Dmitri Shostakovich. Sonata for Viola

Bill Gates A Tycoon Story

It was one of humankind's most epic quests - a technical problem so complex that it challenged the best minds of its time, a problem so important that the nation that solved it would rule the economy of the world. The problem was navigation by sea—how to know where you were when you sailed beyond the sight of land - establishing your longitude. While the gentry of the 18th Century looked to the stars for the answer, an English clockmaker, John Harrison, toiled for decades to solve the problem. His elegant solution made him an unlikely hero and remains the basis for the most modern forms of navigation in the world today. This film will be both a celebration of Harrison's invention and an adventure story. An expedition on a period sailing vessel as it sails the open sea will demonstrate the life and death importance of finding your longitude at sea.

She is one of the greatest divas of the present day and has left her mark on the world of opera: Anna Netrebko. On her 50th birthday, ARTE is dedicating a special portrait to her. As a disciplined professional in preparations and behind the scenes. And very personally in a private conversation. An encounter with a true superstar of classical music.

Isabelle Huppert is one of the most famous French actresses. In this portrait she reflects in voice over on her movies and her craft. She seems to like characters that are neurotic, dramatic and even dangerous. Huppert considers every character a means to discover things about herself.

It all begins with a childhood memory: that day when the father of the future filmmaker Sebastiano d'Ayala Valva forces him to listen to certain music that initially terrifies him; a distant echo from the past that leads him to follow the trail of his mysterious ancestor, the Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi (1905-1988), who claimed that his music was directly inspired by the gods.

'JFK: Seven Days That Made a President' investigates the seven key days in JFK's life that helped shape his character and have come to define him.

The remarkable life story of the pre-war Polish artist Stanislav Szukalski, documented by the American friends he made late in life.

From the very beginning, actor Paul Newman captivated the cinema audience with his exceptional azure eyes. The reserved Newman himself finds it trivial and even disturbing that everyone is so taken with his appearance. The actor and director - who has played in more than sixty films and directed twelve of them - prefers to focus on his work and family. And, at least as important, on his philanthropic ventures and political activism.

Film clips and interviews with biographers and colleagues chart the prolific, six-decade career of maverick actor-director Clint Eastwood.

A view of the life and works of the late Alex Colville, the celebrated Canadian painter. Shows the influence on his life and works of his experience as an artist during World War II, and of his relationship with his wife, Rhoda. Friends and critics speak of the construction and sense of menace in his work, and Colville comments on his sense of order, goodness, and contingency.

The start of the career of Herman Brood, who lived his life filled with sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. Guided by his manager they aim to take over the USA with his music.

A documentary film about the life and work of artist and author Carl Barks, including his lifetime association with Walt Disney and the Donald Duck character family.

The gripping story of legendary American actor John Travolta: his rise to stardom in the 1970s; his agonizing fall in disgrace in the 1980s; and his stunning artistic rebirth in the 1990s.

Short documentary on Belgian artist Piet Bekaert.

1/4 - In 1925, the young M’hamed El Anka replaced his master Nador at short notice. He realizes that he is far from mastering all the instruments of his art and begins a self-taught training program in Oud, the Arabic language, and religious singing in the hadra of Sidi Abderrahmane. 2/4 - In 1932, the young El Anka released 10 45 rpm records in Paris, including the first song from his composition "L'Exil". He is gradually “lightening” the Andalusian heritage. He made the pilgrimage to Mecca and wrote the famous song "El Mendouza". 3/4 - The 40s and 50s will confirm the maturity of the master, who consolidates the constituent elements of what is today called Chaâbi music. In the midst of the national liberation struggle, El Hadj M'hamed El Anka triumphs with the song "Youm El Djemâa". 4/4 - In 1962, El Anka sang of independence: "El hamdou lilah, mabqach listaâmar fi bledna". Activist, poet and musicologist Bachir Hadj Ali explains the artist’s exceptional style.

A rare glimpse on the life and career of an otherwise reclusive World Rally Championship driver from Estonia. Often characterized as shy, retiring but headstrong, stubborn and with "a big ego", Ott Tänak puts all of his heart and soul into his dream of being a world champion. Hailing from the small island of Saaremaa, Tänak rallied his way into the WRC elite despite all of the adversity he faced. The documentary also features numerous interviews from relatives, friends and fellow drivers and crew members, along with vignettes from his personal life and rallying career.

From Norman McLaren to the Grands Ballets Canadiens, to Igor Stravinsky and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Vincent Warren has made history. Inhabited by the importance of culture in a society, he worked all his life as a 'bearer of beauty'. A MAN OF DANCE is the story of this living legend and its memorable era.

This film is a fascinating look at some people afflicted with congenital deformities of an extreme nature. Their ability to live with their aberrations while remaining socially involved and upbeat is truly inspirational. While their predecessors were often seen in so called "freak shows" that were part of various exhibitions from Coney Island to traveling circuses, these performers were actually the more fortunate ones in an era of little tolerance for those who were different from the accepted norm. Many became famous and extremely wealthy, such as Tom Thumb (Charles Sherwood Stratton), who worked for many years with P.T. Barnum.

A look at the life and career of the influential post-colonial writer and champion of the Palestinian cause in the West, through interviews with his immediate family and closest friends.

This is the remarkable story of an American icon who changed the sport of big wave surfing forever. Transcending the surf genre, this in-depth portrait of a hard-charging athlete explores the fear, courage and ambition that push a man to greatness—and the cost that comes with it.