History Collection

Two noblemen from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania clash because one refuses to free his servant - a girl. The second joins a peasant revolt and takes over the castle.

An examination of the life of great Russian author Leo Tolstoy, who penned the 1877 novel Anna Karenina.

The title is a reference to the Book of Isaiah 42:6, “I, the LORD, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee free, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles.” The film is an episodic, cinematic biography of David Ben-Gurion, from his days as a youth in Poland when he met Herzl in the town of Plonsk, through his move to Palestine/Israel, becoming leader, the days of the Independence War and the establishing of the State of Israel, signing the reparations agreement with Germany, and all the way to the making of this film – in the aftermath of the Six-Day War. Perlov’s film highlights all the key milestones in the leader’s life which it goes about doing in the tradition of the reflexive documentary, through the creator’s subjective and artistic pov. The film goes back and forth between documentary and scripted scenes, black and white and technicolour, and even archival footage colourised in bold, artificial colours.

In the early days of World War II, two Jewish brothers lost their parents during the Nazi invasion of Belarus. The boys were imprisoned in a German hospital and found many of their peers there. They were kept in inhuman conditions - hunger, cold, lack of sleep and rest. The only thing the boys had, their treasure - was a family portrait with mom and dad. Before the fascists separated brothers, each of them got half of it.

A crumbling pier, its walls covered with graffiti and erotic frescoes reminiscent of pagan Pompeii, the locus of the seduction rituals of men longing for men, is the focus of this meditation on gay cruising at the height of sexual freedom before AIDS. Shot in 1982, this is the first segment of a film capturing the life, death, and rebirth of the legendary “sex piers” over the last three decades.

This is the master-crafted work of the legendary writer and artist Frank Miller. The film encapsulates, and celebrates the stunning achievement of Batman: the Dark Knight Returns, galvanizing the reason why this story ushered in the modern take of the dark and brooding protector of Gotham. This is the journey of Frank Miller, seeking the freedom that some authors only dream of in a lifetime. Narrated by Malcolm McDowell.

A deceptively simple set-up: the director and his father watch a 1988 football match which the father refereed, their commentary accompanying the original television images in real time. A Bucharest derby between the country’s leading teams, Dinamo and Steaua, taking place in heavy snow, one year before the revolution that toppled Ceaușescu.

Splinters is the first feature-length documentary film about the evolution of indigenous surfing in the developing nation of Papua New Guinea. In the 1980s an intrepid Australian pilot left behind a surfboard in the seaside village of Vanimo. Twenty years on, surfing is not only a pillar of village life but also a means to prestige. With no access to economic or educational advancement, let alone running water and power, village life is hermetic. A spot on the Papua New Guinea national surfing team is the way to see the wider world; the only way.

“Once clothed as an official, you represent law and justice.” This was taught to young detective Xian who worked under Detective “Silent Dog” Ao to catch mountain robbers. To everyone’s dismay, the robbers turned out to be detectives from neighbouring counties who were forced to rob the ruling county to save the poor. Through trickery and lies, Ao started a bloodbath to kill the robbers. Shaken to the core by Ao’s deceit, the originally naïve Xian abandoned his dreams to uphold righteous values. Not to be outdone, he ended up murdering the treacherous Ao for his own gains. With blades and blood, Xian was later hailed as a legendary detective.

On October 11, 1424, Hussite commander Jan Žižka breathed his last breath near the castle in Přibyslav. With a little exaggeration, it can be said that he never actually died, as he immediately entered national mythology as the prototype of a brilliant military leader and a true Czech. The revolutionary events then took a slightly different course than he would have liked, but his legacy remained ever-present among the Hussites. To this day, Žižka lives on in our society, with books written and films made about him. But even after 600 years of uninterrupted interest, a significant question mark remains over the Trocnov warrior: What was he really like? A deeply religious warrior of God, or just an ordinary medieval cutthroat? Leading Czech historians, headed by Professor Petr Čornej, are attempting to answer this question.

Takarazuka Moon Troupe 2013 version of The Rose of Versailles: Oscar and Andre

This documentary interweaves films and voice recordings by Maya Deren with interviews featuring colleagues and contemporaries who worked with or knew her firsthand. Drawing on archival material and commentary from figures such as Jean Rouch and Jonas Mekas, the film traces Deren’s work and influence across experimental cinema and ethnographic thought.

A Spanish boy is shipwrecked and cast ashore in Mexico in the sixteenth century. He is raised as a god by the Tehuan tribe, who have never before seen a white man, and is named Chiapa. Then at manhood he rules the Tehuans. Chiapa loves the priestess Tecolote but she is kidnapped by the Aztec warrior Mexitli, so he follows in the hopes of rescuing her.

1961. Father and daughter, separated during World War II, are trying to meet in Berlin. He comes to Berlin from Soviet Lithuania, she comes from the USA. Even if the Berlin Wall has not been built yet, the Cold War is coming close to its apogee. Political and geographical situation, that seemed to be favorable in the beginning, turns out to be deceptive. After his arrival, the father is looked after by KGB intelligence agents. They, using him as bait, are trying to lure the daughter to the east side. Affected by the citie's atmospehere that's pervated with distrust, she is afraid to cross the West Berlin boundary. Trying to save each other from the possible trap, father and daughter are ready to give up the idea of the so much desired meeting...

April 30, 1962. The Algerian War has been over for two months, but Charles de Gaulle negotiated with the FLN during the Évian Accords to continue nuclear testing in the Sahara Desert. Under the eyes of officials gathered in an observation post located 5 km from the blast site, the Taourirt fissures, releasing a radioactive cloud: this will be known as the Béryl accident.

A former leader in the Black Lion Party for International Solidarity shares his story of found family, loss, and transcendence. Shot over the course of two months, this short documentary provides a glimpse into the dynamics of modern American revolutionary movements. Jeremias' film captures a very brief, but important period of transition for the Black Panther Party in the 2020s.

When an attempted breakout of a prisoner ends in mass bloodshed, a power struggle erupts between the lawmen and a group of civilians in a rural province. As hostilities between the two sides slowly escalate, the animosity felt by the rebel leader towards his enemies slowly grows. Violence only begets more violence as a brutal attack is met with an act of revenge. A Bloody historical epic from Jamshid Heydari.

Showtime's "In the 20th Century" is a millennium-related strand of feature-length documentaries in which famous directors take on major subjects of their choosing. In the first of the six films, "In Search of the Happy Ending," filmmaker Garry Marshall delves into the institution of marriage as it has evolved in America throughout the past 100 years.

This richly illustrated historical documentary investigates the mechanism of nationalist feelings that radicalise. It shows how fascism was on the rise even a decade before the founding of the NSB, due to a number of anti-democratic initiatives led by a millionaire with a predilection for one-legged women, a market vendor, a cleric, and an artist. Historians, writers and collectors of fascist curios reveal how an initially marginal and fragmented movement grew into a radical populist party.

Over the centuries, Mont Saint-Michel, an extraordinary island located in the delta of the Couesnon River, in Normandy, France, a place floating between the sea and the sky, has been a sanctuary, an abbey, a fortress and a prison. But how was this architectural wonder built?

John Newton is captain of a slave ship moored off the coast of Nigeria. He stands at a crossroads in his life, his morality and religion at odds with the brutality of his chosen profession. Stepping ashore, he starts on a journey of redemption that will end in tragedy but prove the catalyst for greater achievements. A local anthem sung in adversity by the slaves whom he captures punctuates the film. It will be the inspiration for Newton's redemption and for his writing of the hymn Amazing Grace.

Set in 15th-century Italy, The Cardinal stars Matheson Lang as one Cardinal de Medici. Bound by the rules of the confessional, the cardinal is unable to disclose the multitude of sins revealed to him by one of his most influential parishioners. De Medici's dilemma is compounded by the fact that the confessor has committed a murder for which the Cardinal's brother has been arrested. The basic plot gimmick was good for another go-round in the 1953 Hitchcock flick I Confess. This 7-reel British film was based on a play by Louis N. Parker.

The Book of Ruth, is a triumphant love story in the face of adversity. This selfless journey of love and devotion is seen through the eyes of a young widow. Choosing to leave her homeland of Moab, she follows her mother-in-law Naomi to Israel after the death of her husband. Upon reaching Bethlehem, she meets and marries a man named Boaz, who is of the Royal House of Judah. This chain of seemingly unrelated events, sets the stage for the future kings of the nation of Israel, and the glorious coming of the Messiah. A Biblical Cinderella story from the archives of the royal Jewish bloodline, this story reveals the redemption of their inheritance through the child Obed, who was the grandfather of King David.

15-episode serialized Western directed by William James Craft. 1. His Country's Need 2. At Sword's Point 3. Liberty or Death 4. Foiling the Regulators 5. Perilous Paths 6. Trapped 7. In the Hands of the Enemy 8. Over the Cliff 9. The Flaming Forest 10. Running the Gauntlet 11. The Wilderness Trail 12. The Fort in the Forest 13. The Boiling Springs 14. Chief Blackfish Attacks 15. Boone's Triumph.

It was the battle that decided the future of Europe: on August 26, 1278, two dynasties faced each other at Marchfeld. On one side was the Roman-German King Rudolf I from the House of Habsburg, on the other Ottokar II from the Bohemian Přemyslid dynasty. Rudolf's victory over Ottokar laid the foundations for the unprecedented rise of the Habsburg Empire, which was to play a decisive role in Europe for more than six centuries.

In the cold winter of 1860, a young mother trapped in slavery seizes the opportunity to escape with her family when she encounters HARRIET TUBMAN (Karen Abercrombie, War Room). Harriet leads the young family through a number of trials on the Underground Railroad, causing them all to question whether or not freedom is worth the price they must pay to obtain it.

In Britain, during the revolution, the nephew of the Marquis de Lantenac, Gawain (P. Capellani) befriends Cimourdain (H. Krauss), a priest who follows the precepts of the Revolution. During the Terror, the Marquis went into exile in England while his nephew is a soldier in the Revolutionary Army ...

The film is a modern adaptation of Alexander Ostrovsky's unforgettable play "Profitable Place".

Deals with the Old Testament as a collection of literary forms. Combines paintings with narrative sculptures to relate the saga of the creation, the expulsion from Eden, and the murder of Abel

The story of the rise and fall of Rasputin, the so-called "mad monk" who dominated the court of the Russian czar in the period prior to the Russian revolution.

Amira, a flight attendant and daughter of a foreign minister, marries fellow pilot Hassan Ramzy. Her husband, pilot Hassan, disappears in mysterious circumstances on the wedding night. Amira grieves for a while, until she is pressured to get engaged to Kamal, who is also a pilot, and the marriage is agreed upon in Cairo, On the honeymoon, the bride’s father knows the return of the ex-husband, Hassan.

To pay his debts, a small-time actor is forced to impersonate screen icon P. Ramlee.

An account of the life and work of the Spanish clown, mime, acrobat and actor Marcelino Orbés (1873-1927), known as Marceline, who, between 1900 and 1914, was unanimously acclaimed as the best in the world.

The TV film is about Hobu Chandra, the king of Bombagarh and his wife Kusumkoli. Everyone in Bombagarh was happy. Then arrives Gurjar Gobu and things take a turn when he becomes the new minister.

The heroic struggle of the Nizhyn underground workers under the leadership of the hero of the USSR, the blind Yakov Batyuk.

In 1939, a group of African American intellectuals come up with an ingenious and unlikely response to Jim Crow America -- leave the planet and populate Mars. Using technology created by George Washington Carver, a three-person crew (plus one rambunctious robot) lift-off in Earth's first working spaceship on a mission that will take them to a world not unlike present-day America. Their spacey adventure illuminates some hard truths about American culture, and threatens to undermine the time-line of history along the way.

Kulak Walter's successor, Robert, calls his fellow villagers to form a collective farm. The poor peasantry of the village actively supports his call. The first collective farm of German colonists "Rote Fane" (Red Flag) is created. Local kulaks begin to fight against him. Under the influence of the kulaks' agitation, part of the middle-class colonists went to Germany. The collective farm grows and becomes stronger, and the kulaks weaken. Walter bribes his watchman, old Shakir, and incites him to kill Robert. But Shakir can't beat Robert. He exposes Walter's nefarious intentions and joins the collective farm. A letter comes from the departed colonists, reporting that there is an economic crisis and unemployment in Germany, and expressing regret for following the provocation and leaving the Soviet Union.

God's story is unstoppable when it is in the heart language of a people group. Deaf Missions' Jesus Film uses native signers to bring the story of Jesus to life from a Deaf perspective for a Deaf audience.

The film, 'The Spring Of Life', brings to light a little-known operation of the Nazi SS, started just before the outbreak of World War II. Through the careful selection and re-education of young women, it was the Nazi's mad dream to create an Aryan 'master race'.

The film focuses on the relationship between Casimir and the monk Justin. If the former is looking for answers to the questions of existence, the latter is sure that he has already comprehended all the mysteries. Ambitious and domineering, Justin believes that people should be kept in constant fear. Kazimir, on the other hand, strives for freedom of the spirit and comes to the conclusion that people pray to the wrong God and are therefore unhappy. These antipodes value each other in their own way. Justin, sending Casimir to the stake, loses the only person close to him. In his last moments, Kazimir does not hate Justin.

A film adaptation of a classic novel in which a filial daughter, Shim Cheong-i, donated 300 rice cakes to open the eyes of her blind father.

The film consists of several novels reproducing the most vivid pages of the biography of the first Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of Azerbaijan Nariman Narimanov (1870-1925).

This pre-WW II German costume drama chronicles the French Revolution with a particular focus upon Danton, Robespierre, and Marat. It depicts the dramatic downfall and execution of Georges Danton in 1794 at the hands of Maximilien Robespierre. The film also presents an interesting, if not historically inaccurate, portrayal of Louis XVI.

Stranded in the middle of the desert, Cooper and his four friends stumble upon a mysterious abandoned station… but as they cross two invisible circles, they become trapped in an endless night. Hunted by menacing shadows, their only chance of survival hinges on one absolute rule: never let the light go out.

Israeli commandos on a deadly mission to take out a radar installation.

Messiah –The Strange Tale of of Amakusa Shirō– The story takes place in Edo Castle in 1656. Foreign-style painter Yuan Yamada is asked by the young shogun Ietsuna Tokugawa to tell him the truth about the rebellion in the Bizen Shimabara domain 20 years ago. Yuan begins to tell the story of Tokisada (Shiro) Amakusa, the man who stood up for the people and became venerated as a messiah. Beautiful Garden; A Profusion of Flowers A profusion of beautiful, talented women† — an eternal flower garden with blooms of various scents and colors — Takarazuka.

For the first time, the extent of the Duke of Windsor's treachery during World War II is revealed; not just sympathising with the enemy but, new evidence reveals, actively collaborating.

It began much like the common cold. Yet within a day fever took over black swellings the size of baseballs appeared on the neck and finally a highly contagious bloody cough quickly sealed the victim's fate. During the worst biological disaster in the history of mankind the so-called black death released an indiscriminate fury which shook the very foundations of human order. Religious hysteria began to break out and in desperation frenzied masses scrambled to find a scapegoat. When all was said and done nearly one-third of Europe's population had been completely wiped out and devastated survivors were left to contend with a world forever changed both socially and economically. In this feature-length special THE HISTORY CHANNEL-® investigates the origins of this devastating moment in human history and explores the many questions surrounding the terrifying possibility of a modern-day biological threat.

Autumn 1961: The GDR regime secures the border between the workers' and peasants' state and the class enemy in the West. To ensure this, the leadership also orders the use of firearms against those fleeing the republic. In Böseckendorf, close to the border, people are not prepared to accept this development. When one of the residents accidentally learns of a secret plan from the SED district leadership, which reveals that all unruly residents are to be forcibly relocated in just a few days, the people of Böseckendorf spontaneously decide to flee en masse. But can an entire village escape the GDR state power unnoticed overnight?

A female commissar is sent to the naval detachment, led by the anarchist Vozhak, on behalf of the Party Central Committee. She is tasked with subordinating the sailors to the cause of the revolution.

An illiterate mountain man, Kit Carson was fluent in Spanish and five Indian languages; he twice married Native American women, yet led a brutal war against the Navajo. When the West was a mystery to most Americans, Carson mastered it, and his expertise made him not only famous, but also sought after. Eventually, by helping to spur a migration that would change the West forever, he unwittingly became an agent in the destruction of the life he loved.

King Charles flees and hides in a huge oak tree when the troops loyal to Oliver Cromwell close in. The royal entourage is disguised, and the king's sweetheart masquerades as Charles. Only when she is brought before Cromwell is it discovered the switch has been made.

Story of the power struggle between Egyptian queen Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy, and how a common soldier risks his life to serve her.

At the height of the Korean War, 15,000 U.S. troops were trapped and outnumbered 10-to-1. In a harrowing battle, these soldiers fought 78-miles to freedom and saved the lives of 98,000 refugees. After 60 years of silence, the survivors of the Chosin Reservoir Campaign of the Korean War take us on an emotional and heart-pounding journey through one of the most savage battles in American history.

A man kills a monster and a woman becomes a goddess.

Augustus is reputed to have been a violent, adventurous, power-hungry and unscrupulous warlord. Yet as founder of the Roman Empire, he ushered in a period of peace and prosperity. Drawing on the analysis of several historians, this documentary traces an extraordinary destiny: posthumously adopted by his great-uncle Julius Caesar, Octavian, the future Augustus, accepted an inheritance fraught with consequences. Having made his own empire prosper, he wrote his political will at the age of 76, without naming an heir. How was the succession of this childless strategist organized?