Oskar Schindler: The Complex Real Story of the Nazi-Turned-Hero | TIMELINE Documentary

Nov 12, 2024

Portugal's Islamic/Moorish Past | Reupload

Oct 11, 2017 | In this documentary, we uncover the influence that 500 years of Muslim occupation had on Portugal and Portuguese culture. We visit some important sights and hear from Portuguese people regarding their views on this significant part of their history. Despite being overlooked at times, the Islamic occupation, known as its Moorish past, has had a huge impact on Portugal.

While in Spain, the seven centuries of Muslim rule is very well-known, in Portugal it typically goes unnoticed. Despite being overlooked at times, the Islamic occupation, known as its Moorish past, has had a huge impact on Portugal.

The Muslims invaded present-day Portugal in the year 711 and established their capital in what is modern day "Silves". A significant part of this documentary takes us to Silves, which is still one of the best places in Portugal to see the influence of the Muslim period. Silves was the main access route to the inland areas of the Algarve, and the Silves castle, which was built by the Almoravid Arabs in the 11th century, is the best-preserved and most significant castle in the region. One of Portugal's main tourist attractions are its the beautiful beaches in the Algarve region. The name Algarve itself is derived from the Arabic word "al-Gharb"(*see below), meaning the West. Portugal was the most Western part of the Muslim empire and it was officially referred to as al-Gharb al-Andalus, meaning West of Al-Andalus. Nowadays Al-Andalus is often referred to as Muslim Spain, or Islamic Iberia.

It is not just the physical monuments which make Portugal’s Muslim past evident, but you can also find it in the country’s language and culture, even though the entire Reconquest centred around getting rid of Islamic influence altogether. Some Arabic words have permanently entered the Portuguese language, words for sugar, rice, olive oil, lettuce, village, the west and many others. Even Portugal’s most popular holiday spot, Albufeira, gets its name from Arabic, having then been called (Albuhayra) which means the lake in Arabic. The journey also takes us to Sintra, among other places, where the massive Moorish Castle stands. It was built by Muslims between the 9th and 10th centuries, the castle was vital in order to protect its population.

The southernmost region of Portugal was finally conquered by Christians and taken away from the Muslims in 1249, and in 1255 the capital shifted to Lisbon. Neighbouring Spain would not complete its Reconquista until 1492.


Making connections… Compare al-Gharb (الغرب), meaning the west in Arabic with the name for Morocco in Arabic which is Al-Maghrib (المغرب) which basically means ‘place in the West’. Putting an ‘m’ before many words in Arabic turns the word into a place where something is, or a place where something is done or is carried out. Another example to illustrate this point is the following: the words for bread and bakery in Arabic. The word for bread is khubz (خبز). Putting an ‘m’ in front of ‘khubz’ turns it into a bakery (مخبز). The word for ‘stop’ or ‘halt’ is qif (قف). So a bus stop becomes mawqif (موقف ), or a place for stopping. I feel sure that some of my visitors will be interested to learn this. I hope so anyway. — © Mark Alexander

Becoming Il Duce: Mussolini's Fascist Revolution | Full Documentary | Episode 1

May 25, 2024 | In the fall of 1922, former teacher and journalist Benito Mussolini had only recently been elected to parliament when he seized power. His legal coup d’état, which began on 24 October in Naples, was a masterstroke. Standing before 40,000 Fascist party members, he issued an ultimatum to the fragile Italian parliamentary monarchy: “Either they hand us the power, or we will descend on Rome!” The militants, wearing black shirts and armed with clubs, headed for the capital. Following on from this legendary march on Rome, Mussolini headed up a totalitarian regime that lasted two decades.

The first episode of this portrait of Il Duce will explore how Mussolini took power and consolidated it until the Second Italo-Ethiopian War in the mid-1930s. He was a populist leader in terms of how he spoke to the Italian people, and a dictator in terms of how he exerted his power. He came from the extreme left but governed from the extreme right. Mussolini invented the new ideology of fascism and was helped in his mission by the business community who wanted an end to left-wing rule. Despite his brutality, he sought to please the Italian people, promising them a return to the grandeur of Rome. He enjoyed undeniable success for several years, both at home and abroad, until his inevitable downfall.

Documentary: Mussolini, The First Fascist – Episode 1: The Word and the Cosh (2021)
Direction: Serge de Sampigny
Production: Histodoc

Living under Pétain: The Divided Memory of Vichy - Gestapo - History Documentary - AT

Oct 30, 2024 | When the people of Vichy recount the memory of the ephemeral capital of the "French State" from 1940 to 1944, the unsuspected force of the Pétain myth is revealed.

The new "French State" was born on July 10, 1940, in Vichy, in the Grand Casino theater. In a few days, the Hôtel du Parc, the Majestic, the Portugal, luxury establishments typical of pre-war Vichy, became the headquarters of a regime to which the small spa town would give its name. The terms of collaboration with the Nazi regime had been established as early as June. The hotels became ministries and parliamentary residences, before the Gestapo and its auxiliary, the Milice, set up their dungeons in Portugal and the Petit Casino.

On site, the filmmakers met men and women who, in their youth, were able to watch this sticky little world of the "National Revolution" live. Two of these witnesses, because they were Jewish, lived there as outlaws; one joined the resistance, another was among Laval's lawyers at his trial, a fifth was the daughter of a parliamentarian of the regime. Through their words, it is the history of collaboration and resistance that is written, with its ambiguities and its commitments.

Walks, greetings, hugs from chubby children… Pétain remains in the memory of many Vichy residents as a father and this documentary reveals the unsuspected strength of his myth in French memories. Remembering Vichy is mixing dreams, nightmares and reality, in the same way that Last Year at Marienbad, by Alain Resnais, makes us lose our footing in the troubled waters of memory. With this past that seems to await us in the peaceful alleys of the city, Bertrand de Solliers brings out the palpable unease caused by the era.

Last year in Vichy
Directors: Bertrand de Solliers, Paule Muxel
Producers: JULIANTO, ARTE FRANCE
All rights reserved ARTE

France - Algeria: A Painful Past that Resurfaces - Colonization Algeria - Documentary - MP

Oct 21, 2024 | In February 2017, shortly before his election, Emmanuel Macron alienated the pied-noir community for comparing the colonization of Algeria to a crime against humanity.

More than half a century after independence, the Algerian question remains a taboo subject in France and arouses passions as soon as it is addressed.

Whatever the words, whatever the decisions, there will always be a side that feels wronged.

But how did it get to this point? Why can't time erase resentment and aftereffects passed down from generation to generation? "Une affaire de famille" is a historical fresco, told through the prism of personal stories.

This documentary was made for educational purposes and may contain images that may offend some people. If you are a sensitive person, watching this documentary is not recommended.

A film directed by Dominique Fargue and Isabelle Quintard
On an original idea by Laurent Delahousse
A Magnéto production

When Paris Was German: German Soldiers in Wartime Paris I Slice History | Full Documentary

Oct 27, 2024 | June 14th 1940, the troops of the Wehrmacht entered Paris. This was the beginning of the occupation of the French capital, which was then relegated to the rank of an open city. The enemy made the law there for more than four years, until August 1944.

Many things have been said and written about the daily life of the French during this very particular period, made of shortages, repressive measures and raids. But never on the side of the occupying forces... What about the German soldiers? How did they live through this period? What were their living conditions like? Did they have any contact with the French population?

Documentary: When Paris was German
Directed by: Barbara Necek
Production: SPICA Productions

How Hitler’s Regime Radicalized the German People | TIMELINE Documentary

Oct 26, 2024 | Discover how Hitler and the Nazis seized power in Germany and ushered in the death of democracy. This video examines how the National Socialists exploited economic turmoil to get into power before leading the nation into an era of militarism and horror.

Far-right Europe: From Electoral Success to Neo-Nazi Extremism | Java Documentary

Oct 22, 2024 | The extreme right has won the European elections in France, Italy and Belgium and has gained about a quarter of MEPs in the new parliament. The xenophobia, patriarchy, or authoritarianism that they preach are also present in the programs of parties that are not even considered ultra-right. Issues that were thought to be overcome, such as gender violence, the use of firearms or the death penalty, are being reintroduced into the debate.

The documentary Europe: The Rise of the Extreme Right has investigated the xenophobic parties of Sweden, Italy and Spain and explains the reasons for their growth. They cut freedoms, assume power, and attack the rule of law.

This documentary was produced by Corporacio Catalana De Mitjans Audiovisuals and directed by Albert Elfa, Ricard Belis. It was first released in 2019.

The Hitler Home Movies | Full History Documentary

Oct 22, 2024 | Away from the terrors of World War II. Away from the battlefields. Away from the concentration camps. Adolf Hitler made his commands. Secluded away, deep in the Bavarian Alps, Hitler, his family and closest allies hid away– issuing orders for armies across Europe while they relaxed, dined and enjoyed an otherworldly peace.

There’s something chilling about the horror of the Nazis being shrouded in mundane moments with a family, but here… captured on film, and restored to incredible quality, these are Hitler’s Home Movies.

Hugo Boss - Tailor to the Third Reich | Documentary

May 14, 2023

Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady | Documentary

Feb 10, 2024 | Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady - From her humble beginnings as a grocer's daughter, Margaret Thatcher fought her way through the sexist prejudices of the 1970s to become the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1979.

Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady (2012)
Director: Alan Byron
Stars: Tony Benn, Gyles Brandreth, Michael Brunson
Genre: Documentary, Biography, History
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Release Date: August 24, 2012 (United States)

On the Verge of Collapse: Lebanon’s Battle for a Future | Dispatch | HD Documentary| Reupload

Oct 15, 2024 | Long considered the Switzerland of the Middle East, Lebanon is now going through the worst economic crisis in its history. 80% of the population lives below the poverty line. In one year, food prices have jumped 500% due to galloping inflation.

For Riad, who runs a grocery store in the suburbs of Beirut, business has become hellish. Every morning, calculator in hand, he changes the labels of his products according to the day’s exchange rate. An operation all the more complex as his store is plunged into darkness, due to lack of electricity. The Lebanese government no longer provides more than two hours of electricity per day in the country. It is impossible for the population to heat, light or use their refrigerator. Taking advantage of the situation, a network of private generators has emerged.

The Lebanese pound, the local currency, has lost 90% of its value. The only ones to get away with it are those who are paid in dollars. The greenback, which is exchanged for a fortune against the local currency, has given birth to a new privileged social class in the country. A salesman in an international pharmaceutical company, Joseph lives like a king in a ruined Lebanon. Thanks to his new purchasing power, he repaid his house loan in two months, instead of… twenty years!

In a bankrupt state, plagued by corruption, six out of ten Lebanese citizens now dream of leaving the country. In Tripoli, in northern Lebanon, Mohammed and his son left by sea to reach Germany. Although their trip was cut short off the Turkish coast, the young father is still ready to take all the risks to reach the European El Dorado.

Mein Kampf: An Autopsy Of Evil | Full Documentary

Oct 15, 2024 | Hitler’s Mein Kampf served as a blueprint for the atrocities of Nazi Germany, mobilizing ordinary people to commit heinous acts. This book's dark influence raises crucial questions: How did it inspire such widespread evil, and have we forgotten the vital lessons from that era?

Cast: Guy Walters, Lisa Pine
Director: Sarah Findley
Licensed through EM Productions Ltd

Islamic Iran: The Story of an Ascent | Full Documentary in English

Jun 10, 2024 | The publication of a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad was considered insulting in the Muslim world. In Tehran, the police are overwhelmed. Ultra-conservative young people gather in the streets and attack embassies. The beginning of a long Islamic revolution is marked...

1979 Iranian Revolution, Explained | Last Persian Shah | Reupload

May 20, 2024 | Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's story begins with good ideas and ideals and ends in bloody chaos. On the one hand, he helped carry Iran into modernity. His wealth was legendary, and his marriages made tabloid headlines for years. However, his name also stands for a time of human rights violations, vicious oppression and intolerance. Had Shah Reza Pahlavi not come to power, it’s unlikely that radical Islam would have the widespread political and brutal effects it has today. The film shows what has remained of the legacy of the regime after the Islamic Revolution to this day combining his biography with the social, political, economic and religious tendencies of the time.

Islam, The Untold Story - Tom Holland

Jul 16, 2021 | Tom Holland's "Islam, The Untold Story", a documentary for Channel 4, aired in August 2012 (all rights reserved Channel 4)

Tom Holland points to the "black hole" of the origins of Islam and investigates like a detective the inconsistencies of Muslim tradition, the absence of ancient sources, the absence of any mention of Muhammad or Mecca before the end of the 7th century. He meets specialists, researchers, archaeologists, scholars (Patricia Crone, Fred Donner, Guy Stroumsa, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Tali Erickson-Gini), visits the places, looks at the ruins, the artifacts, the historical material and compares with the traditionnal Islamic narrative.

Why Britain's Dark Ages Remain Shrouded in Mystery | King Arthur's Britain | Timeline

May 15, 2017 | Francis Pryor examines the relics of the Dark Ages to build a fuller picture of this much-maligned era. Popular belief has always held that the departure of the Romans led to barbarism in Britain, but archaeological finds have shed light on a cultured, literate society that embraced the growing Romanised Christian religion and embarked on a profitable trading relationship with the Byzantine Empire.

Sheep-farming archaeologist, Francis Pryor, presents a brand new historical series which explores Britain A.D, the British national character and the ultimate British icon King Arthur.

Finding new and previously unexplained evidence, Francis Pryor overturns the idea that Britain reverted to a state of anarchy and disorder after the Romans left in 410 AD. Instead of doom and gloom Francis discovers a continuous culture that assimilated influences from as far a field as the Middle East and Constantinople. Through scrutinising the myth of King Arthur to find out what was really going on when the Romans left, Francis is confronted by evidence that confounds traditional views of the 'Dark Ages'. There was also no invasion of bloodthirsty Anglo Saxons, rampaging across the countryside. With new archaeological evidence Francis discovers a far more interesting story.

Timeline: What Was the Nazi's "Book of Power"? | Documentary

Sep 17, 2024 | Heinrich Himmler sent his SS solders to locate a treasure so valuable to Nazi ideology that it must be recovered at all costs. The item they are searching for is an ancient manuscript, a perfect copy of a book written nearly two thousand years before in Rome which the Nazis call the birth certificate for the German race. The book is known as the Germania; for the Nazis it is the "Book of Power".

Life in Russia for the LGBTIQA+ Community | Reggie Yates Extreme Russia | Documentary‬

Aug 18, 2024 | Reggie Yates gets up close and personal with three very different communities in contemporary Russia, exploring what it's like for young people there, 24 years after the fall of the Soviet Union. Award-winning filmmaker Reggie Yates travels around the world investigating big issues such as gun violence, racism, gay rights and addiction. From Cape Town to Chicago, London to Moscow, Reggie explores controversial topics and goes on a journey through the extremes of life all over the world. In the last five years, Reggie has become synonymous with critically acclaimed documentaries.

Documentary Central »

Challenging Tradition: LGBT Clergy in the Church of England | Real Stories Full-Length Documentary

Apr 25, 2023 | The Church of England’s interpretation of the Bible is far from accepting of non-heterosexual relationships. “I had an internal battle,” says Michael, a gay priest, “because the way I still felt in my heart of hearts, at the core of my being, was that it wasn't wrong.” Another priest, Andrew, feels that he has been discriminated against after marrying a male partner: “I’m on a blacklist, basically.” By speaking out, the Church’s own ranks are leading the struggle for change.