Doclights

We live on an ever-moving planet, and as landscapes are altered, wildlife must march to its rhythm. Driven by instinct, they follow the maps hardwired into their DNA. Some run, some fly, but most swim.

The mountain worlds of the Caucasus mark the border between Europe and Asia. The film shows the species and landscape diversity of the lesser Caucasus in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Shielded from the main ridge of the Greater Caucasus, a thermophilic flora and fauna has been able to develop there. For the first time, the land bridge between Europe and Persia is portrayed comprehensively: From the mountains of Dagestan to the canyons of the Caspian Basin and to biblical Mount Ararat.

November 5, 2024 is election day and the USA is facing a momentous decision linked to the questions: Will Kamala Harris succeed in becoming the first woman President of the USA? Or will Donald Trump return to the White House? What consequences would a Trump victory have for the USA, the world and especially for Germany? Ingo Zamperoni, together with filmmaker Birgit Wärnke, embarks on a multifaceted journey through a country that seems more irreconcilable and polarized than ever before. The well-known Tagesthemen anchorman discusses the election-deciding issues such as inflation, migration, abortion and the Ukraine war during visits to members of his partly American family and their acquaintances, but also with celebrities such as pop star and Trump friend Kid Rock, football legend Jürgen Klinsmann, who lives in California, and the former commander of the US Army in Europe, Ben Hodges.

Gabon's Loango National Park is home to a group of western lowland gorillas who have become accustomed to biologists who have studied them for almost twenty years. This documentary presents an intimate look at the silverback Kamaya and his family and features a newborn baby gorilla, brave researchers, forest elephants, buffalos and the last remaining wild coastline in the African tropics.

Giant Pacific octopuses are mystical creatures. A film team managed to gain insight into the mysterious life of these relatives of snails and mussels. It formed a close bond with the elusive squid while diving in the fjords of the Northeastern United States. In parallel, the dive team followed the evolution of the giant octopus Eleonora at Port Townsend Aquarium.

It covers thirty percent of the Earth's land mass and yet, most of us barely scratch the surface. Now, discover what few people have seen, as The Green Planet follows the stories of forest inhabitants, from graceful red deer to cunning foxes and impressive wild boar. With cutting edge technology, we also explore some of the more bizarre and wonderful forest dwellers: the purple emperor, liverworts, stag beetles and corydalis. See flowers bloom and blades of grass cut through the snow. Spend time in a foxes den with her new born cubs and follow tiny insects and creatures with microscopic detail. Be a part of a journey that takes you through the seasons and be prepared to be amazed by the natural wonder of creation, destruction and rebirth in this incomparable landscape.

Huge wandering dunes on the Baltic, thousands of lakes in the dream landscape of Masuria, gigantic river systems of Biebrza and Narew, mystical primeval forests and the rugged crags of the Southern mountains: all of this is Poland. No other country in Europe has more square kilometres of national parks.

Angry birds are very popular- especially among game-playing kids, but are there real angry birds out there? Birds battle to survive, find food, and shelter, avoid danger, and raise their young. Life's hard, but will they get in a flap?

Half of all bird species undertake annual migrations, everything from heavy-bodied swans to delicate hummingbirds. Migration is one of the most remarkable phenomena on the planet, hosts of animals of all shapes and sizes demonstrating incredible feats of endurance.

The culture of Japan is incredible, from bloom festivals to ultra-modern cities. But there are also more than 130 mammals and 600 bird species dwelling in Japan’s 6,852 islands. This island chain is long enough to span climate zones, providing a huge range of habitat.

Emmy award-winning filmmaker and marine biologist Rick Rosenthal teams up with science fiction writer Chris Carter on an investigative journey to explore evidence of intelligent life, not in space, but in the sea – specifically, manta rays. Might these alien-looking animals be trying to make contact with us? There are intriguing clues.

Gorillas live in complex social groups led by a dominant male silverback; he is intelligent and powerful, fiercely leading his troop through the dangers of the jungle; gorillas are like humans in so many ways, but their existence is under threat.

Endless beaches, dunes, heath and the Wadden Sea characterize the landscape of Sylt. Germany's largest North Sea island is also a paradise for numerous animal and plant species. Around half of its area is under landscape or nature protection. In spring and autumn, thousands of migratory birds stop here on their way between Siberia and East Africa. Sheep graze on the dike meadows, female seals give birth to their young off Sylt. And the Sylt Wadden Sea is one of the last large wilderness areas in Europe. But in winter storms hit the island. If the “Blanke Hans”, as the storm on Sylt is called, causes the North Sea to rage, it hits the island with tremendous force. Only a few places on the German North Sea coast are as exposed to the force of the sea as the west coast of Sylt. The documentary shows Sylt's nature in fascinating images. People who are particularly connected to the island and its nature are accompanied in their everyday lives.

Migration is one of the great phenomena of the natural world. When it’s time to move some take to the skies or the oceans, but the migrants we know best are found in the awe-inspiring herds running across our planet.