TVF Docs: Insight

This film follows a group of people who, despite holding down normal jobs, invest every free hour into running a race team. They choose to enter into the Privilege GT Championship – a high profile, televised series that supports the British Grand Prix. It is a David and Goliath story about undaunted determination pitted against money, innovation against effortlessness, inexperience against professionalism.

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel has stood proudly on the waterfront in the heart of Hong Kong for 40 years. It’s one of the best hotels in the world, but it’s more than just a hotel, it is Hong Kong, the vibrancy of the city is felt the moment you walk through the doors. Best selling author Simon Winchester looks at the part this legendary hotel has played in Hong Kong life, why so many people have an ongoing love affair with this very British Institution, tinged with the romance of China. The programme features those involved in the construction and management of the hotel, celebrities, regular guests and residents of Hong Kong, it’s a fascinating insight into a remarkable hotel.

On the night of 24th March 1944, seventy-six men took part in the world famous Great Escape from Stalag Luft III in Germany.  An escape of this scale was recognised as a grave threat to national security, and Hitler was informed.  An estimated five million people prepared to take part in the largest manhunt of the war – with tragic consequences. Almost one year to the day later, seventy German POWs escaped from the high security camp in Bridgend in Wales and were tracked by a motley collection of armed soldiers, Home Guard, dogs, local children and Girl Guides.  One of the largest manhunts of the whole war was dramatic, serious and comic in turn – but not tragic.

James Pittar is blind. He is also a long distance swimmer. In his amazing career he has swum across the English channel and taken on sharks and oil tankers. He is about to embark on a 48 kilometre swim around Manhattan Island. James will be the first blind person ever to complete the 8.5 hour marathon. An uplifting and hopeful story of one man's dreams fulfilled.

As the US race riots raged in the 1960’s, and influential leaders such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X rose in the civil rights and Black Power movements, Britain had its own, controversial, figure of Black rights. The figure of Michael X, dubbed so after his public meeting with Malcolm, has since those heady days slipped into obscurity. Opinion is divided about this man, who was born in Trinidad and joined many of the Caribbean ‘Windrush’ generation in migrating to England. Whilst some believed him to be an inspirational focal point for a Black movement, others saw him as an opportunistic lowlife pimp and hustler always eager to improve his station. The film follows his life and times, from the increasingly open and multicultural Notting Hill area of London, to his gruesome end in his home country.

The opening programme reveals how the house was built as part of a boom in speculative building in Bristol and who the early residents were. Covering the period from 1779 – 1845 the main characters are John Britton, a young gentleman who decorated the house in late Georgian simplicity and Mrs Hobbs, a widow who lived in the house for thirty years and followed the latest Regency interior trends.

Presented by Maxwell Hutchinson, this second programme looks at No 57 between 1849-1879 and shows how the rise of an eclectic style of interior design and developments in engineering, science and manufacturing influenced what people could have in their homes. It is the first time No 57 has running water - just one tap in the kitchen. The key families are the Tratmans who ran a ships' Chandlery in Bristol, and the Withers, a watchmaker with his wife and three children.

Presented by Maxwell Hutchinson, this third programme looks at No 57 between 1880-1905 and shows how Victorian Gothic and the influence of the aesthetic and arts and crafts movement affected the house. No 57 is by now not as fashionable as it once was and the whole area has come down in the world a little bit. The occupants are the Alders - who turn one room into a nursery for their children and Mrs Annie Edwards, a music teacher with grown up children is a lodger in the house.

Presented by Maxwell Hutchinson, this fourth programme looks at No 57 between 1902 and 1930. Design themes include the Edwardian style and Art Nouveau. The Nash family live in the house for the whole of this time, including a grown up daughter who is a seamstress and uses one of the rooms as her workspace.

Presented by Maxwell Hutchinson, this fifth programme looks at No 57 between 1930 and 1965 when the house is at its nadir. The whole area is run down and 'post war'. Interior design is not high on the agenda. But the world outside is changing with the influence of modernism, the space age and the Festival of Britain and tasters of this style creep into the house.

Presented by Maxwell Hutchinson, this last programme in the series looks at No 57 from 1969 to the present day. When John Macey bought the house in the late 1960s it was practically derelict and it was a two year labour of love to turn it back into a family home. Now the house is in one of the most desirable areas in Bristol and this programme examines what influences might affect the design choices of a contemporary family.

The President’s groundbreaking visit to China came at the start of his re-election year, and was almost a disaster for him. For the first time, the Chinese diplomat who interpreted for Nixon on the trip reveals how she and the Chinese premier intervened to save the political fortunes of a Republican president, who sold out his closest political allies to woo Chairman Mao. Nixon arrived home to cheering crowds and won an election landslide – but the Watergate scandal brought him down before he delivered his promises to China.

In 1989, 2000 demonstrators were massacred in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, provoking demands throughout the world for sanctions. However, US President George Bush was concerned about the effect on the already fragile relationship with China’s leaders. This programme for the first time provides detailed accounts of the secret meetings held between Bush’s advisors and the Chinese government to avert a potential disaster, and how the process was undermined by the “Tiananmen Hostage”, Fang Lizhi, an ardent campaigner for human rights, wanted for counter-revolutionary crimes, who was forced to seek asylum in the US embassy.

As the Israeli forces evacuated from Southern Lebanon in 2000, after 20 long years of occupation, the battles had left a greater legacy than the emotional impact of war. When the South Lebanon Army retreated hastily, the issue of mines, laid by both sides in the conflict, was largely forgotten. The documentary speaks candidly to victims of landmines, and examines some of the trauma they face as a result. It also traces the international effort to clear these mines, and on a broader note looks at the worldwide problem of mines, the ‘ever alert soldier’ which, once planted, is so difficult to remove. The film vividly brings alive the plight of Southern Lebanon and its attempt to recover from this largely forgotten problem, one that has already taken the lives or injured over 15,000.

Gaudi’s Barcelona is the story of a remarkable man whose work has defined a city. He left a legacy which has thrilled visitors to Barcelona for decades. This programme tells the stories of the buildings as well as the man, who was beset by illness but still dreamed of building glorious monuments.

In this trilogy, the preparations for, and the events of World War II are seen through the eyes of the German nation. Taken from a wealth of newsreel footage and private sources, this is an invaluable resource for understanding the Second World War through the perspective of Germany.

In this trilogy, the preparations for, and the events of World War II are seen through the eyes of the German nation. Taken from a wealth of newsreel footage and private sources, this is an invaluable resource for understanding the Second World War through the perspective of Germany.

In this trilogy, the preparations for, and the events of World War II are seen through the eyes of the German nation. Taken from a wealth of newsreel footage and private sources, this is an invaluable resource for understanding the Second World War through the perspective of Germany.

A pictorial overview of the varied aspects of Steam Railway operations, from A-Z.

A comprehensive coverage of railway development, beginning with the basic concept and progressing through to the present day. Starting with Stephenson’s Rocket, the continual advancement of the locomotive is outlined.

The Railway Steam Locomotive has captured and held the imagination of enthusiasts over countless decades. This programme shows why, featuring the steam locomotive in its many and varied roles.

Steam was the driving force behind the Industrial Revolution of Britain during the nineteenth century, and still finds applications today. Electricity is mainly generated by steam, however the greatest application of steam was to be found in locomotives.

A young boy has the opportunity to go around a preserved steam railway, and learn how the signals work, how the locomotives are maintained, what it’s like to ride on the footplate, etc. A brilliantly informative “behind the scenes” glimpse into the fascinating world of steam

The first part of the series introduces the first tanks being deployed on the battlefields of northern France during the Great War, and describes the devastating effects on the troops confronted with them for the first time. It tracks the developments of the tank through to the beginning of the Second World War, and its use in the German offensives on Holland, Belgium and France in 1940.

This second episode begins on the morning of 22nd June 1941, when the Germans launched operation Barbarossa, the codename for the invasion of the Soviet Union. Three million Axis troops faced more than 4,5 million Red Army troops, and were outnumbered two to one in tanks, however superior strategies gave the Germans control. Significant tank confrontations such as those at Bialystok and Minsk are explored in detail.

In this episode, the scene is switched to North Africa, following the continuous battle between the British 8th Army, the Desert Rats, under General Montgomery, and the Deutsche Afrika Korps, led by the Desert Fox, General Erwin Rommel. Meanwhile, the Germans were launching a massive attack at Kursk, which was to become the biggest tank battle in history, involving over 6,000 tanks, 2 million troops and some 4,000 aircraft. The new anti-tank gun of the Soviets was a significant factor on the ultimate German defeat.

The fourth episode sees the Germans well and truly on the retreat on the Western Front. Though the Allies largely had the upper hand, the German panzer was still a formidable enemy, and they did manage to mount a significant counter-offensive, that took the Allies completely by surprise. However, this was to be the last major panzer-tank confrontation of the war, and Germany’s ultimate defeat was now inevitable.

At the end of the Second World War, ten thousand prisoners of war waited for liberation by the advancing Russian Red Army. The Nazis dashed these hopes and forced the prisoners to march out of Stalag Luft III in the dead of winter toward the centre of the collapsing Third Reich. This is an extraordinary story of endurance through the eyes of Robert Buckham of West Vancouver. Buckham was a bomber pilot and artist who produced countless sketches and watercolours of prison life, and chronicled the march itself.

In this incisive series world famous French TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews Wanda Rapaczynski, Eastern European media mogul from Poland

In this incisive series world famous French TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews Luciano Benetton, Founder and Chairman of the Benetton Group, Italy

King Constantine of Greece has been a King in name only since being ousted in a military coup in 1967. From his base in London, he travels the world rubbing shoulders with people like Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, the Queen of England, and the King and Queen of Spain working for “his people” and the good causes he has established. In 2003, King Constantine finally returned to his country - a timely homecoming for a man who won a gold medal at the Rome Olympics was instrumental in winning the 2004 Games for Athens. This intimate and personal film is based on unprecedented access to the King and his family. King Constantine talks as never before about the events that led to his exile and his fight for justice and recognition. It includes exclusive footage inside the family home in Hampstead, behind the scenes at the Royal events and “off-duty” moments. This is the King’s story. The story of a man who lost his crown but refused to give up.

For 56 years Prince Charles has been the king in waiting, heir to the throne of England. Has the long wait been too difficult for him? In this programme we examine his controversial ideas on architecture - nothing too modern please - on medicine and on religion. We examine how many of them stem from Carl Jung, Freud's rival. Where Freud believed sex was the great motive in life, Jung believed that the spirit mattered more than the body. His unconscious is full of spirits, demons. The programme looks at Charles faith in alternative medicine and advocates a diet which involves liquidised fruit and coffee enemas. As for religion he believes in the so-called 'perennial philosophy', a set of esoteric spiritual beleifs. But the king or queen of England since 1534 when Henry VIII awarded himself the title of Defender of the Faith has been 100% Church of England. Charles' flirts with Islam, Sikhism and regularly visits the Greek orthodox monasteries on Mount Athos. It all upsets the more conservative elements in the Church of England.

Jeffrey Archer’s novels are published in 118 languages. He has just signed a new contract for £10 million for 3 new books. Not bad for a man who is currently serving a 4 year jail sentence for perjury. With unique testimony from friends, lovers, ex-friends, ex-lovers and even the odd enemy, the film charts the story of how Jeffrey Archer rose from nothing to become Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party and a best selling novelist.

Tensions between the Allies mount. The British want to strike into the heart of Germany but the Americans are cautious and don’t want to loose men. This allows the Russians to advance deep into Eastern Europe. Churchill did not trust Stalin. But he didn’t know that Roosevelt was also manoeuvering behind his back. This double dealing was most obvious in the case of Poland. The British had gone to war over Poland, which now lay in ruins. Churchill knew Stalin had designs on their country. Roosevelt was prepared to abandon Poland. And Stalin got what he wanted. The 3 leaders agreed to move Poland’s borders to the West into Germany and Stalin gained territory which suited his political goals. In the Pacific the war was far from over and the Americans realized it was going to be costly in lives to beat the Japanese. The strategic value of the relentless bombing campaign of German cities is the source of vehement disagreement to this day. Most hotly debated is the carpet bombing of Dresden - however there is more recent evidence that The Soviet Union asked for the City to be bombed for strategic reasons.

The true horror of the Nazi regime is exposed as the Allies fight the Germans in their homeland and liberate survivors of the concentration camps. The retreating Nazi’s force millions of people onto Death Marches across Europe – the cost to human live is massive. But the Allies also force million on the march as they set out the future ethnic shape of Europe. The pre-war “mixing” up of ethnicities in Europe is reversed as the big 3 seek to segregate Europe into different ethnic groups. The Allies had agreed Germany’s fate – the division into different zones of occupation. But there was no such agreement about the rest of Europe. The Red Army fought relentlessly in the knowledge that the countries it liberated would be under their control – determining these countries fate for fifty years. The Allied Generals had ignored the agreed zones of occupation in order to beat Germany. But now that the Nazis were on their last legs, political manoeuvring between the big three started in earnest. The Americans sided with the Russians because they wanted the Red Army to join them in the war against the Japanese. They went as far as brokering a secret deal to allow American bombers to use a Siberian air base. The British were excluded from this negotiation. The American firebombing of Tokyo killed more people that the two atom bombs.

Once the War in Europe had been won the fate of the big three powers changed radically. The Russians wanted to control large parts of Europe and the Americans were not prepared to back up the British in their fight to keep Eastern Europe out of Stalin’s grip. By July a new world order began to emerge dominated by two, not three, superpowers. The British threw out Churchill and elected a Labour government, bringing in a welfare state, which set the shape of British politics for the rest of the century.The Americans decided to end their pre war isolation and become a world power, taking on their new rival Russian which went from being an ally to an enemy in 12 months. And Stalin chose to crack down at home rather than liberalise.The human cost of war was massive and it continued after the war ended in Europe. During peacetime millions died from starvation and violence born of retribution.Veiled threats and broken promises between the big three started to shape the future of millions of people.

Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbour was the result of the battle between Japan and America for influence in the East. The Japanese industrialised early in the Twentieth Century but with no supply of natural resources, they embarked on a strategy of territorial expansionism and sought to stamp their mark on the region. The Americans and British were not happy about this and wanted to protect their own colonial interests in the region. The Americans put an embargo on trade with Japan. The Japanese choice was to give in to American wishes or launch a war against the USA. As the war came to an end, there was little discussion by the Americans about whether to use the Atom Bomb and a leading Japanese expert is certain that it was the quickest way to get the Japanese to surrender. When the war was won in South East Asia and the Pacific the US did not want to see Britain reclaim its Empire. But, in the short term, were forced to allow British troops back to restore order. They in turn used Japanese forces to quell growing calls for nationalism in the region, the combustible mixture which was to lead to the Korean, Vietnam and Cambodian wars was hatched in 1945.

During six years of war, across the world,55 million people had been killed. After the end of the war millions of people were forced to move home and country, as borders were redrawn and new occupying governments installed. The war had made the Americans the richest nation in the world and they were ready to impose their views around the globe. Britain was victorious but bankrupt. The big 3 feared that a third world war would be provoked by a series of ethnic conflicts, particularly in those European countries where there were German speaking people. So millions of people were forcibly removed from their homes, 12 million of whom were Germans. Europe became a continent primarily of ethnically separated countries. The exception was Yugoslavia. Britain was no longer a world player America had become an economic powerhouse, determined to convert the world to capitalism. And the Soviet Union, although economically weak, was ideologically strong and determined to defend communism. As American attitudes hardened towards the political and ideological shape of the new world order, their government ensured that they seized effective control of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, both established during the 1945. The co-operation and support of the war years and the hopes of this continuing in peace, were soon forgotten and Europe was to face years of extreme hardship. By the end of the year America and the Soviet Union were on the brink of the cold war. The forces which were to shape international politics for the next fifty years, had taken root in 1945

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was the most advanced bomber aircraft to see operation service during World War II. It was the first bomber with pressurised crew compartments. It differed from its predecessors by the use of remotely controlled machine gun turrets. During the war it was sent to the Pacific area, where its great range made it particularly suited to the long attack flights to Japan from bases in China. The B-29s “Enola Gay” and “Bock’s Car” became the only two aircraft to drop atomic weapons during wartime – in August 1945 over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The F4U Corsair is regarded by many as one of the greatest combat aircraft in history. When conceived, it mounted the most powerful engine and biggest propeller of any fighter in existence, and was the first US combat aircraft to exceed 400 mph. The US Navy adopted the F4U as a shipboard fighter-bomber in 1944, despatching large numbers from the carriers of the Pacific Fleet. By the end of the war, it had established a destruction ratio of 11:1 against the enemy.

In the history of military aviation, there has never been an aircraft that could match the P-47 Thunderbolt for ruggedness and dependability. The piolts who flew it called it “The Unbreakable” and “The Plane that can do anything”. They were not wrong. P-47s often came back from combat shot full of holes, their wings and control surfaces in tatters, but in one piece. They flew more than 546,000 combat sorties between March 1943 and August 1945, destroying 11874 enemy aircraft , 9000 locomotives and 6000 armoured vehicles and tanks. Only 0.7% of these remarkable machines were lost in combat.

Auckland Harbour, New Zealand. July 10th 1985. French navy combat frogmen place two bombs against the hull of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior. They explode at ten minutes to midnight, sinking the ship and killing photographer Fernando Pereira. The French government wants to stop Greenpeace protesting at Moruroa Atoll – the French military test site for nuclear weapons from 1966 to 1996. France is desperate to cover up both the attack on the Warrior and their nuclear weapons programme. So desperate that it is prepared to kill its opponents. The French Secret Service, the DGSE, sends a team of 11 agents to New Zealand to carry out “Operation Satanic”. Two of them, Captain Dominique Prieur and Major Alain Mafart, are arrested as they tried to leave New Zealand. Comvicted of conspiracy, arson and manslaughter, they are sentenced to ten years in jail. After less than three years they return to Paris. At first the French government deny involvement in the bombing, but eventually they are forced to admit liability. The Head of the DGSE, Admiral Pierre Lacoste, is sacked. Defence Minister Charles Hernu resigns. President Francois Mitterrand is widely believed to be implicated. France pays NZ$13 million compensation to the New Zealand government and NZ$8 million to Greenpeace. “The Boat and The Bomb” is a story of international espionage, government cover-up and the nuclear arms race. It’s a story which has disturbing parallels with today’s “war on terror”. It’s a story which won’t go away.

Claiming the Memory uncovers a paradoxical generational battle for the right to pass on Holocaust legacy, through the conflicting responses of three Australian Jewish generations. From this moving, confrontational and unique perspective, the film explores the impact of the past on our contemporary world, questioning the future of this seminal collective memory.

Comrade Philby: a traitor in his native Britain, but a hero in Russia. The Oxbridge gent was a senior agent in the British secret services during the Second World War. As one of the former KGB spies of the Cold War ERA, Philby infiltrated the higher echelons of the British MI5 like no-one in espionage ever has. But what do we now know about the man, other than his strong communist convictions? This documentary investigates the man, and what effects his spying activity had on the Second World War and the Cold War.

In this incisive series world famous French TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews the mayor of Athens, Dora Bakoyannis.

In this incisive series world famous French TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews world renowned philanthropist, author and philosopher. Famously known for "breaking the Bank of England" on "Black Wednesday", come and meet George Soros. His fortune is about $7 billion, but he is not a man to waste his money in private aeroplanes or fancy parties. He spends it for causes he believes can improve the state of the world.

In this incisive series world famous French TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews HRH Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein

World famous TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews Chilean-American writer Isabel Allende, one of the best selling authors in the world and niece to murdered ex-president of Chile, Salvador Allente. Isabel believes in spirits, writes in spanish and lives in San Fransisco bay. She discusses her life in America as a Chilean immigrant, the loss of her daughter and the foundation for women in poor countries she has set up in her name. This is a fascinating insight to a fascinating lady.

In this incisive series world famous French TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews Swedish ambassador Jan Eliasson.

World famous TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews fashionista and designer Karl Lagerfeld. His name is so well known all over the world it has become a brand. Karl discusses his role ruling over the house of Chanel for the past 20 years amongst numerous other ventures. He is a man of many talents, passions and even many lives. Come and meet Karl Lagerfeld.

World famous TV journalist Christine Ockrent goes to Scandinavia to the most successful production company in Northern Europe. The star here is no actor or actress, it's a film-maker, the most inventive, anguished, and provocative of his generation in Europe - Lars Von Trier. From his religious and political views to his hit movie Dogville starring Nicole Kidman, take a little glimpse behind the scenes into the world of this fascinating film-maker.

World famous TV journalist Christine Ockrent is in Davos Switzerland at the World Economic Forum 2005 where celebrity faces are key tools in developing awareness about poverty throughout the world. Here she meets Academy and Grammy award-winning singer songwriter, producer and former Commodore, Lionel Richie. Lionel discusses the progression of his career, through hard times to rediscovering himself, and his role in "awakening" the public to the problems of poverty in the world today.

Christine Ockrent meets Louis Schweitzer, the Chief Executive Officer of Renault He’s the scion of the Albert Schweitzer family and he has very clear views about his job, his industry and Europe.

In this incisive series world famous French TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews Patricia Barbizet, CEO of the Artémis, France

World famous TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews Paulo Coelho, famous author of The Alchemist. With 23 million copies sold in 45 countries this is one of only a few books to make it into The Guinness Book of Records. Paulo seems to have found a language that relates to most people whatever their relgious, cultural or political differences. He spends much time near Lourdes in France where he says he has had religious visions. Come and take a look at the background and opinions of this disciplined, reflective man.

World famous French TV journalist Christine Ockrent is in Davos Switzerland. Every year this normally quiet resort in the Swiss Alps becomes frantic with business, government and media leaders from all around the world as they flock in to assess it's state at The World Economic Forum. Here Christine interviews two of the most influential men around: Klaus Schwab, a German born economics professor who founded The World Economic Forum in Davos 33 years ago and is still chairman to this day; and Phillipe Bourguignon, a Frenchman who has just arrived on the scene and is CEO to the forum.

World famous TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews Stelios Haji-loannou, Founder of the Easygroup brand which includes Easyjet UK. After studying at LSE in London he started up his own shipping business with a grant from his father. By the age of 28 he wanted a change and created Easyjet based on the low cost no frills airline model. From this success Stelios took on Richard Branson's brand extension idea and has taken the "Easy" name to cyber cafes, car rental, cinemas, and plans to take it further to music, hotels and even cruise liners. This is a glance into the mind of a self confessed "serial entrepreneur".

World famous TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews former England football manager Sven Goran-Eriksson. Sven discusses the trials and tribulations of being the first foreigner to coach the England football team, and the effects this has had on his private life. Here in London, where the tabloid press endlessly speculate about his love affairs, Sven is still considered a star.

In this incisive series world famous French TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia.

In this incisive series world famous French TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews Baroness Amos, Leader of the House of Lords, UK

In this incisive series world famous French TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews Bernard Henri Lévy, the most flamboyant, controversial and brilliant French intellectual of his generation.

In this incisive series world famous French TV journalist Christine Ockrent interviews Boris Akunin, extremely popular Russian author.

The third secret of Fatima was purportedly known by only two people: the Pope and Lucia, the Portuguese visionary who in an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1917 was given dire prophecies of the future of the planet. Within 7 weeks of each other these two key players have died. This extraordinary story examines the original Fatima visions and how Pope John Paul II believed he was himself the fulfilment of the third secret and that through his obsession with this obscure message saved the world from a thermo nuclear holocaust.