Tapestry International, Ltd.

Going Places is a vacation travel series that takes you around the world exploring unusual aspects of favorite vacations destinations without ever having to leave your living room.

BALI:
Join our host, James Avery, as he and his wife explore this Indonesian paradise where art, dance, and magnificent religious ceremonies permeate everyday life. We’ll witness surf culture on Bali’s famous Kuta beach then travel inland to the lush tropical forests, terraced green slopes of volcanic peaks, and the elaborate carvings of Hindu temples, GOING PLACES will experience it all, from the graceful movements of traditional legong dancers to the raucous inhabitants of Ubud’s Monkey Forest.
BIKING THE BLACK HILLS
One of the most popular forms of vacation is the road trip, and this episode is as much about getting there as it is about where we’re going. With motorcycling now a truly upscale business, we follow some RUBs (rich urban bikers) and others as they travel from as far away as Seattle and Minneapolis to converge on the annual rally in Sturgis, South Dakota.
THE BLOODIEST FIELD
Slip on epaulets, carry and antique gun, and sleep in an old army tent. Colonial Williamsburg and other historic towns allow our visitors to travel back in time and re-enact battles and experience the culture during the American Civil War.6
THE CARIBBEAN
Over 4 million people a year take a cruise, and it’s not just a vacation for older couple either. Increasingly, cruises are for families so host Al Roker packs his bags and takes his daughter Courtney on a Caribbean cruise. With non-stop entertainment and activities, the Rokers get to visit Exuma, the island where Al’s grandparents came from.
ECUADOR
Not only is Ecuador the smallest of the Andean countries, it is also the friendliest and easiest to travel in, with a politically stable environment and a warm welcome from anyone you meet.  Ecuador is a land bursting with adventure possibilities, all within hours of each other. Climb the world’s highest active volcano one day and navigate a kayak through the jungle to a remote Indian village the next.
IRELAND
Ireland is as varied geographically as it is historically.  Visitors are drawn to the beauty of the land, the towns and cities that evoke ancient and recent history, the castles and the vibrant social life that thrives in the famous pubs.  And the best way to see the country is by bicycle.
LAS VEGAS
For many, Las Vegas conjures up images of gambling and the mob. The mob is gone, replaced by corporate ownership, but gambling is still here and bigger than ever. On our journey we visit the Liberace Museum, the casinos and the neon graveyard, where old signs are retired.
LONDON
We reach London at twice the speed of sound on the Concorde and spend time with actor Clive Rowe, actor/restaurant owner Michael Caine and lawyer John Mortimer. We take in the sight and sounds of the Changing of the Guard, Hampton Court and an East End pie and mash (meat and mash potatoes) shop.
MADRID:
In this episode, GOING PLACES explores the most romantic region of Spain, starting in its festive capital, Madrid, with its world-class art collections and colorful nightlife. We’ll explore historic Toledo, renowned for charming narrow streets. We’ll see evidence of its cultural heritage in the stones of its streets and the motifs of its architecture.  For a fun-filled climax GOING PLACES hops aboard the famous bullet train and heads south for Seville where we learn the intricate steps of flamenco that will make you want to dance the night away.
MIAMI AND THE FLORIDA KEYS
Once famous as the resort for retirees, Miami has become a hotbed for popular culture. With a booming art scene, a taste for fashion and a funky, diverse style, Miami has experienced a surge of popularity.
NEW ORLEANS
Perhaps the only city of its kind in the world, New Orleans gave birth to three kind of music (Jazz, Cajun and Zydeco) and two kinds of food (Cajun and Creole). We take and Alligator Annie tour of the swamps, eat our way through food markets, cafes and restaurants with chef and author Vartamae Grosvenor and blessed by a voodoo priestess- all to the beat of music.
NEW YORK:
Known as the capital of culture, New York claims to possess the best of everything: food, fashion, entertainment and art. GOING PLACES will uncover the real New York, a surprising assortment of diverse neighborhoods, each offering a great depth of culture, hospitality and authenticity.  From Harlem to China town, we’ll talk to the locals, sample the cuisine and marvel at the sky scrapers.  For some fresh air, it’s Central Park, where we enjoy a moment of respite from the frantic but enthusiastic beat of the city that never sleeps.
SAN FRANCISCO / NAPA VALLEY
America’s most European city, where health, politics, style and nature converge. The city itself has neighborhoods to fit any traveler’s whim, whilst in addition to superb hiking and biking; the Napa Valley boasts celebrated restaurants, elegant hotels, quaint towns and trendy shops, not to mention those famous wineries.
SANTA FE:
Head to the Land of Enchantment as GOING PLACES tours the American Southwest. We’ll get wild at the Rodeo de Santa Fe, wander the galleries and shops of Canyon Road, ponder adobe architecture, and kick back at a Japanese-inspired Spa. We’ll hit the high road to Taos and stop to collect sacred dirt at the Sanctuario de Chimayo. In Taos, famous for its Native American culture and beautiful mountain surroundings, we’ll have a picnic lunch with a llama and catch a trout in a sculpture garden.
SOUTH AFRICA
A land of dramatic diversity, South Africa is the latest hot tourist destination. Wildlife safaris, spectacular scenery, diverse ethnic communities; South Africa is a unique blend of ancient African traditions and contemporary European customs.
SYDNEY
Just voted the most desirable destination in the world, this beautiful city is stretched out along one of the world’s great harbors. We explore historic Sydney, complete with a sailing voyage on the Bounty and take a trip to Broken Hill to see the Aboriginal cave drawing. We try the local “tucker” (that’s grub to you) from chicken to crocodile (which, yes tastes like chicken).
TURKEY:
Straddling two continents, Turkey is a fabled land of the Orient where East and West come together in a spicy, exotic blend. We visit Istanbul, the historic capital of the Byzantine, Ottoman and Eastern Roman Empires, known for magnificent mosques, sumptuous palaces, cloistered harems, fragrant gardens, and the world’s largest covered bazaar, where we haggle for Turkey’s famous carpets. To recover, we’ll relax in a steamy Turkish bath. We’ll sail the beautiful Turquoise Coast in a traditional Turkish wooden sail boat and head inland to Cappadocia: a land of bizarre conical rock formations where entire cities are carved deep under the ground.
TUSCANY
Recently, the ultimate boomer vacation has become a trip to Tuscany , where renting a villa and exploring one of the most beautiful parts of Europe is all the rage. We do not just that and along the way visit the marble quarry Michelangelo used, see Pinocchio’s hometown, eat drink, relax, and shop.
YELLOWSTONE IN WINTER:
Join GOING PLACES as we venture into the stunning winter wonderland of Wyoming. On a three day snowmobile safari we head into Yellowstone National Park, a surreal landscape of frozen waterfalls, steaming geysers and bubbling mud flats and the perfect place to spot bison, elk and moose. The nearby town of Jackson Hole is known for its great alpine and nordic skiing, cowboy culture, and diverse outdoor adventures. We’ll test drive a dog sled, track a moose on snow shoes, two-step with the locals, and feast at Bubba’s, the local’s favorite for ribs.

Welcome to the sites, the sounds and tastes of Tuscany. This brand new half hour series takes us through the rambling hills, luscious orchards and busy markets of Tuscany. Episodes include: The Chianti, Sine and Volterra, Montepulciano and Val’Dorcia, Montalcino and the Maremma, Rufina and the Casentino, and Northern Tuscany. Airing on PBS (US).

This exhilarating series takes viewers through lush rain forests, the desert outback, cosmopolitan cities and quaint country towns.  The railways of Australia are as enchanting as the lands they cross, and serve as a heritage to the country’s past and present.  Join us as we journey through: Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and Western Australia.

Charismatic 21st century explorers discover a world in ways we’ve never seen before. Like the explorers of centuries past, our modern day XQuesters venture into uncharted territories, take leaps of faith and push themselves beyond their limits, while experiencing and embracing unique cultures. Episodes include: Bikes on Ice (Yukon & Alaska), Tiger Tracking on the Nam Pha (Laos), Taming the Motoco (Argentina), Blessed in Baikal (Russia), Across Asgaard (Scandinavia), & Amazon Extreme (Brazil).

Hidden from modern society in a remote section of Indonesia live the ominous Komodo Dragons. These endangered species which are our closest link to the Jurassic period can grow up to 11 feet long and weigh as much as 365 lbs. Yet, it is their deadly bacteria-filled saliva that causes both fear and intrigue within the medical science world. Although one mouthful of this bacteria is deadly enough to kill a water buffalo, the Komodo Dragons themselves are immune from the poison’s effect. Despite the severity of this poison, there is speculation that it may contain the secrets for a life saving drug. Braving the risk of attack, a team of scientific researchers manage to capture the dragons long enough to extract blood, skin and saliva specimens for research. Not only may this aid human beings, but may also serve to protect the highly endangered Komodo Dragons. Komodo Dragons provides a rare glimpse into these remarkable creatures’ unique lifestyle and hunting patterns. Despite the deadly power of these reptiles, they are a fascinating reminder of our pre-historic links, and an important species to protect from extinction.

A touching and unusual portrait of social organization among Japanese Macaques, or “ Snow Monkeys.”
Filmed over a period of 7 years on the island of Honshu, Japan, It follows one female Macaque named Mozu. Born with a physical handicap, missing fingers and crippled legs and arms, she cannot run or jump. She only can crawl. The story depicts her tenacious thriving, reproduction and child rearing in the wild, thanks to the aid of her fellow Snow Monkeys.

It’s the Harvard University of the animal industry, Moorpark College in Los Angeles, California.  Students from around the world come to achieve dreams of becoming a lion tamer or zookeeper. But what does it take to make it through the intensive 24-hour a day, two-year Exotic Animal Training and Management Program? This fly-on-the-wall reality series is packed with vibrant characters who we get to know over one academic year, and chronicles the extraordinary relationships created at Moorpark, both animal and human.

Shot on film and cut to a sultry jazz soundtrack, The Secret World of Gardens exposes the mysterious world that exists in our own back yard. Breaking ground in time-lapse and macro photography, has consistently swept the Gemini Awards, reaping top prizes including Best Nature Series and Best Technical Direction.  Stylistically playful and technically blue chip, this series was produced for National Geographic (in Canada) and HGTV in the US.

Follow an extraordinary expedition to save one of the most elusive and endangered creatures on the earth. With less than 500 left in the wild, time is running out for the Sumatran tiger. An intrepid team of scientists confronts wild elephants, poachers, leeches and the elements on their quest to find and save the tiger - never before filmed in the wild. Terrestrial rights only.

Man-made treasures are unique in that they are physical manifestations of humanity’s ingenuity and creativity. This series takes a look at some of the treasures which society has deemed priceless and irreplaceable. Rare archival photos and footage, previously locked away in private collections and museum archives around the world, illustrate the cultural significance of these treasures, as well as the personal stories behind them which have become part of their history and ours. Tales of thefts and curses, undying love and spiritual journeys are inextricably bound to these revered objects. Hour one features Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Picasso’s Guernica: Testimony of War. Hour two reveals the stories associated with the Hope Diamond and Fabergé’s Imperial Eggs while hour three explores the love story behind Taj Mahal and the faith inspiring the magnificent Buddhist temple at Borobudur in Java. Hour three is available in French.

Enter the dramatic story of the rise and fall of an empire through its technological achievements. The newest advances in computer and television technology are used to rebuild the world’s first clocks, missiles, seismographs, and paddleboat warships.  Dramatic storytelling, stunning imagery, ground-breaking research and distinguished scholarship by leading experts render Classical China gloriously alive.

This ‘blast from the past’ film is a celebration of the essence of American youth, freedom and the automobile—the drive-in movie theater. Drive-In Movie Memories is a whimsical portrait featuring quirky film and advertising clips from the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s (think animated dancing hot dogs!) and interviews with pop-culture experts.  Directed by Kurt Kuenne and featuring a host of silver screen personalities, the film follows the inception, demise, and rebirth of the drive-in as it relates to the American cultural landscape.

Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet tells the story of the 7th Century prophet who changed world history in 23 years, and continues to shape the lives of more than 1.2 billion people. This film creates a lively, thorough, and honest portrait of Muhammad, the man and the prophet. It takes viewers not only to ancient Arabian sites where Muhammad’s story unfolded, but into the homes, mosques and work places of some of the world’s seven million Muslims to discover the many ways in which they follow Muhammad’s example.

Few people under the age of sixty have ever seen a pulp fiction magazine but they sure know their cover art.  These action-packed, hyper-climactic scenes have influenced everything from album covers to movie posters.  Pulp fiction art is almost a state of mind than simply a commercial art genre.  Even the most jaded remote control happy viewers are amazed at the paintings’ raw emotion, sexuality, and at times sadistic scenes, especially when they find out just how long ago they were created.

Pulp Fiction Art: Cheap Thrills & Painted Nightmares is literally the first documentary to tell the story of this forgotten part of American history.  During the Great Depression, pulp publishers had to work especially hard to get cash strapped Americans to buy their magazines.  Therefore the covers were bold, audacious, and at times, controversial.  Because it was never meant to be kept, the original cover art was thrown out.  Only a tiny fraction of the originals exist today, of which can bring thousands of dollars at auction.

Pulp Fiction Art: Cheap Thrills & Painted Nightmares got exclusive access to world’s largest pulp fiction art collection for this film.  Hundreds of paintings are shown, many recently restored and in their original splendor, and shown for the first time in this format.  Also included are interviews some of the very artists who created these amazing paintings.

Shocking truths, covered up or remanufactured histories - RED SPACE reveals stories of the Space Race from the Soviet side told for the first time.  Using unique images never seen before, we learn, for example, that Gagarin was not the first man in space and what happened to the cosmonaut who was. We see tragedies, which never made the front pages of Soviet newspapers.  The first woman in space reveals her private struggles in the male-dominated world of space exploration.  We examine through the lens of history the malfunctioning information machine which spun half-truths into fantastic myths, some still embraced today.  We see secret cities, spy games and the experimental and often science fiction-like devices developed during the Cold War.

From the brothel to the Internet’s most popular sex sites, Sex in our Century takes us on a comprehensive tour of changing sexual attitudes and behaviors. According to cultural analysts and sex industry experts like Playboy’s Hugh Hefner, the sexual revolution is still raging as people are becoming more and more comfortable with sex. Featured milestones in sexual history include the introduction of the birth control pill, the mini-skirt (imported from Great Britain) and the now-trendy masturbation-technique seminars, which may have been raided by the police only three decades ago. This limited series swings from the serious to the downright playful side of sexual history.

The ‘King of Pop’ spends more time these days in courtrooms than in a recording studio. The Michael Jackson Story traces the rise and fall of Jackson from fame and fortune to recent child sex abuse allegations.

Truth is stranger than fiction and the life stories of some of the world’s most notorious killers, thieves, molesters and con-artists make for fascinating entertainment.  Any prison guard will tell you that criminals are some of the most intelligent, intriguing people on the planet. Judge for yourself and see just how one’s path descends into a life of crime.  Featuring: Michael Jackson, Versace’s Assasin, Winona Ryder, Mike Tyson, Robert Blake and Fake Rockefeller, Chris Rocancourt.

This moving film follows 3 prematurely born infants and their families through the harrowing beginnings of their lives in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York.  Directed by Claire Marie Panke, an award-winning specialist nurse who is also a filmmaker, A CHANCE TO GROW brilliantly conveys the steady tension present as the babies overcome the initial crisis of birth and the subsequent threats of disease and infection. Intimate footage shot within the unique high-tech environment of the Intensive Care Unit shows how medical professionals work miracles on these new, fragile lives, and how the inevitable shifts in each baby’s condition provide dramatic twists that challenge family stability and redefine parental love.  It also reveals the healing power of touch and the relationships between hospital staff and parents, all fiercely devoted to the babies and their struggle for life. The images and stories of Zachary, Rami, Jake and their parents will stay with viewers long after the program has ended.  The dedication of the filmmaker, who spent eight years on the project, allows us to see how the children develop once they leave the hospital, but also to realize that many premature and critically ill newborns will continue to have medical problems as they grow.

For thousands of years, people have experimented with plants as a way to cure sickness, conquer infection and increase longevity. Now, medical researchers are tapping into this vast treasure trove of folk knowledge in a quest for modern drugs to fight cancer and other menacing diseases.

This gritty series highlights the work of the Shock Trauma Center at University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. We see the horrific consequences of impacts of all types and the medical technology and expertise involved in bringing victims back to health.  The streets of Baltimore turn deadly, leaving the trauma staff to deal with gunshot wounds and stabbings.

This special features the original Academy Award-winning documentary which follows 12 years in the life of Dan Keplinger plus an update to see what has changed for this young man after his life story received top honors at the Oscars.  We see Keplinger grow from a boy to a man, and in the process, we witness the birth of an artist.  We see Dan on Oscar night, falling out of his chair and into the aisle in elation!  His career has prospered, from gallery openings in New York City’s trendy art district to having his paintings featured at the UN.  We see how the success of the documentary has affected this young man whose future is still very much stretched out before him.  This remarkable continuing story reminds us of the universal language of art.

It isn’t easy being a doctor.  It’s even harder learning to become one. Follow four young people, each in a different year of their medical studies, and see the emotional struggles and personal crises they go through as well as the sheer hard work and strength of personality required to enter this most demanding of professions.

This series spotlights the creativity and accomplishments that define and explore the unique, illusive phenomenon and history of Genius.  We look at the wide variety of ways in which genius is manifested, through childhood prodigies, comedic geniuses, dancers, athletes, performers and military strategists. Being a genius does not ensure success or even acceptance. After dedicating their lives to the advancement of mankind, some succeed and some fail, some find fame and fortune, others find disrespect and regret.  And some are dismissed as madmen until their time comes.  How can a brilliant mind travel a path that can aid mankind, or cause harm either through deception and fraud or on the monumental scale of Hitler and Stalin? How does magical genius encompass trickery? Who or what will be the geniuses of tomorrow - man or machine?

In this two-hour special, we’ll explore the amazing power of music and its effect on our emotions, our intellect, our spiritual state and our physical health. Author and neurologist Oliver Sacks, along with mind specialists and music therapists, take us inside hospitals and inside the brain to see how and why music works as it does.

From the brothel to the Internet’s most popular sex sites, Sex in our Century takes us on a comprehensive tour of changing sexual attitudes and behaviors. According to cultural analysts and sex industry experts like Playboy’s Hugh Hefner, the sexual revolution is still raging as people are becoming more and more comfortable with sex. Featured milestones in sexual history include the introduction of the birth control pill, the mini-skirt (imported from Great Britain) and the now-trendy masturbation-technique seminars, which may have been raided by the police only three decades ago. This limited series swings from the serious to the downright playful side of sexual history.

American Dancer is a character-driven, darkly comedic, verité documentary that follows the lives of four straight male strippers over the course of more than three years. American Dancer reveals a world where drugs, broken homes, cash-for-sex, and jealous husbands haunt the men as they chase dreams of celebrity.

Produced by Filmworks, Inc. (a secular NYC based production company) and The United Church of Christ (a mainline Protestant denomination) Call Me Malcolm is the first feature film intended for theatrical release to be produced by the church. Add to that the subject matter of gender identity and you have quite a groundbreaking project.
The documentary was directed by Joe Parlagreco and produced by Parlagreco and his Filmworks partner Kierra Chase. It was filmed in cities and small towns all across America over the course of one year. Chase and Parlagreco headed out on the road with a rental car full of camera equipment a list of stops to make and very little clue as to what they would end up with. They arrived back in New York, with 100 hours of footage, a kitten from the desert, and an entirely new perspective on what it meant to be transgender.
Then the editing began. Chase sequestered herself away in the Filmworks edit suite with the tapes, transcripts, and lots of coffee. The challenge: How to tell this dynamic story without falling into trappings and clichés of modern exploitive filmmaking.
Parlagreco and Chase decided early on that they wanted to take a different approach than many films on this subject. There would be no before and after pictures, no footage of surgery, and no explicit questions about sex. Another original component was the frank discussion of faith as it relates to this struggle. Many members of the LGBT community have been deeply wounded by the church or other faith groups and Malcolm’s journey from outcast to leader is one of hope and healing.
In an effort not to unduly influence the stories in the film, the filmmakers decided that only Malcolm would talk to the camera and all the other “characters” would talk to Malcolm. There would be no narration or voice over. The film would be made up solely of conversations rather than interviews in an effort to inspire similar dialogues among the viewers.
To date, Call Me Malcolm has been well received within the LGBT community. But this is not a niche specific film. It is not a “how to transition” film but rather a look at that universal self-seeking that we all do. So far the audience demographics have been widely varied and it is the hope of the UCC and the filmmakers that people of all faiths, gender identities, and sexual orientations will see Call Me Malcolm.

Despite the massive efforts of worldwide human rights organizations, the majority of nations are entering the 21st century with horrific laws on the books—keeping their gay and lesbian populations locked away in the closet, and, in some cases, in prison. Human rights violations are revealed in Egypt, Honduras, Samoa, India, Namibia, Pakistan, and Vietnam.

An eye-opening exploration of the brothels in India’s big cities, The Day My God Died takes us into a world where females of all ages are forced into human slavery in the sex trade. A hidden camera reveals the conditions inside the brothels and the customers and flesh merchants who allow them to flourish. This riveting documentary uncovers a world of human misery that has resisted all previous efforts to eradicate it.

A Family Undertaking investigates the growing home funeral movement and changing attitudes toward hands-on after death care. The film also exposes the big business of commercial funerals, honing in on the annual Funeral Industry Convention where funeral directors congregate to market titanium urns and pre-fab mausoleums.  Eye-opening and enlightening, Director Beth Westrate profiles a real alternative to ‘corporate funerals,’ showcasing many families who have decided to make their own caskets and put their loved ones to rest in their own, very personal way.

The globalization of the world’s economy has stimulated the largest movement of people in the history of modern times.  No barrier is strong enough to stop immigrants from crossing international borders on a journey to where the action is: The Global Cities.  This unique series brings us to the heart of the world’s most international cities: London, New York, Tokyo, Frankfurt & Mexico City.

What’s motivating the thousands of Russian women who sign up with agencies to meet and marry American men?  IN THE NAME OF LOVE chronicles the experiences of the modern day mail-order bride.  From the gray skies of St. Petersburg to sunny Californian ranches, we see the material and emotional pros and cons of exporting one’s heart.

American television’s most popular art show! Its host, the late Bob Ross, has inspired and drawn out hidden talent in many viewers. Ross teaches hands-on art lessons in his personable manner, instructing the audience to recreate waterfalls, mountains, forests and skies in resplendent colors and texture. At the beginning of each episode, Ross starts out with an empty canvas and by half-hour’s close, a landscape painting is completed before our eyes.

This special features the original Academy Award-winning documentary which follows 12 years in the life of Dan Keplinger plus an update to see what has changed for this young man after his life story received top honors at the Oscars.  We see Keplinger grow from a boy to a man, and in the process, we witness the birth of an artist.  We see Dan on Oscar night, falling out of his chair and into the aisle in elation!  His career has prospered, from gallery openings in New York City’s trendy art district to having his paintings featured at the UN.  We see how the success of the documentary has affected this young man whose future is still very much stretched out before him.  This remarkable continuing story reminds us of the universal language of art.

Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet tells the story of the 7th Century prophet who changed world history in 23 years, and continues to shape the lives of more than 1.2 billion people. This film creates a lively, thorough, and honest portrait of Muhammad, the man and the prophet. It takes viewers not only to ancient Arabian sites where Muhammad’s story unfolded, but into the homes, mosques and work places of some of the world’s seven million Muslims to discover the many ways in which they follow Muhammad’s example.

Few people under the age of sixty have ever seen a pulp fiction magazine but they sure know their cover art.  These action-packed, hyper-climactic scenes have influenced everything from album covers to movie posters.  Pulp fiction art is almost a state of mind than simply a commercial art genre.  Even the most jaded remote control happy viewers are amazed at the paintings’ raw emotion, sexuality, and at times sadistic scenes, especially when they find out just how long ago they were created.

Pulp Fiction Art: Cheap Thrills & Painted Nightmares is literally the first documentary to tell the story of this forgotten part of American history.  During the Great Depression, pulp publishers had to work especially hard to get cash strapped Americans to buy their magazines.  Therefore the covers were bold, audacious, and at times, controversial.  Because it was never meant to be kept, the original cover art was thrown out.  Only a tiny fraction of the originals exist today, of which can bring thousands of dollars at auction.

Pulp Fiction Art: Cheap Thrills & Painted Nightmares got exclusive access to world’s largest pulp fiction art collection for this film.  Hundreds of paintings are shown, many recently restored and in their original splendor, and shown for the first time in this format.  Also included are interviews some of the very artists who created these amazing paintings.

From the brothel to the Internet’s most popular sex sites, Sex in our Century takes us on a comprehensive tour of changing sexual attitudes and behaviors. According to cultural analysts and sex industry experts like Playboy’s Hugh Hefner, the sexual revolution is still raging as people are becoming more and more comfortable with sex. Featured milestones in sexual history include the introduction of the birth control pill, the mini-skirt (imported from Great Britain) and the now-trendy masturbation-technique seminars, which may have been raided by the police only three decades ago. This limited series swings from the serious to the downright playful side of sexual history.

State of Denial reveals the human experience behind one of the world’s greatest tragedies: the AIDS epidemic in South Africa.  Follow the lives of the people struggling to survive in the face of a severe lack of access to treatment, and their president Thabo Mbeki’s bizarre denial of the connection between HIV and AIDS.  This is a film of quiet outrage, and an uplifting portrait of ordinary people struggling to survive.

Are beautiful people paid more? Are they more likely to succeed in life and be liked by others? Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder or are there objective and universal standards by which beauty can be measured? Survival of the Prettiest examines some of the most fundamentally held ideas about beauty and its changing face suggesting that our brains may be set up to perceive and respond to certain faces and body types, whether we realize it or not. Scientific experiments and interviews with beauty experts and art historians reveal the nature behind our preference for beauty and the unearned advantages of those who’ve won the genetic jackpot—from the schoolyard to the halls of Congress.

Produce by Italian well know Journalist and activist, Mario Marazziti and The Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic movement of lay people that has more than 50,000 members, dedicated to evangelization and charity, in Rome, Italy and in more than 70 countries throughout the world, THOU SHALL NOT KILL, or the fifth commandment journeys deep into the US prison system, shedding light on the culture of violence that leads many to Death Row. 

At the center of the story is a young African-American man, convicted of murder as an 18 year old.  Eleven years later, he sits on Death Row in Livingston, Texas.  The film follows the tragic series of events that end with his death, despite his claims of innocence and the last-minute discovery that local police had concealed evidence relating to over 8000 cases, including Green’s.

This sensitive investigation brings one face-to-face with the dark side of American society, leaving one to confront the impact of poverty and race on the judicial system.  We are left to witness a man’s ultimate dignity in death, even in the face of humiliation.

Seismic Sleuths takes the viewer into the domain of seismologists, geologists, paleogeologists, engineers, and others who devote themselves to understanding earthquakes.  It goes beyond illustrating the fierce power of nature, to reveal the current science behind the phenomena and makes practical sense of it. Visit sites of some of the most devastating earthquakes in the world’s history, including Duzce, Turkey, and San Francisco, to discover what seismic sleuths have learned. Meet geologists, seismologists, and paleogeologists at two of the most celebrated faults in the world – the Anatolean and the San Andreas. Learn about new approaches and technology that scientists use to study old quakes and predict new ones. See a simple, adaptive design that effectively makes buildings stand up to any earthquake.

Enter the dramatic story of the rise and fall of an empire through its technological achievements. The newest advances in computer and television technology are used to rebuild the world’s first clocks, missiles, seismographs, and astronomical instruments and paddleboat warships. Dramatic storytelling, stunning imagery, ground-breaking research and distinguished scholarship by leading experts render Classical China gloriously alive.

In 1997, weekend cavers deep in the North Eastern Honduras rainforest unexpectedly discovered an unexplored cave containing an ancient mass burial of human bones and offerings.  Realizing that this was a significant find in an area with no known history of Mayan or other ancient civilizations, they contacted the Honduran Institute of Archeology, who brought in Dr. Jim Brady, one of the leading experts in cave archeology and burials.
Accompanied by a film crew, Dr. Brady’s first exploration of the cave revealed piles of human skulls and other bones, heavily encrusted with water-deposited calcite.  When photos were taken, the skulls would glow for a few seconds after the flash went off, so the cave became known as “THE CAVE OF THE GLOWING SKULLS”. 
The search to unlock the secrets of this mysterious people, whose remains are the oldest ever found in Honduras and whose art and artifacts bear no connection to ancient Mayan civilizations found elsewhere in the area, took Dr. Brady and the film crew on a 3-year archeological odyssey. The resulting film provides a remarkable insight into the archeological process as we share the thrill of new discoveries, see the results of the latest scientific research methods, and even see our claustrophobic cave archeologist get trapped on his way to making another important find.

From the moment of birth, everyone wants to know, is it a boy or a girl?  But what happens when the doctor isn’t sure?  As many as one in every two thousand children is born each year with ambiguous genitalia in what is referred to as an intersexual birth.
Since the 1950’s, this uncertainty has usually been resolved by surgery, with doctors assigning a sex to the child.  Since it is surgically easier to make a girl than a boy, many were assigned female.  But now many of the children who underwent this early, gender-determining surgery are adults.  Many contend that they were assigned the wrong gender.  For some intersexuals, whether they are boys or girls is never really clear to them.  Many argue that the issue of gender should be determined by the intersexual, being given the right to choose or not choose surgery once that person reaches adolescence.  But whatever the surgical choice, intersexuals are showing us that gender is infinitely more complicated than the shape of our genitals.  We think of male and female as the great human divide, but intersexuals are teaching us just how narrow that divide can be. Is it a Boy or a Girl? treats an explosive topic in a way that does not exploit.  This hour explores the latest in scientific thinking, shares compelling stories of human experience and, in the end, challenges our very notions of what it means to be male or female.

This fascinating series reveals the crucial role mathematics plays in sports, work, education, exploration, chance, technology and life in general. Narrated by Danny Glover. Also available in Spanish.

This series spotlights the creativity and accomplishments that define and explore the unique, illusive phenomenon and history of Genius.  We look at the wide variety of ways in which genius is manifested, through childhood prodigies, comedic geniuses, dancers, athletes, performers and military strategists. Being a genius does not ensure success or even acceptance. After dedicating their lives to the advancement of mankind, some succeed and some fail, some find fame and fortune, others find disrespect and regret.  And some are dismissed as madmen until their time comes.  How can a brilliant mind travel a path that can aid mankind, or cause harm either through deception and fraud or on the monumental scale of Hitler and Stalin? How does magical genius encompass trickery? Who or what will be the geniuses of tomorrow—man or machine?

In this two-hour special, we’ll explore the amazing power of music and its effect on our emotions, our intellect, our spiritual state and our physical health. Author and neurologist Oliver Sacks, along with mind specialists and music therapists, take us inside hospitals and inside the brain to see how and why music works as it does.

Are beautiful people paid more? Are they more likely to succeed in life and be liked by others? Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder or are there objective and universal standards by which beauty can be measured? Survival of the Prettiest examines some of the most fundamentally held ideas about beauty and its changing face suggesting that our brains may be set up to perceive and respond to certain faces and body types, whether we realize it or not. Scientific experiments and interviews with beauty experts and art historians reveal the nature behind our preference for beauty and the unearned advantages of those who’ve won the genetic jackpot—from the schoolyard to the halls of Congress.

A hotel burns. A hurrican strikes. A crowd kills. When disaster strikes it comes like a thief in the night, stealing innocence and destroying lives. But what about the people who live? They face death, see the end and survive. How do they change at that moment in time when they become…SURVIVORS, a three-part reality series that goes where few programs have dared: into the hearts and minds of SURVIVORS.
With actual disaster footage, gripping re-creations and the survivors’ terrifying memories, we delve into a world few live to talk about. Their stories encourage us and their spirit of survival inspires.
TECHNOLOGICAL TERROR
Everyday we rely on technology, we trust it and even embrace it. But what happens when that trust is betrayed and technology kills? Survivors from the MGM Grand fire in Las Vegas, the Hinton train crash in the Canadian Rockies and “The Herald of Free Enterprise” and “Estonia” ferry disasters relive their terrifying memories.
EVIL ACTS
For thousands of years, mankind has lived and worked together in harmony. Often times the harmony is destroyed either deliberately or by negligence. We meet survivors from the terrorist bombing of Pan-Am Flight 103, the Hillsborough soccer disaster, the Aberfan nightmare in Wales and the collapse of the Buffalo Creek dam in the USA.
NATURE’S RAGE
Often we take the fierce power of mother nature for granted. But at times we are given deadly reminders of her power. Share the experiences of survivors from the Kobe earthquake in Japan and the Laguna Beach mud slide in California. Experience nature at its worst.

Now declared a World Heritage Site, the massive Anasazi remains at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico have always been a mystery.  Why were these huge structures built between 850 and 1150 AD in an arid canyon remote from other settlements of the time?  What was the purpose of the many perfectly straight roads leading away from the site, apparently to nowhere?  Did people actually live here, or were the buildings for trading purposes or purely ceremonial? Some of these enigmas are now answered in this film, beautifully shot in the breathtaking light and shadow of the New Mexican desert, and narrated by Robert Redford. In 1977 the film’s producer, Anna Sofaer, discoverd a celestial calendar in the Canyon, precisely marking the summer and winter solstices, the spring and fall equinoxes and the nineteen year cycle of the moon.  Was the entire Chaco Canyon complex laid out according to the solar and lunar calendars?  Extensive scientific research in the years since appears to confirm these theories for each part of the site.  Present-day Pueblo Indian leaders speak of the continuing symbolism of astronomy and cosmology in their beliefs and ceremonies, and the relevance of Chaco in the Pueblo world today. Stunning photography, three dimensional fly-through animation and computer graphics allow us to appreciate the complexity and significance of this haunting and mysterious place

This film explores the phenomenon of crop circles, which have perplexed and inspired people from all over the world for decades.  Scientists, researchers and enthusiasts are among those who share their own theories and present mind-blowing evidence on how these formations came to be and what they mean. Were they created by UFOs or hoaxers or are they a natural phenomenon?

Breaking news documentary on how Osama eluded the world’s greatest manhunt.  Eyewitnesses Janine DiGiovanni (London Times) and war correspondent Phillip Smucker (CNN) expose Tora Bora warlords sneaking him to safety. Navy Seals are late raiding Al Qaeda boats on the Arabian Sea.  An ex spy says, “he’s hiding in Mecca.” Michael Scheuer, the CIA’s “anonymous,” claims Osama is authorized to use nuclear weapons.  Nonfiction thriller filmed on the front lines.

The ‘King of Pop’ spends more time these days in courtrooms than in a recording studio. The Michael Jackson Story traces the rise and fall of Jackson from fame and fortune to recent child sex abuse allegations.

Truth is stranger than fiction and the life stories of some of the world’s most notorious killers, thieves, molesters and con-artists make for fascinating entertainment.  Any prison guard will tell you that criminals are some of the most intelligent, intriguing people on the planet. Judge for yourself and see just how one’s path descends into a life of crime.  Featuring: Michael Jackson, Versace’s Assasin, Winona Ryder, Mike Tyson, Robert Blake and Fake Rockefeller, Chris Rocancourt.

An eye-opening exploration of the brothels in India’s big cities, The Day My God Died takes us into a world where females of all ages are forced into human slavery in the sex trade. A hidden camera reveals the conditions inside the brothels and the customers and flesh merchants who allow them to flourish. This riveting documentary uncovers a world of human misery that has resisted all previous efforts to eradicate it.

The remarkable story of artist Estelle Ishigo, one of the few Caucasians to be incarcerated by the U.S. government along with 110,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.

This poignant film captures 12 years in the life of Dan Keplinger, a severely disabled young man with Cerebral Palsy, through the tribultaions of being accepted in a regular high school to attending a university, and now seeking employment in the professional world.  Faced with the constant challenge of being accepted in mainstream society as a creative, intelligent and emotional human being, this film questions society’s perspective of the disabled through the intimate viewpoint of Dan Keplinger.

State of Denial reveals the human experience behind one of the world’s greatest tragedies: The AIDS epidemic in South Africa.  Follow the lives of people struggling to survive in the face of a severe lack of access to treatment and their president Thabo Mbeki’s bizarre denial of the connection between HIV and AIDS.

State of Denial captures the unbreakable spirit of a people determined to conduct their lives with dignity, grace and humor through candid personal stories and in-depth interviews with notable politicians, health care professionals and activists.  This is a film of quiet outrage and an uplifting portrait of ordinary people struggling to survive.

Shot on film and cut to a sultry jazz soundtrack, The Secret World of Gardens exposes the mysterious world that exists in our own back yard. Stylistically playful and technically blue chip, this series was produced for National Geographic (in Canada) and HGTV in the US.

Portrait of a modern day eccentric, Thoth is sure to keep viewers glued to the screen.  Just who is this singing dancing violin-playing minstrel with his own language, culture and way of looking at the world?  After years of making a name and living for himself in New York’s Central Park, two time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sarah Kernochan brings his pathos to the screen in this sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad, always delightful documentary short.