S1.E5 ∙ Chef Ben Liquet

"The Great Fire of Salonica: Birth of a City" is a 62 min. documentary recounting the experiences of people during the destruction of the city in 1917 in Northern Greece. On Saturday, 18 August 1917 Salonica faces the most destructive fire in its history. It destroys 3/4 of the city center, burns down more than 8 thousand buildings, leaves around 74 thousand people homeless, and accounts for 8 million GBP in damages. On top of the ashes, a new city is born. The multi-racial, multi-religious and multilingual Balkan metropolis (where Ottomans, Jews and Christians lived together with more than 300,000 soldiers of the Entente multinational Army at the time of the fire) is redesigned by the decision of the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos and his government. Based on Ernest Hébrard's plan, it is rebuilt from scratch to assume the urban design it has today. The fire's impact on social, political and economic levels is a decisive turn in city's history.

On April 1 1980, five individuals seeking political asylum crashed a bus through the gates of the Peruvian embassy in Havana, Cuba. In the following days, 10,000 people stormed that embassy's grounds, signifying wide-spread disdain for Cuba's dictatorship. Fearing that continued civil unrest might cause further violence, Fidel Castro proclaimed that any Cuban wishing to immigrate to the United States could board a boat at the nearby port of Mariel. In what some considered a bold move, Castro forced prisoners and street indigents to board these same boats. While only a small percentage of the 125,000 Mariel refugees were actually criminals, Castro succeeded in tarnishing the image of those fleeing the country. However, for the vast majority of those who left Cuba, this was the beginning of a costly journey to freedom. The exile would begin not only with a parting of personal possessions, but a separation from family that for many would last a lifetime. But for the Marielitos the cost of their mass exodus was outweighed by something previously unimaginable: a chance to pursue their dreams. Dr. Jose Garcia left through Mariel as a 13 year-old boy. His journey takes us through personal accounts of lives affected by the Mariel exodus, of those who departed and also those who stayed behind. Culminating with his long anticipated trip back to his birthplace, we see the emotional reuniting of family and friends as we explore and listen to the unheard 'Voices From Mariel'.

A film about the highway that connected the American colonies. The discovery and preservation of historic places in Philadelphia. The true origin story of America.

The Chinese documentary movement continues to evolve, reaching new levels of awareness of issues complicating its mission to objectively capture the reality of its society. Among these issues is that of performance in its subjects; this is especially critical given that an increasing number of documentaries are personal portraits that delve into subjective experiences. Perhaps the most memorable instance of the past year is Qiu Jiongjiong's stark black-and-white series of interviews with transsexual cabaret singer Madame Bi Langda. Madame Bi's recollections of past experiences explicitly touch on how she performs her way through life, whether interacting with friends, lovers or her audience. More than a document of the increasingly complicated gender identity politics in China, it's also a poignant testimony of a life dedicated to articulating the aesthetics of living.

New evidence reveals the vivid truth about the spectacular, lethal Roman sport of chariot racing, and its vast crowds, riots, curses and huge prizes.

One hour documentary examining the seventy year history of nuclear and atomic industry, weapons, testing in South Australia from 1910 to 1980.