The World's First Computer

The Search for Alexander the Great

May 1981 •English

Friends, contemporaries and even enemies of Alexander the Great gather in a tent to tell his tale through their eyes.

Before Macintosh: The Apple Lisa

January 2024 •English

Explores the history, technology, people, stories and industry influence of this lesser-known personal computer. The film profiles important individuals involved in the creation of the computer, plus its life after cancellation, both as an entry-level Macintosh compatible and as a collectible. The work of Douglas Engelbart and his team, plus advances from the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) with their Alto and Star workstations were the initial innovators of the Graphical User Interface (GUI), but the Apple Lisa stands as the clear foundation for what we all use today -- Macintosh -- Windows -- iOS -- Android.

Europe in 8 Bits

December 2013 •Spanish

The stars of Europe's ascendant chip music movement demonstrate the repurposing of old videogame and home computer hardware like Nintendo's GameBoy and NES, Atari's ST, and Commodore's Amiga and C64 into tools by which they have created a new sound, a modern tempo and an innovative musical style.

Time Bomb Y2K

March 2023 •English

As the clock counted down to the the 21st century, the world faced a potential technological disaster: a bug that could cause computers to misinterpret the year 2000 as 1900. Crafted entirely from archival footage and featuring first-hand accounts from computer experts, survivalists, scholars, militia groups, conservative Christians, and pop icons, Time Bomb Y2K is a prescient and often humorous tale about the power and vulnerabilities of technology.

The Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires

June 1996 •English

It happened more or less by accident; the people who made it happen were amateurs; and for the most part they still are. From his own Silicon Valley garage, author Bob Cringley puts PC bigshots and nerds on the spot, and tells their incredible true stories. Like the industry itself, the series is informative, funny and brash.

Schlaue neue Welt - Das KI-Wettrennen

February 2024 •German

Les secrets du mont Olympe

February 2024 •French

Microchip Wars

March 2023 •French

When the pandemic hit it highlighted how much Western countries rely on the chip industry. Today Europe, America and China are involved in an intense commercial struggle to dominate this sector that is so strategic for the future. From Taiwan to Shanghai, via Brussels and San Francisco, investigative journalist Nicolas Vescovacci went to meet the most influential players in this microchip war, which is redefining world geopolitics.

Hélikè, la cité engloutie

June 2023 •French

Revolution OS

March 2001 •English

REVOLUTION OS tells the inside story of the hackers who rebelled against the proprietary software model and Microsoft to create GNU/Linux and the Open Source movement.

Autopsie d'une intelligence artificielle

October 2022 •French

Podfather

October 2009 •English

Documentary telling the story of silicon chip inventor Robert Noyce, godfather of today's digital world. Re-living the heady days of Silicon Valley's seminal start-ups, the film tells how Noyce also founded Intel, the company responsible for more than 80 per cent of the microprocessors in personal computers.

Alexander's Greatest Battle

September 2009 •English

Michael Wood travels through Syria and Iraq to uncover the story of Alexander the Great's decisive battle against the might of the Persian Empire in 331 BCE. Ancient writers agreed that it was fought somewhere near the city of Irbil in northern Iraq, but the exact location has never been discovered. Using dramatic new finds in the UK - a cuneiform clay tablet in the British Museum and a papyrus dug up in Egypt - Michael sheds new light on the course of events. Then to reconstruct the campaign, he follows Alexander's route through Damascus and Aleppo to the river Euphrates in Syria and travels into Northern Iraq with the British and US military.

Russia's Cyber Army

May 2022 •Russian

Greek Myths: Tales of Travelling Heroes

November 2010 •English

Eminent classical historian Robin Lane Fox embarks on a journey in search of the origins of the Greek myths. He firmly believes that these fantastical stories lie at the root of western culture, and yet little is known about where the myths of the Greek gods came from, and how they grew. Now, after 35 years of travelling, excavation and interpretation, he is confident he has uncovered answers.

Commodore Alive and Kicking

April 2022 •English

The year is 2020 and Commodore is 68 years old and going strong. We look at new developments and interview Commodorians worldwide in this feature packed documentary.

Sappho: Love and Life on Lesbos

May 2015 •English

Papyrology expert Margaret Mountford goes in search of the truth behind the legend of Sappho, the most controversial writer of the ancient world and the first authentic woman’s voice in Western history. The mysterious discovery of a lost papyrus containing the words to songs unheard for 1700 years sends Margaret on a journey to discover the truth about Sappho. Was she indeed the first lesbian, a priestess, sex worker, a stern schoolmistress or an aristocratic lady of leisure as readers over the centuries have variously alleged? We ask how each generation’s view of the archetypal liberated woman of letters tells us as much about us and our fears as it does about her.

Computer Dreams

September 1988 •English

A documentary about the exciting possibilities of computer animation and the shaping of never before imagined worlds.

Algorithmes - vers un monde manipulé

March 2023 •French

By observing the technological developments of artificial intelligence in several countries, this film sheds light on the advantages and limits of algorithms and their repercussions on the lives of citizens. Whether at the level of the State, the police, universities, or companies, artificial intelligences should be used as a tool, but very often become a substitute for the work of the individual. There are many abuses: manipulations, addictions, or centralization of power. What can governments and States do to best regulate these technological advances?

Illustrated conversation with Professor Lars Kristiansson

February 1985 •Swedish

Based on the conversations Jösta Hagelbäck and Erik Ostlund had with Lars Kristiansson, a professor of information theory with data communication at Chalmers University in Gothenburg, Sweden. The talks took place at the difficult cancer sufferer Kristiansson's sick-bed and dealt with his insights in computer technology, his hopes and fears for the new technology, the role of religion, the history of mathematics, reasoning about algebra, analytic geometry and the fourth dimension, along with cultural outlooks over the Western society's lack of mysticism and spiritual values.