Doclights

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.

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.

Spend a year with a Red Panda named Tashi and experience her life in the forests underneath the Himalayas. Along the way, meet the other rare bird, insect and animal inhabitants of this remote lush area in Northern India, including the leopard. And if cute could get even cuter, meet Tashi's cub...

Jagged lands, picturesque coastline and landscapes dotted with lakes and old castles...: a journey through the Scottish landscapes aboard the Royal Scotsman, a luxurious train with Victorian reminiscences. To the north stand the steep reliefs of the Highlands; to the south lie the rolling plains of the Lowlands. To discover these lands, there's nothing like a trip aboard the luxurious Royal Scotsman. This train crosses the whole country from Edinburgh to the Wild West Coast, reminiscent of when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert traveled by rail to their summer residence. Departing from the capital, the convoy takes the Glenfinnan Viaduct, immortalized in the Harry Potter saga, before meandering at the foot of Ben Nevis, Scotland's highest peak.

Meet Dot, the little wild horse foal. She is a Przewalski's horse: the only true wild horse species of the world. Although the origin of this endangered species is in Mongolia, Dot lives in the heart of Europe, on the grassy plains of Hungary called the "Puszta". 25 years ago some were introduced here and the horses instantly formed an organic connection with this magical land with rich and unique wildlife. Today this is one of the largest Przewalski's horse herds on the planet. This is their story.

Explore a lesser-known part of Venice: the wild side! In coral reefs and hidden gardens, find everything from poisonous mammals to strange sea life.

In the heart of Borneo's rainforests, one of the oldest and most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, lives the orangutan, arguably the largest tree dweller. The main story is about mother ape Sati and her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Huyan on their journey through the jungle, while at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, orphaned and rescued young animals are given a chance at a new life in the wild. But their habitat is threatened by radical deforestation and palm oil plantations. This impressive documentary shows these endangered great apes at eye level for the first time. With the help of innovative drone technology an insight into the dizzying treetops of the jungle giants was, achieved where they mostly stay. It discovering the secret lives of these extraordinary animals with insightful footage and partly some scenes never before seen. Unforgettable images illustrate why protecting the rainforests is crucial for the orangutans and the future of our planet.

Margarethe von Trotta, one of the few icons of German directing, internationally revered as a star director, celebrates her 80th birthday: her works are among the most important in German cinema of all time.

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 6852 islands. This island chain is long enough to span climate zones, providing a huge range of habitat.

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.

The Brazilian Aracy de Carvalho moves to Hamburg with her son in 1934. Despite the Nazi dictatorship, Germany is a refuge for her as a single woman. But through her work at the Brazilian consulate, Aracy is confronted with the persecution of Jews in the Third Reich. She helped countless of them to leave the country in the years before the Second World War. For the refugees and their survivors, who have their say in the film, she becomes the angel of Hamburg. The docudrama tells the story of a woman who did not want to be a hero, but who saved the lives of countless people.

Leopards are considered to be extremely shy big cats. Only a few animals can match the elegance of these feline predators. The cautious hunters are rarely seen in the wild for more than a few seconds. The cats can be observed more extensively when they rest asleep in a tree and recover from the mostly nocturnal hunt. But a leopardess has switched to hunting in broad daylight. Its home along the brook bed of the Olare Orok offers everything a mother needs to protect and nourish its offspring: picturesque rocks and dense bush, a landscape in which the big cat can disappear in seconds to sneak up on potential prey, which includes warthogs and antelopes. But hyenas and lions are always ready to contest for its territory and nourishment. The renowned wildlife filmmaker Reinhard Radke managed to capture astonishing insights into the social life and hunting tactics of the ambush hunters in the Maasai Mara.

South America is a continent of contradictions, born of fire and carved by the mighty Amazon River. This is a detailed look at the wonders of South America, through its stunning landscapes. With everything from massive glaciers to dry deserts, and everything in-between.

We all have hobbies regarding the world of insects, they are very annoying with their buzzing, their pecking and even their horrifying appearance, but without these invertebrates man would have problems.

The island of Corsica boasts spectacular mountain vistas filled with unique wildlife. Explore the shrubland and meet moufflons, hybrid pigs and more.

Observe red squirrels in their home environment high up in the treetops as they engage in lovable antics, hide from predators and battle for food.

The Lion, Africa’s ultimate predator. They’re known as the kings of the jungle yet their homeland is an open grassland rather than rainforest. In the African plains prey-rich real estate can be hard to come by, and lions work together to ensure no one claims their territory and usurps their crown

For carnivores a few bites of nutrient-rich meat can last you for days, so it's worth putting in a lot of effort and taking a certain amount of risk. All predators are therefore inherently in competition. With this in mind, it's no surprise that lions and spotted hyenas aren't exactly "best friends"! Lions and hyenas have a fundamental problem with each other that goes far beyond “normal competition”: both hunt the same prey in the same habitat and are therefore each other's fiercest evolutionary rivals. And because both are very powerful in combat - each in their own way - this competition is always latently deadly. The stuff that dramas are made of...