Here are the names of a few documentaries that look interesting, mostly historical, with links to watch the videos on youtube. The list comes from topdocumentaryfilms.com.
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire (BBC)
Byzantium: The Lost Empire
Civilisation: Is the West History (with Nial Ferguson)
Crash Course: World History
Guns, Germs & Steel (National Geographic)
Birth of Israel (BBC)
The Bloody History of Communism
The Greeks: Crucible of Civilisation (PBS)
The Kings: From Babylon to Baghdad (History of Iraq)
The Roman Empire in the First Century (PBS) 3hrs
An Islamic History of Europe (BBC) 90min
Islam: Empire of Faith (PBS) 3 Episodes 2hr 40min
Elusive Peace: Israel & The Arabs
Fall of Great Empires: Persia
Heaven on Earth: The Rise and Fall of Socialism (Communism)
History's Turning Points
Footsteps of Alexander the Great
Iran: 7 Faces of Civilization
Legacy: The origins of Civilisation
Art
Simon Schama's The Power of Art
Economics
How the West went Bust (BBC) 2hrs
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Andy Goldsworthy Documentary: Video
Documentarian Thomas Riedelsheimer shows us Andy Goldsworthy as he creates art in natural settings using natural materials such as driftwood, ice, mud, leaves, and stones. Goldsworthy comments on his “earthworks” and occasionally responds to off screen questions from Riedelsheimer while he painstakingly builds his outdoors sculptures. With some exceptions, such as a winding stone wall that he built in Mountainville, NY, Goldsworthy’s creations are intentionally mutable works.
We see how several of them fall apart, melt, or drift away due to exposure to the elements; we also see, for example, a complex structure of interconnected sticks collapse while Goldsworthy is still working on it.
Riedelsheimer takes us to Goldsworthy’s home in Penport, Scotland, and to a French museum, but the emphasis of the film is on observing Goldsworthy at work.
Watch the full documentary now
History Of Islam (PBS Documentary) Video
Islam: Empire of Faith
What is Islam? Who is Muhammad? This is a documentary narrated by Ben Kingsley about Islam and attempts to answer these questions. The first part deals with the life of the Prophet Muhammad, his early life, his encounter with God Almighty and the birth of the Islam.
1. Prophet Muhammad and the Rise of Islam. Islam would become the revitalizing force of a barbaric Arabia, returning people to God and bringing back the monotheistic message of Christianity and Judaism in its most powerful way. Islam Women were given rights over there husbands, racism was annihilated and the rich were made equal to the poor.
2. The Awakening. This part relates the golden age of Islam. A time of great learning when Europe was steeped in the Dark Ages. The building of great works of architecture, reading, writing, mathematics, medicine, and astronomy. Even before the printing press Muslims would have hundreds of scribes writing all at once so they would learn and reproduce the writings.
3. The Ottomans. This portion deals with the growing Ottoman Empire, which would control the bridge between 3 continents: Africa, Europe and Asia. This empire would begin at the close of the Crusades until World War I, from the 1300s to 1923. They would rule the entire Middle East and make there way into Europe. Before there was the state of Israel, there was great peace in the Holy Land regulated by the Ottomans.
Watch the full documentary now (playlist – 2 hours, 40 minutes)
Labels:
Culture,
English Teaching,
Video
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Syria: The Prospect of International Criminal Cases (BBC Podcast)
Docs: Syria - The Road To Justice
Wed, 25 Jul 12Duration:
24 minsThe mass killings of civilians in Houla immediately led to calls for the ICC to investigate and for those responsible to be held to account. But in cases like this, how likely is it that international justice will eventually be done?Download 11MB (right click & "save target as / link as")
Labels:
Current Affairs,
English Teaching,
Legal English,
Podcast
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