ARTE Distribution

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.

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.
This landmark series  will explore the many facets of the phenomenon and its evolution through the ages.
What is anti-Semitism? When and where did it appear? Why does this phenomenon persistently resurface? Why the Jews?

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.

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.

She changed the course of History: a cold case following the most enigmatic heroine of the Middle Ages. 

More than a biopic, this 3D-animation historical docudrama is an inquest. From Domrémy to Rouen, from Orleans to Reims, between religion and politics, The Mystery of Joan of Arc will delve into a tragic saga and, behind its myths, draw the portrait of a young woman with an incredible destiny.
 
This is an extraordinary tale, halfway between history and legend: the story of Joan Of Arc, a young girl who, at the beginning of the 15th century, decided to follow the voice of divine inspiration that bid her to save the Kingdom of France, ravaged by the Hundred Years’ War.

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 the Middle Ages, Paris gave birth to the world’s most famous stone edifice: Notre-Dame. 7 centuries have passed since its construction. Watch history come alive thanks to 3D reproduction of the monument. A dramatic tale of ambition, talent, destruction, blood and rebirth. 

We tell the incredible 700 year saga of the builders and Church’s Men who invented modern day architecture in France and throughout Europe. Driven by the quest for perfect harmony, they created one of the most emblematic sacred monuments known today. 3D animation and documentary will come together in a history film to give an accurate representation of this great historical fresco. Indeed, the fictional tale, entirely in animation sequences will be the backbone of the film, around which the documentary scenes will be built to provide specific historic and technical explanations.

Nominee at the Buzzies of World Congress 2020: award for the Best History Program/Content - Long Format

In 1945, Nasser’s project to build a lake in Southern Egypt threatened to submerge hundreds of ancient temples, including of Ramses II and Cleopatra. Thanks to an unprecedented international mobilization, discover how this exceptional heritage was saved.

When they returned from southern Egypt, travelers reported the existence of temples between the Nubian desert and the Nile. Majestic stone colossi emerging from the sands kept the doors and their secrets. For centuries, Abu Simbel, Dendur, Amada and other monuments were victims of looting, earthquakes, desert encroachment and floods, only to end up almost being swallowed up by the waters in the 20th century. In 1954, the announcement of the construction of a dam threatened the whole of Nubia and more than 20 ancient shrines. Some temples were dismantled in a hurry and relocated to artificial islands, others were even shipped abroad in places such as Madrid, Turin or even New York. Former construction site workers attest to the grueling working conditions during operations. We also present archives revealing the ingenious rescue plans explained in 3D animations.
 
This documentary directed by Olivier Lemaître won the "Alfredo Castiglioni" prize from the technical jury and the audience prize at the Archeofilm festival 2020 in Varese (Italy).

Almost 100 years after the discovery of King's Tut's Tomb, it is time to tell the story in a new light. This film uses 2D and 3D imagery to reconstruct the tomb, the mummy, the funerary objects and the topography of the famous valley of the Kings. 

Ninety years later, for the first time, most of these objects will finally be brought together in the precinct of the great Museum of Giza. Some of them will make their way to the U.S.A. and Paris, where they will be exposed at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industries in the autumn of 2018 - and then in London, Berlin, Tokyo and Sidney. This film is the story of the discovery of a treasure of which we know only a few artefacts. It is also an investigation, and these objects will be so many clues along the way. What do these artefacts tell us about the king and the period of his reign ? In what circumstances were they discovered and taken away from the pharaoh’s tomb ? These are some of the many elements of this documentary narrative. 
 

Discover how in 150 years China fell from it’s leader’s position and rebounded to soon become the world’s greatest power.

This historical and geopolitical investigation explains how China reinvented itself to return to its former greatness, thanks to the action of political key figures but also the help of those who remained in the shadows. Combining exceptional archival images, unique animation and the words of international historians, this documentary overturns the West's view of China.

Mafias and Banks: two opposite worlds. They share the same taste for luxury, risk, and easy money yet they despise and fear each other and are both inextricably linked to the government.

For a long time, criminals robbed banks, disemboweled and emptied their safes. It was not until the end of the Second World War that the mafias began to understand all the benefits they could make from banking institutions, and then from finance.