Into the Grand Canyon

Through the eyes and voice of biologist Janine Benyus, the non-fiction feature “Biocentrics” takes the viewer through different corners of the planet to reveal the birth and the principles that guide biomimicry, a methodology of innovation inspired by nature. As a hub connecting ancestral knowledge, diverse cultures, natural technologies and initiatives that choose the continuity of life as their premise, the charismatic activist proposes a common agenda, a new posture and a tool, which is the vanguard of contemporary science, to face the global challenges that lie ahead and putting life back at the center of decision-making.

A vast, snow-covered forest, untouched by human presence. Two men cross it, bags on their backs, cross a frozen river and finally arrive at the peatland, a vast white expanse. For years, Yves the painter and Olivier the photographer, have traveled the world, meeting wildlife from one pole to the other, privileged and concerned witnesses to the fragile beauty of the planet. But the two men share a common dream: to see a wolf pack live, grow, and spread out. One day, their search leads them to a hideout in no-man's-land between Iceland and Russia, a place conducive to a different temporality. The wait begins. Over the seasons, they will stand there in these eight square meters of wood, silent amid an unchanging scenery, until they gradually become part of the “picture” and immerse themselves in the life of the wolves. A motionless adventure...

Our National Parks takes you on a journey through the four seasons and the many faces of our scenic national parks. Experience an array of lands and waters from Alaska's glacier-clad Denali to the turquoise coves and coral reefs of the Virgin Islands; from the fire of Hawaii Volcanoes to the coolness of Kentucky's Mammoth Cave; from the moonscapes of South Dakota's Badlands to the granite shores of Maine's Acadia. With award-winning filmmaker Wolfgang Bayer you get an in-depth tour of nine of the most popular national parks plus a seasonal overview of many more.

A documentary about the well-known Latvian youth choir “Kamēr...” and its journey to the Tolosa Choral competition. A debut from a 20 year old singer of the choir, the film offers a deeply personal insight into the most difficult challenge the choir has ever faced. After the head conductor leaving, the choir has just 2 months to get used to a new leader. A test for the new conductor who has to prove his worth at one of the most important competi-tions of the choir’s history. It’s do or die, as nothing less than a victory will be accepted. Following the choir every step of the way, the director puts the audience in a first-row seat at rehearsals, performances, discussions and spectacular moments that can only be seen through the eyes of a singer. An unprecedented view of the personal battles and achieve-ments, that lead up to a real-life story, never captured before.

A unique look at three of the greatest builders of the African Savannah: weaver birds, aardvarks and termites. In their spectacular buildings they do not live alone! Many roommates from other species, from small insects, reptiles and birds to large mammals, not only live together — they also benefit from sharing the same roof.

After learning to 'write what you know,' in film school, Half-Filipino and Half-White aspiring filmmaker Andrew Orticio travels back to his father's village in the Philippines to understand his mixed identity.

In the Carpathian mountains, a community of highlanders keep their ancient culture alive, from their style of dress to their craftsmanship.

From polar bears in the arctic tundra to black bears in the Northern Rockies, you'll see some of the most spectacular footage ever shot of these enterprising omnivores. Catch salmon with a group of hungry grizzlies on the McNeil River in Alaska. Crawl inside a den with a mother black bear and her cubs. Learn about the challenges facing each of these species as their habitat diminishes.

The Colorado River is the foundation of the American Southwest. But the confluence of a once-in-a-millennium drought, a hundred-year-old mistake, and a generations-old conflict have put the river-–and the civilization built atop it––in crisis, and at a crossroads. As the southwest continues to grow, and the river continues to shrink, time is running out to solve the problem of the Colorado.

An eight-minute amateur wildlife video that depicts a confrontation between a herd of Cape buffalo, a small group of young lions from a pride, and one crocodile.

Écureuil : Les Tribulations d'une forestière

Silk Road Ghosts takes the viewer off the beaten path as I ply a circuit, following in the footsteps of the ancient conquerors, passing through some of the more remarkable parts of Central Asia's Silk Road. From Almaty in Kazakhstan, I set out towards a daunting rendezvous with the Darvasa Gas Crater in Turkmenistan. Along the way I dot many of the road's pivotal locations, bearing witness to its myriad ghosts which served to glorify the annals of our planet's history.

A resistance writer and pioneer of nature writing with a controversial personality, Edward Abbey wrote more than twenty books on the theme of eternal nature. A gem of counterculture, his 1975 novel The Monkey Wrench Gang inspired a generation of environmental activists and readers with rebellious souls. Portrait of a rebellious, lyrical, and rude writer.

United by the same dream, Yves Fagniart and Olivier Larrey, watercolorist and wildlife photographer respectively, set up home in a shack just a few square meters square, in the middle of the no-man's-land between Finland and Russia. Their aim: to document the intimate life of a pack of wolves, presumed to frequent this frozen peat bog landscape.

From 1968 to 1972, photographer and filmmaker Bob Campbell documented the activities of Dian Fossey as she developed a cross-species bond with Rwandan mountain gorillas. Campbell shot 70,000 feet of film, but only a fraction of his material was edited into the lecture presentation that preceded Fossey's Gorillas in the Mist. This program compiles highlights from the previously unreleased footage, offering an unforgettable glimpse into the gorilla community and Fossey's relationship with it. Her methods may not entirely jibe with those of modern conservationists, but there is no denying the profound impact of her work on current research and eco-activism.

Showcased in beautiful IMAX format, this documentary takes viewers into the hearts, minds and world of chimpanzees as it profiles legendary scientist Dr. Jane Goodall's work among the chimps at Gombe Park on Africa's Lake Tanganyka. Dr. Goodall and other researchers give us an up-close look at the daily lives of the Gombe chimp families -- Fifi and sons Freud and alpha male Frodo, along with Gremlin, Gaia and the endearing Galahad.

Crazy cat lady or world-class musician? You decide. Dorian Rence smashes our notions of what matters and who counts in "Feral Love." Dorian was the seventh woman to join the New York Philharmonic. In her 40-year career she has performed with all the greats: Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, Yo Yo Ma to name a few. And she cares for a feral cat colony in the tunnels of New York City.

Two thousand square miles, a mile deep, approximately 10 miles wide- no geological feature on earth evokes a wider spectrum of human emotions than does the Grand Canyon of Arizona. It is impossible not to be profoundly moved when confronting such immensity. But it is more than a chasm, it is alive with mule deer, mountain lions, coyotes, bighorn sheep, wild turkeys, blue grouse, blue heron, desert tortoises, and the rare kaibab squirrel, found only in the Grand Canyon. Long before the Spanish arrived, the Anasazi (Ancient Ones) lived here. Included is an exclusive segment, never before filmed, of Shaman's Gallery, a significant Anasazi find of rock paintings in the Grand Canyon area, dating between 2000 B.C., and A.D 1. Established in 1908, Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the Grand Canyon a parkland and said "do nothing to mar its grandeur, keep it for your children, your children's children, and all who will come after you."

The Arctic is accessible to man only because of ice dogs. As hunters, haulers, and guardians, they have been our vital link to nature for thousands of years. Dogs led the Sarqaq people out of Siberia and, a millennium later, led explorers to the North Pole. As the light returns to Greenland, we arrive in Scoresbysund with a troop of the only companions worth having in this harsh environment.

Mountain men Joseph R Walker was probably the first non-Indian to see Yosemite, in 1833, but not until the California militia entered the valley rounding up the Ahwahneechee Indians was the region discovered. In June, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant, making it a California State Park. It became famous through the writings of Horace Greeley and the efforts of John Muir. Cinematographer Dennis Burkhart captures in this video the magnificence of Yosemite Valley (El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, Half Dome), the High Sierra (John Muir Trail, Tuolumne Meadows, Tioga Pass) and the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias. The camera catches the wildlife that roams the 1,1170 square miles of Yosemite, i.e. the mule deer, mountain lion, black bear, coyotes, bighorn sheep, and the rare peregrine falcon. This video reveals why 3.8 million visitors come each year and stand before awe-inspiring panoramas they will never forget.