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The Devil's Bridge

Life in a Kyrgyz aul (village) in the mountains connected to the rest of the world by a cable bridge, and the teenage boys who are constructing the rope of the bridge. A rope bridge which the locals call “The devil’s bridge” forms part of each and every event which takes place in a small village lost in the mountains of the Kyrgyz Republic. A platform driven by a huge winch which they have to pull with their own strength to cross the torrent is their only link with the outside world. But the director of the documentary wondered something else: “Does this bridge unite or does it actually separate?” Through the mist and over the thrashing waters, the inhabitants of the area glide along their ropes. A film, in the director’s own words, about ordinary people who live in an extraordinary place.

The Devil's Bridge

NR 1997
Gladiators: The Brutal Truth

For 750 years, the local colosseum was the only place to go if you were looking for some action. What began as human sacrifice during funeral rites for wealthy families resulted in a violent, bloody battle staged in front of 50,000 fans. Gladiators were slaves, but the archaeological remains at Pompeii and the Roman Colosseum reveal that they were held in the same esteem as modern day sports stars. Gladiators explains how this "sport" was used as a tool of political power and how the Gladiators rose up and waged war against their owners. Two versions are available: presenter-free, and presenter-led, with Terry Jones of Monty Python fame.

Gladiators: The Brutal Truth

6.0 1999
Intimate Portrait: Bette Davis

Margo Channing's famous line, "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night," characterizes well the actress who played her in All About Eve--the inimitable Bette Davis. In fact, Davis's son comments in Lifetime's Intimate Portrait: Bette Davis that watching Margo Channing is much like watching Bette Davis. Davis's film career spanned six decades, in which she starred in 112 films, receiving 10 Academy Award nominations and 2 Oscars. Yet her life was not always the charmed one of a starlet; from a broken home, herself three times divorced, once widowed, betrayed by her own daughter's scathing biography, Davis found solace in her work, which didn't always come easy for her. When she first approached Hollywood in 1930, the studios didn't know what to do with such an odd beauty. This portrait of the actress covers a lot of ground, and leaves you wanting more.

Intimate Portrait: Bette Davis

8.0 1996
If We Had No Moon

Without the moon, humans wouldn't exist. Life, if it had started at all, would be in its earliest stages of evolution. Days would last four hours, winds would blow at hurricane force and there would be a dense and toxic atmosphere resembling that of Venus. Around 50 million years after the formation of the solar system, a Mars-sized planet called Theia hit the newly formed Proto-Earth. The blast sent planetary material from the pair into orbit around earth which eventually formed the Moon. In this one-hour special, viewers learn what Earth was like before the moon creating impact, and what Earth would have been like if the moon had never existed.

If We Had No Moon

7.6 1999
The James Bond Story

Bond... James Bond! Perhaps the greatest fictional cinema icon ever. He first appeared on the big screen in 1962 in Dr. No and has remained the most powerful action hero ever since. The secret to his success is his adaptability. No matter what tight spots he finds himself in, he always appears to be suave, sophisticated and cool. This is the full story -- from the creation of the character, the men who played him, all the toys, and all the women. Everything you wanted to know about James Bond... and more.

The James Bond Story

6.5 1999
Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.

Documentary filmmaker Errol Morris investigates the case of a man who became an authority on capital punishment, but was discredited when he got involved on the wrong side of a court case. Leuchter, a meek man whose appearance belies his grim expertise, develops what he says is a more effective electric chair. Before long he's in demand from officials who want his opinions on other kinds of execution. But when called to aid the case of an accused Holocaust denier, Leuchter's problems begin.

Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.

7.0 1999
Soviet Union: The Rise and Fall - Part 2

Historic Russian battles to repel invaders serve as prelude to the story of events that redrew the map of Eastern Europe and parts of Asia in the 20th century. Following the turmoil of the Bolshevik Revolution, Communist Russia faces the venom of Nazi aggression. 1940's film footage reveals the harsh reality of total war, as the Red Army and Soviet civilians alike confront a brutal and tenacious enemy. The following decades are darkened by tensions between the USSR and foreign powers, and violent measures taken to silence voices of dissent. Finally, the Soviet people's yearning for a freer society leads to accelerating reforms and the ultimate dissolution of the USSR.

Soviet Union: The Rise and Fall - Part 2

NR 1996
The Enigma of Nasca

Join a team of archaeologists and the Discovery Channel in an investigation into the mysterious lines of the Nazca region in Peru. Created by the Nazcas, these huge sculptures are only visible from the sky and depict people, animal, geometric forms, and strange creatures. See a premier exhibition of pottery and textiles, musical instruments, and mummies from this long-forgotten, pre-Columbian civilization and visit Cahuachi, a buried city of pyramids and ceremonial buildings which may have once been the religious capital of the Nazca people

The Enigma of Nasca

6.0 1999
Why America Hates the Press

FRONTLINE offers a tough, insider's examination of the culture and tactics of the national press corps. With public respect for the press at an all-time low-----on par with public regard for politicians----journalists have begun to break ranks to probe what has gone wrong. FRONTLINE follows the nation's top political journalists along the 1996 presidential campaign trail and behind the scenes of the weekly talk shows where reporters are transformed into celebrity pundits. Through the eyes of a few key journalists, this report explores the dynamics of the news business and its troubling impact on American politics.

Why America Hates the Press

NR 1996
Under Lock and Key

Under Lock and Key is the single-channel version of an installation that premiered at the Wexner Center for the Arts in 1993. Using the "talking head" confessional as a stylistic device, B creates a social and psychological narrative wherein the act of speaking becomes therapeutic affirmation. B asked individuals who had suffered domestic violence to compose and read letters to those who had abused them. Their stories, addressed to their abusers and spoken directly to the camera, are intercut with comments by serial killer Ted Bundy and quotes from convicted murderer Jack Henry Abbott's prison memoir, In the Belly of the Beast.

Under Lock and Key

NR 1994
Mob Stories

They're the real 'goodfellas': 'Joe Dogs' Iannuzzi, Tommy DelGiorno, 'Big Dom' Lofaro. For the first time on television, Mafia turncoats give personal accounts of life inside the Mob. In this shocking documentary, five high-ranking informants tell tales of murder, brutality, greed and vanity--and why they broke the Sicilian code of honor. The first generation of the American Mafia stood on the foundation of loyalty and a code of silence. The second and third generations traded their Sicilian traditions for government protection and instant personal gain. MOB STORIES presents five chilling narratives from five members of the underworld, most of whom are overwhelmed with fear and paranoia with the exception of “Fat Jackie”, a loyal lifelong mobster. Father and son team, Alan and Marc Levin, direct and produce an honest and personal portrayal of the demise of the Mafia.

Mob Stories

6.0 1993