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What Caused the Extinction of Giant Insects? | Full Documentary
51:00
Best Documentary
What Caused the Extinction of Giant Insects? | Full Documentary
Today, insects are no longer giant except in our nightmares… But 320 million years ago, dragonflies measuring up to a meter (Meganeura) or centipedes the size of a human (Arthropleura) dominated the land and air. Over the course of time, these fascinating giants became smaller and smaller… before disappearing altogether. But who was responsible for their extinction? Scientists long believed that the decrease in oxygen after the Carboniferous period explained their disappearance. Insects are devoid of lungs and bloodstream and rely on microscopic holes on their bodies to oxygenate: the current composition of the air would suffocate their organs and paralyze their limbs. But this theory was put into question in 2009 when large fossils of Meganeuras that survived the oxygen depletion were discovered in the South of France… In 2012 others animals were suspected as being the source of the giant insects’ downfall. An American study points to prehistoric birds who were fierce predators and could have exercised pressure on insects and contributed to reducing their size… At the same time, a small Pterosaur was discovered in Germany, proving that these flying reptiles could also be aerial acrobats specialized in insect hunting. By combining state of the art scientific experiment, reconstitutions using CGI and interviews with paleontologists, stones will speak and explain why giant insects became extinct. Here is the true story of the conquest of the air. Directors: Emma Baus and Bertrand Loyer
Published Apr 24, 2023
War in Ukraine: How Putin Manipulates the Russian People
59:19
Best Documentary
War in Ukraine: How Putin Manipulates the Russian People
Months into the invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s propaganda is running at full speed in Russia. Independent media have all been shut down, the main social networks blocked. Opponents who did not flee have been thrown into prison. Throughout the country, no dissonant voice against the war is tolerated. Putin’s regime is sliding towards totalitarianism. Every evening, on the state television channel Rossiya One, Vladimir Soloviev, Russia’s most famous journalist, delivers gross untruths about the war and constantly brandishes the use of the nuclear bomb. He agreed to receive us backstage on his show, a few days after being the victim of an alleged assassination attempt by a neo-Nazi group and the CIA. In fact, the ‘attack’ was widely believed to have been staged. Tatiana Felgenhauer worked for Echo radio in Moscow, which was forced to stop broadcasting in March. Courageously, the journalist continues to inform the public about the consequences of the war through her Youtube channel. But the young woman fears for her safety. Since our shoot, she has fled the country. The demonization of the West is broadcast even in museums. In Moscow, at the Museum of Contemporary History, an exhibition organized by the Ministry of Defense is entitled “NATO: chronicles of cruelty”. In the display cases, visitors – often high school classes – can admire Russian battlefield prizes that are believed to demonstrate the presence of Nazis in Ukraine. Putin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza was charged in April and declared a “foreign agent”. Twice a week, his lawyer visits him in a detention center on the outskirts of Moscow. He is very pessimistic about the outcome of his client’s trial, which is to be held in a few weeks. According to the new law passed by the Duma, Vladimir Kara-Murza faces fifteen years in prison. As for the economic consequences of the war, again, it is the West that is held responsible. With the departure of foreign companies, many Russians are unemployed. Considered unjust, these sanctions have created strong resentment towards Europe and the United States. Directors: Marc de la Villardière & Igor Sahiri
Published Apr 18, 2023