sun-lit surface blooms of plankton turn the sea into a nutritious soup. Meter-tall flightless cormorants breed ashore, but fish in the rich murky water. Marine iguanas lead a lifestyle that is possible only at the Equator: basking on hot volcanic rocks until they are warm enough to dive down and feed in lush underwater algae gardens. Equator - Power of an Ocean tells the story of island life shaped by the equatorial sun and the immense power of the Pacific Ocean. (More info)

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Peter Hayden & Shinichi Murata
English
50 minutes
2006

Africa's Super Seven
On the northern bank of the Sand River in the Mala-Mala Game Reserve in South Africa live seven magnificent creatures. Clever, Strong, massive and deadly, these seven animals dominate their territory. Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, Leopard, Hyena and Cheetah. Each animal has different strengths, even some weaknesses, but seeing them in action is always impressive.
Tracking them for 24 hours will reveal an extraordinary tale of adventure - a never-ending daily drama.... not for the faint hearted, this is a story of power, trust, hunger, desperation and elation - an unforgettable adventure. This is a privileged and rare glimpse into the complex lives of "Africa's Super Seven".

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Susan Scott
English
52 minutes
2006

Africa's Outsiders'
This is the story of three African animals that nature has repainted with extraordinary new colours. They are the Outsiders: a White Lion, a Yellow Crocodile and a White Baboon. To be born an 'Outsider' is a rare and dramatic event. Animals with startlingly different colours face completely new challenges. They are not well-camouflaged for the habitat they were born into, so they must work harder to survive. This film tells their story in the innovative form of an African fable. Along the way we'll meet a host of other fascinating characters like a Pink Hippo, a Black Leopard and even a Striped Cheetah!

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Brea Bergh
English
52 minutes
2006
 

Emperor of the Seas
Between 1405 and 1433 the Ming government sponsored a series of seven naval expeditions led by Zheng He and the greatest armada the world had ever seen. Emperor Yongle designed them to establish a Chinese presence, impose imperial control over trade and impress foreign countries. With as many as 300 ships and 28,000 crewmen, Zheng He's ships traveled to Southeast Asia, the Persian Gulf and as far as Africa, liberally dispensing gifts of Chinese porcelain and silk and in return receiving rich gifts from his hosts. Now, six centuries later, the truth about Zheng He's voyages are finally being told. Who is this extraordinary man who led seven voyages around the world eight decades before Columbus discovered America? And what was the true purpose of his voyages?

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Chen Kaige
English
52 minutes
2007

Guge: The Lost Kingdom of Tibet
When it was first listed as one of China's National Cultural Heritage Sites in 1961, no expert on the State Council panel who drew up the list had ever visited Guge. Almost fifty years later, it has proven to be foresighted decision. The Guge Kingdom is an extraordinary Christian and Himalayan Buddhist civilization rich with art and culture - flourished for seven hundred years and then vanished mysteriously in the 17th century. Until now, archeologists have been unable to understand the mystery of guge's demise, but a recent discovery may unlock the enigma of the Guge people and what happened to them almost 400 years ago.
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Patrick Fleming
English
50 minutes
2007

All Titles are available in Standard Definition DVD

August 2010