Arte Distribution

In the year 38, the first anti-Jewish pogrom swept through the city of Alexandria, in Egypt, under the Romans. Ever since, anti-semitism has plagued the world, and while we thought that the worst had happened 80 years ago, it is still showing its ugly face. 2000 years of history explained by 30 of the best international historians, brought to life by animated  3D reconstructions developed by Ubisoft.
 
 
 

A landmark series that aims to be a reference for future generations.

The creators of ‘The great Greek Myths’ bring to you ‘The Illiad and the Odyssey’, an epic tale on the origins of the world and its inevitable downfall, that mixes animation and 3D iconography. A story in which gods and mortals intermingle, and whose poetic force has crossed the centuries and still nourishes our present.

SEASON 1: THE ILIAD
The first work of Western literature, ‘The Iliad’ is a fresco that traces the long Trojan War. During this conflict, the Achaeans, from Mainland Greece, set off to lay siege to Troy to recover the beautiful Helena, kidnapped by Paris from her husband, the King of Sparta Menelaus. After a ten-year siege under the walls of the city of Troy, the war turned to the advantage of the Achaeans thanks to the famous Achilles.
All episodes available in English
SEASON 2: THE ODYSSEY
In ‘The Odyssey’, Homer recounts the perilous return of Odysseus to his kingdom of Ithaca. The Greek hero will travel land and sea for a decade to find his island pursued by the implacable wrath of Poseidon. An epic journey, strewn with encounters, traps, spells ... after which he finds Penelope who has never ceased to wait for him, embroidering the day and undoing her work at night to refuse her suitors.
 
   

This series tells world history through a few major dates, revisited through the prism of memory. Driven by the accessible and passionate delivery of historian Patrick Boucheron, history comes to life under our eyes with bold and entertaining graphics.

A date is a snapshot, a flashback which requires crossing disciplines such as history, art, archeology and literature for a vibrant and sensitive reading of the past. It arouses our childhood curiosity, recalling when we dreamed of a time machine.
The series is conceived to potentially become a key reference in teaching history.

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a Buddhist city of incredible wealth, from which they are unearthing thousands of treasures. However, their time is running out, the government having ceded the rights to the copper mine to a Chinese company, threatening to destroy everything...

The ancient city of Mes Aynak, literally "the source of copper", built its power on the precious metal present in its subsoil. On this site, active for more than a thousand years, the monks did not just carry out religious activities. They abandoned their currency and created a banking network throughout the region. It is this wealth which gave them the means of an intense cultural production, as evidenced by the many treasures found by archaeologists: more than three thousand statues, but also parchments, pieces of goldsmith's work, jewels, pottery ...
The Mes Aynak site offers a unique opportunity to explore Afghan Buddhism, a period of history that still has many secrets to reveal. The remains could allow archaeologists to understand in what ways the religion of Buddha, born in the plain of the Ganges, was shaped here, in the heart of Central Asia, before spreading to the rest of Asia.

The Conquistadors wrote the story of the Inca Empire as we know it. 10 years of recent scientific and archeological research has allowed us to uncover another truth that contradicts history books. Where the Inca people come from, how they were organized, and why did they disappear so suddenly. 

The film will reveal that ancient scriptures have been found, proving that the Inca Empire did have an alphabet and writing, contrary to what we have always thought! We will follow experts on the field, from the Machu Picchu, the depths of Lake Titicaca, Cuzco and the Vatican archives, using 3D architectural reconstitutions, to answer the question: who are the Incas?

Saqqara, Egypt, 1850. Auguste Mariette discovered the Serapeum, the burial place of the Apis bull, one of the most sacred sites in ancient Egypt. Before the site crumbled, he managed to extract treasures that represent 10% of the Louvre’s Egyptian collection today. 

He also managed to map out a network of underground tunnels leading to other burial sites he did not have time to uncover. We have the exclusive access to follow a team of archeologists, mandated by the Louvre Museum, to pick up where Mariette had left off.

In April 2019, the world held its breath as Notre Dame, the most wondrous of cathedrals, almost burnt to the ground and with her 800 years of history.
Our film tells Notre Dame’s story, starting in the Middle Ages, when master builders reinvented the art of construction to erect Gothic cathedrals. 
 
 

Eight centuries of passion, talent, blood, destruction and rebirth, during which time the cathedral witnessed some tumultuous moments in the history of France, from the most glorious to its darkest periods. A gripping docu drama that uses 3D animation combined with exclusive footage and interviews of historians, writers (such as Ken Follet, The Pilars of the Earth) scientists, architects and engineers.
 
 

It was in the 12th century that the foundation stone of Notre-Dame was laid in Paris, under the impetus of Bishop Maurice de Sully. Thus began a gigantic construction site: stonemasons, blacksmiths, carpenters, masons, all the guilds were involved in building the monument. 

Motivated by faith, driven by the ambition to build a cathedral whose dimensions would outshine even their wildest dreams, the builders of Notre-Dame invented a new architectural style that soon inspired the entire West: ars francigenum, or French art.

A golden apple inscribed "for the fairest" is sent to a feast at Olympus by Eris, the Greek goddess of strife and discord. Unable to decide between the goddesses Aphrodite, Hera and Athena, Zeus decides to let a mortal choose, and that man is Paris, the young son of King Priam of Troy...

Paris gives the apple to Aphrodite who, in exchange, promises that he will have the love of the fairest mortal woman of them all. A few days later, Paris is invited to the house of Menelaus, the king of Sparta, where he falls in love with the king's wife, Helen. The two of them run away back to Troy under Aphrodite's spell. Filled with rage, Menelaus goes to see his brother, Agamemnon, the most powerful of all the Greek kings. At first, he is tempted to be wise and prudent, but then he is manipulated by Hera and Athena, who still harbour a grudge against Paris for not choosing them. Agamemnon finally summons all the kings of Greece to go and wage war on Troy.

In April 2019, the world held its breath as Notre Dame, the most wondrous of cathedrals, almost burnt to the ground and with her 800 years of history.
Our film tells Notre Dame’s story, starting in the Middle Ages, when master builders reinvented the art of construction to erect Gothic cathedrals. 
 
 

Eight centuries of passion, talent, blood, destruction and rebirth, during which time the cathedral witnessed some tumultuous moments in the history of France, from the most glorious to its darkest periods. A gripping docu drama that uses 3D animation combined with exclusive footage and interviews of historians, writers (such as Ken Follet, The Pilars of the Earth) scientists, architects and engineers

In the 13th century, when the construction of Notre-Dame de Paris had just been completed, its builders had to push themselves even further: the new cathedrals that were springing up all over Europe offered them new grandiose technical challenges and competition. 

Hundreds of men and women put in countless hours to embellish Notre-Dame de Paris and enable this jewel of stone, wood, iron and glass to stand the test of time. For her trials were not over: she would have to face wars, revolutions and, above all, the ravages of time. In the 19th century, two men in particular have made the cathedral more relevant than ever: Victor Hugo magnified it in his novel Notre-Dame de Paris, and the architect Viollet-Le-Duc thoroughly restored it. His passion for the cathedral brought it back to life. Thanks to him, Notre-Dame became the beating heart of Paris, once again.

All of the Greek kings and their armies have responded to Agamemnon's call... All except two, that is: Odysseus, who pretends to be mad to avoid having to fight a war he does not believe in, although he is quickly found out, and Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior of all, who has never been fond of Agamemnon...

It is Achilles' mother, the sea nymph Thetis, who inadvertently causes him to change his mind. She tells him that his fate lies in his hands. He can fight and become a hero who will be remembered forever but die young, or he can live a long life, surrounded by his loved ones, and be consigned to oblivion. Achilles does not hesitate and goes off to join the Greek forces. Meanwhile, the seer Calchas reveals that, offended by Agamemnon, the goddess Artemis is preventing ships from leaving port. Agamemnon agrees to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia so he can assemble the largest fleet ever in order to attack Troy.