Classic British Cars: Made in Coventry

The Supercar Story

January 2007 •English

Over the years, what has driven manufacturers like Mercedes to build "supercars," automobiles whose performance far exceeds any reasonable road-going requirements? Automotive expert Simon Kidston takes you behind the wheel of six of the most distinctive supercars in the world and examines what makes these automotive wonders so exceptional...and so expensive. These cars are definite eye-catchers: the Mercedes Benz 300SL, Lamborghini Miura, Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari F40, and the McLaren F1. Take an exclusive look around the high-tech Bugatti factory and their gorgeous $1.5 million Bugatti Veyron

The Cost of Cobalt

March 2021 •English

In the cobalt mining areas of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), babies are being born with horrific birth defects. Scientists and doctors are finding increasing evidence of environmental pollution from industrial mining which, they believe, may be the cause of a range of malformations from cleft palate to some so serious the baby is stillborn. More than 60% of the world’s reserves of cobalt are in the DRC and this mineral is essential for the production of electric car batteries, which may be the key to reducing carbon emissions and to slowing climate change. In The Cost of Cobalt we meet the doctors treating the children affected and the scientists who are measuring the pollution. Cobalt may be part of the global solution to climate change, but is it right that Congo’s next generation pay the price with their health? Many are hoping that the more the world understands their plight, the more pressure will be put on the industry here to clean up its act.

Inside Track: Senna and McLaren

January 1991 •English

The story of the Ayrton Senna / McLaren partnership of 1991, and their amazing chronicle of success.

Frankly... Jacky Ickx

July 2011 •English

Frankly ... Jacky Ickx is a documentary that explores the life of Belgian racing legend Jacky Ickx, tracing his journey from motocross to his iconic status in Formula One and endurance racing. Known as “Monsieur Le Mans” for his six Le Mans wins, Ickx’s story is one of fearless racing, deep introspection, and resilience. Through interviews and archival footage, the film highlights his career milestones, thoughts on the dangers of motorsport, and his legacy, both on the track and in humanitarian efforts, offering an intimate portrait of a true motorsport icon.

Senna: The Test

December 2017 •English

Senna: The Test (2017) explores a unique moment in Ayrton Senna's career when, on December 20, 1992, he tested a Penske IndyCar in Phoenix, Arizona. Amid frustrations with McLaren, Senna briefly considered switching to IndyCar, with this test marking his only serious exploration of American racing. The documentary, created by Marshall Pruett and Travis Long, features insights from figures like Emerson Fittipaldi and Rick Mears, capturing this rare event in Senna’s life and his motivations during a challenging period in his career.

Hmoty zítřka

March 1961 •Czech

Manufactured Landscapes

September 2006 •English

MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES is the striking new documentary on the world and work of renowned artist Edward Burtynsky. Internationally acclaimed for his large-scale photographs of “manufactured landscapes”—quarries, recycling yards, factories, mines and dams—Burtynsky creates stunningly beautiful art from civilization’s materials and debris.

Legends of Monte Carlo

March 2018 •English

Fly to glamorous Monte Carlo for the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique. Strap in and follow the motor racing legends through the streets and breakneck turns of the principality. The history of Grand Prix racing unfolds before us in a noisy cavalcade of spitting roaring, temperamental and powerful machines driven by a motley collection of competitive yet amiable characters. These are the cars and names that make up the sporting Pedigree of Grand Prix racing. While the technical precision of the modern Formula One car is an amazing thing, it is a testament to the love of racing to see drivers throwing these mostly privately owned, sometimes multi-million-dollar one-of-a-kind museum pieces around the tight, narrow streets on the razor edge of control.

The Fog of War

October 2003 •English

Using archival footage, cabinet conversation recordings, and an interview of the 85-year-old Robert McNamara, The Fog of War depicts his life, from working as a WWII whiz-kid military officer, to being the Ford Motor Company's president, to managing the Vietnam War as defense secretary for presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

The Song of Styrene

December 1957 •French

Le chant du Styrène is a 1958 French documentary film directed by Alain Resnais. The film was an order by French industrial group Pechiney to highlight the merits of plastics.

Of Boats and Brothers: The Yacht Building Herreshoffs

April 1995 •English

This award-winning documentary film chronicles the accomplishments and relationship of John and Nathanael Herreshoff. These determined brothers overcame all obstacles, including blindness, to earn a worldwide reputation in yacht design and construction.

Endless Letterpress

March 2019 •Spanish

Facing deteriorating machines and the advance of new technologies, Argentine printing presses are closing up their shops. A group of young designers has rediscovered this great technical innovation in the history of the written word – the typesetting printing press – but the technique is difficult to learn, passed down from master to apprentice. The last press mechanic in the country will be in charge of teaching them so that this historic technique endures.

Reconstruction of Hill Street Birmingham

February 1949 •English

An engineering feat: Second city civil engineers complete a new bridge to carry traffic over New Street's tangled railway intersections.

Lotus: A New Dawn

July 2021 •English

This short documentary follows the fortunes of iconic car manufacturer 'Lotus'. In the past 'Lotus' has been famous for producing championship winning race cars and iconic sports cars, but it has struggled to remain in profit. With a new investor and managing director at the helm, they set out to build the first new Lotus road cars in over a decade. From the last ever petrol powered car, the 'Emira' and also their first pure electric British hypercar the 2000 brake horsepower 'Evija'.

Porsche: Decades of Disruption

February 2017 •English

Since World War II, Porsche has manufactured cars that have disrupted the automobile industry, like the 911.

Normalisace

January 1952 •Czech

Kainai

January 1973 •English

On the Kainai (Blood) First Nations Reserve, near Cardston, Alberta, a hopeful new development in Indigenous enterprise. Once rulers of the western plains, the Bloods live on a 1 300-square-kilometer reserve. Many have lacked gainful employment and now pin their hopes on a pre-fab factory they have built. Will the production line and work and wages fit into their cultural pattern of life? The film shows how it is working and what the owners themselves say about their venture.

500 Days: Lost Storylines of the 2001 Daytona 500

December 2022 •English

As the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season draws to a close, Ray Evernham unexpectedly ends his tenure as Jeff Gordon’s crew chief. Evernham’s new ambition – bringing Dodge back to NASCAR’s top series – singlehandedly alters the trajectory of the 2000 season, which becomes a year of tremendous change.

Sea to the City

December 2024 •English

Join Marty and Moog as they set off on an epic road trip adventure in tiny Japanese Kei cars across the wild and remote land of Tasmania in their latest feature film - SEA TO THE CITY. Along the way, they will try and answer the age old question: which is better - sports cars or mini trucks?

Edith: Porsche's Volcano Ascent

December 2024 •English

The journey of a small team attempting to set a world altitude driving record on Chile’s Ojos del Salado, the highest active volcano on Earth, with a specially modified Porsche 911 named Edith.