Show Documentary
This program reveals the unorthodox life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China, through the use of rare footage from the period. Puyi's story, set against the immense luxury of the Chinese nobility, the decadent 1930s in Tianjin, the upheaval of World War II, the bleakness of prison, plus the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution, reflects the turbulent history of China and its people during the early and middle 20th Century.
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Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World
A feature-length documentary that explores the immense changes that occurred for gays, lesbians and transgender people living in the Global South. In the last decade of the 20th Century, a new heightened visibility began spreading throughout the developing world and the battles between families, fundamentalist religions, and governments around sexual and gender identity had begun. But in the West, few people knew about this historic social upheaval, until 52 men on Cairo’s Queen Boat discothèque were arrested for crimes of debauchery. That explosive story focused attention to the lives and trials of gay people coming out in the developing world and the film chronicles those events.
I Wish I Knew
Focuses on the people, their stories and architecture spanning from the mid-1800s, when Shanghai was opened as a trading port, to the present day.
Lady of the Dynasty
The tragic story of a Tang Dynasty imperial consort who was the favorite of the Emperor Xuanzong.
The Last Emperor
A dramatic history of Puyi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic.
The Lost Bladesman
During the warring period of the three kingdoms, ancient China is in turmoil. To unify the country, general Cao Cao, the real power behind the Emperor, enlists the aid of the greatest warrior in the land, Guan Yu. However, Guan Yu is a loyal friend of Cao Cao's enemy Liu Bei so to persuade the peerless warrior to fight, Cao Cao takes his beloved Qi Lan hostage. After leading Cao Cao's forces to victory Guan Yu sets out with Qi Lan to rejoin Liu Bei. Now Cao Cao has deemed him too great a threat to live, and on the journey he must face all the forces at the Emperor's command sent to destroy him.
Hibiscus Town
Based on a novel by the same name written by Gu Hua, a melodrama about the life and travails of a young woman who lives through the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution.
The Battle at Lake Changjin: Water Gate Bridge
In the follow-up to "The Battle At Lake Changjin", brothers Wu Qianli and Wu Wanli undertake a new task for the People's Volunteer Army, defending a bridge part of the American troops' escape route from the advancing Chinese.
Morning Sun
The film Morning Sun attempts in the space of a two-hour documentary film to create an inner history of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (c.1964-1976). It provides a multi-perspective view of a tumultuous period as seen through the eyes—and reflected in the hearts and minds—of members of the high-school generation that was born around the time of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, and that came of age in the 1960s. Others join them in creating in the film’s conversation about the period and the psycho-emotional topography of high-Maoist China, as well as the enduring legacy of that period.
Born Under the Red Flag: 1976–1997
CHINA: A CENTURY OF REVOLUTION is a six-hour tour de force journey through the country's most tumultuous period. First televised on PBS, this award-winning documentary series presents an astonishingly candid view of a once-secret nation with rare archival footage, insightful historical commentary and stunning eyewitness accounts from citizens who struggled through China's most decisive century. Mao's death begins BORN UNDER THE RED FLAG, which follows the country's new leadership of Deng Xiaoping and its unlikely transformation into an extraordinary hybrid of communist-centralized politics with an ever-expanding free market economy.
The Viking Sagas
Part of the BBC’s ‘Free Your Imagination: Books on the BBC’, the ‘Viking Sagas’ is a Century Films Production. This hour-long film explores how the unique literary achievements of the Saga writers were possible at a time of such immense cultural, political and religious upheaval.
Forever Young
From World War, to revolution and ultimately rebirth, Forever Young is the story of four generations spanning a hundred years of modern Chinese history. Each generation faces its own unique set of challenges. Up against corporate corruption, the trials and tribulations of the cultural revolution, and one's duty to nation in time of war, they are faced with choosing their individual paths through history. But as the challenges and turmoil of each generation may differ as time changes, what was learned in the past cannot help but effect the choices that are made in the future as it is passed down from generation to generation. And that is the universal message that being true to yourself is precious. It is the source of strength that empowers one to become the person they want to be, to march forward as far as their hearts desire, into the future.
Integrating the Marine Corps: The Montford Point Marines
In the backdrop of a world on the brink, the Montford Point Marines rise, transcending not just enemy lines, but also the formidable barriers of racial segregation. Their journey, spanning from rural Virginia to the frontlines of World War II, the Korean War, and the jungles of Vietnam, is a reflection of their indomitable spirit and unyielding resolve. Confronting racial prejudices, the heartbreaks of war, and the turbulent transition to civilian life, these men never wavered in their commitment. "Integrating the Marine Corps" dives deep into the uncharted terrains of the Black experience in the early 20th century Marine Corps, illuminating stories often shadowed in history's corners. With cinematic finesse fit a global streaming audience, the film weaves these warriors deeply personal narratives into a rich tapestry, culminating in an epic saga of heroism, perseverance, and the enduring legacy of the American veteran.
Design for Death
Documentary Feature winner "Design for Death" (1947) examines Japanese culture and how it led to Japan's role in WWII.
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E! True Hollywood Story
E! True Hollywood Story is an American documentary series on E! that deals with famous Hollywood celebrities, movies, TV shows and also well-known public figures. Among the topics covered on the program include salacious re-tellings of Hollywood secrets, show-biz scandals, celebrity murders and mysteries, porn-star biographies, and "where-are-they-now?" investigations of former child stars. It frequently features in-depth interviews, actual courtroom footage, and dramatic reenactments. When aired on the E! network, episodes will be updated to reflect the current life or status of the subject.
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs: the wealthy, aristocratic Bellamys. Downstairs: their loyal and lively servants. For nearly 30 years, they share a fashionable townhouse at 165 Eaton Place in London’s posh Belgravia neighborhood, surviving social change, political upheaval, scandals, and the horrors of the First World War.
Reilly: Ace of Spies
Reilly, Ace of Spies is a 1983 television miniseries dramatizing the life of Sidney Reilly, a Russian Jew who became one of the greatest spies ever to work for the British. Among his exploits, in the early 20th century, were the infiltration of the German General Staff in 1917 and a near-overthrow of the Bolsheviks in 1918. His reputation with women was as legendary as his genius for espionage.
Fleming
Set at the outbreak of WWII – mischievous playboy Ian Fleming is untroubled by the specter of impending war – chasing women, collecting rare books and living off his family fortune. Forever in the shadow of his brother Peter, and an eternal disappointment to his formidable mother Eve, Fleming dreams of becoming the ‘ultimate’ man – a hero, a lover, a brute and the one who always gets the girl. He is finally given some direction in his life when he’s recruited by the Director of Naval Intelligence to help in the effort against the Nazis. Suddenly, Fleming finds his chance to shine and prove his worth.
Scarlet Heart
Zhang Xiao, a Chinese young woman from the 21st century, accidentally travels back in time to the Qing Dynasty period during the reign of Kangxi Emperor after experiencing a deadly combination of traffic collision and electrocution, resulting her somehow reliving the life of one of her previous incarnations and forcing her to assumes the identity belongs to her past: Maertai Rouxi (Liu Shi Shi), the teenage daughter of a Manchu nobleman, who also had a near-fatal incident in her own time which Zhang awakes from.
The Glamorous Imperial Concubine
Ma Fuya is a princess of the Chu state in 10th-century imperial China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. In this time of warring kingdoms and political upheaval, Fuya's uncle usurps the throne and brutally kills her father. Ma Fuya is left an orphan, and she escapes with the help of a eunuch. She also falls in love with Meng Qiyou, the Prince of Later Shu. He instead uses her as a political tool, and he brings her back into his kingdom. Many of his brothers are attracted to her, such as Meng Qixing and Meng Qiyun. Due to her resemblance as Meng Qiyun's mother, the Emperor also falls in love with her. Ma Fuya is forced to marry the Emperor, but the procession is interrupted by Liu Liancheng.
Sparrow
This drama is set during the revolutionary time in Shanghai, based on a novel of the same name of Hai Fei. During the republican revolution, Chen Shen is a secret agent under Special Operations Executive Director Bi Zhongliang, among the agents called “sparrow” (similar to the program “zero” in Japan)
A Scholar Dream of Woman
In 1927, during the Early Republic of China times, a smart young woman wants to continue expanding her knowledge. This beautiful and elegantly-made drama focuses on her struggle and story within the Xuan family and events in China during this turbulent period in history.
Tientsin Mystic
Frequent flooding and drowning were common occurrences in Tianjin (Tientsin) in the early 1900s. But when a local shipping magnate was found drowned to death chained to a statue on the bottom of riverbed, police department's underwater recovery team captain Guo De You was their primary suspect, since he was the only one in the city who could stay underwater long enough to complete the deed. The businessman son's Ding Mao tried to prove Guo's guilt, but his own forensic discovery and another bizarre drowning in the same vicinity challenged his initial impression. Together with spirit medium Gu Ying and news reporter Xiao Lan Lan, they peeled away the mystery and found the clues pointed to an incident occurred over 20 years ago when an evil cult was ravaging the city. Now, the cult was once again causing havoc. To stop their resurgence, the team must investigate the unexplained, mind-bending cases that plagued their city.
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Set in the early Republican era, the story follows a policeman with a dual personality who lifts the veil on a series of strange cases. The year is 1911 and China is on the eve of revolution. A series of connected homicides occurs in rural Fuyuan County, a prefecture on the outskirts of Tianjin. Tianjin detective Tan Bodun and his team head there to solve the case. After peeling back the layers of the mystery, he uncovers a shocking secret about Fuyuan County and a struggle between justice and evil begins.
The Last Emperor
Aisin Gioro Puyi, the last emperor of Qing dynasty, as well as the last emperor of entire Chinese history. This TV series explore modern history and its main incidents in Puyi's perspective.
Overlord
During World War II, a young man is called up and, with an increasing sense of foreboding, undertakes his army training ready for D-day, June 6th, 1944.