Popular History Movies on Free Services - Page 69

Doctors of the Dark Side

2011

Doctors of the Dark Side

2011
6.5
Doctors of the Dark Side is the first feature length documentary about the pivotal role of physicians and psychologists in detainee torture. The stories of four detainees and the doctors involved in their abuse demonstrate how US Army and CIA doctors implemented the Enhanced Interrogation Techniques and covered up signs of torture at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. Interviews with medical, legal and intelligence experts and evidence from declassified government memos document what has been called the greatest scandal in American medical ethics. Based on four years of research by Producer/Director Martha Davis, written by Oscar winning Mark Jonathan Harris, and filmed in HD by Emmy winning DP Lisa Rinzler, the film shows how the torture of detainees could not continue without the assistance of the doctors.
Ahead of Time: The Extraordinary Journey of Ruth Gruber

2010

Ahead of Time: The Extraordinary Journey of Ruth Gruber

2010
8
Brooklyn-born Ruth Gruber became the youngest PhD in the world before going on to become an international foreign correspondent and photojournalist at age 24. She defied tradition in an extraordinary career that spanned several decades. The first journalist to enter the Soviet Arctic in 1935, Ruth also traveled to Alaska as a member of the Roosevelt administration in 1942, escorted Holocaust refugees to America in 1944, covered the Nuremberg trials in 1946, and documented the Haganah ship 'Exodus' in 1947. Her relationships with world leaders gave her unique access and insight. This documentary interweaves verite scenes with archival footage.
Mawson: Life and Death in Antarctica

2008

Mawson: Life and Death in Antarctica

2008
4
The Douglas Mawson Antarctic Expedition of 1912 is considered one of the most amazing feats of endurance of all time. Although his two companions perished, Douglas Mawson survived, but how? In a bold historical experiment, scientist and adventurer Tim Jarvis is retracing the gruelling experience, with the same meagre rations, primitive clothing and equipment to uncover what happened to Mawson physically — and mentally — as a man hanging on the precipice of life and death.
Top Secret Rosies: The Female 'Computers' of WWII

2010

Top Secret Rosies: The Female 'Computers' of WWII

2010
8
In 1942, when computers were human and women were underestimated, a group of female mathematicians helped win a war and usher in the modern computer age. Sixty-five years later their story has finally been told.
Hatalyan (The Hangman)

2010

Hatalyan (The Hangman)

2010
6
The life of Shalom, The Nazi major officer Adolf Eichmann's hangman, turned ritual slaughterer, encapsulates the story of Israel from the perspective of the 'other'- the marginalized Sephardi prison warden who is forced to do the dirty work of hanging the arch enemy and thus to carry a national burden that dramatically shaped his life. His job in the abattoir, together with his memories of his past, create a fascinating and complex portrait. His voice, yet unheard, from the edge of Israel's historical events, reveals new insights through his unique perspective. Shalom's clear, alternative voice from the margins of society carries a deeply humanistic universal message.
Sputnik Mania

2007

Sputnik Mania

2007
7
Fifty years ago, at the height of the Cold War, the USSR launched Sputnik, the first satellite to orbit the earth, bringing America to its knees in awe - then fear. Initially thrilling as a marvel of science, Sputnik was soon viewed by America a weapon of mass destruction.
The Johnstown Flood

2003

The Johnstown Flood

2003
6
On a stormy day in May of 1889, the South Fork Dam impounding Conemaugh Lake exploded, unleashing a 40-foot wall of water. The bustling industrial city of Johnstown, PA, in the valley below was reduced to a wasteland, killing more than 2,200. This heavily dramatized documentary reviews the factors that led to the dam's collapse, while dramatic reenactments and survivors' personal testimonies detail the horror.
Treasure Fleet: The Epic Voyage of Zheng He

2005

Treasure Fleet: The Epic Voyage of Zheng He

2005
9
Between 1405 and 1433, Admiral Zheng He of China led seven epic voyages to more than 30 countries, including Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Kenya and Tanzania. The admiral and his crew gathered knowledge and wealth from Indochina to Africa for China's Ming empire. These voyages were the biggest naval expeditions mounted at the time. Zheng He was bigger than life and could have changed the course of history. But after the seven voyages, he and his Treasure Fleet were forgotten by China, and the world, for six hundred years. National Geographic photographer Michael Yamashita sets sail to discover why. To celebrate the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's maiden exploration voyage, Michael Yamashita traveled over 10,000 miles from Yunnan in China to Africa's Swahili coast taking over 40,000 pictures for the feature story on this great explorer, published in the July 2005 edition of National Geographic.
Rome: Engineering an Empire

2005

Rome: Engineering an Empire

2005
9
Despite their personal short comings, many of the Roman Empires great engineering accomplishments were introduced during the reign of the Caesars. The tradition continued under Vespasian, builder of the Coliseum, Trajan, builder of the Forum, and Hadrian, builder and possibly the designer of the Pantheon. Finally, a decade later Caracalla built a bath complex/recreation center in an effort to secure his own reputation in history.
John Wesley

1954

John Wesley

1954
1
Rescued from a burning house as a child, John Wesley believes the experience marked him for a higher purpose, a 'brand from the burning'. The film follows Wesley's years at Oxford and as a clergyman, his disagreements with the church over the social position of the clergy, his mission to America, the founding of Methodism, and his bringing of the Gospel into the lives of ordinary people.
Rabbit in the Moon

1999

Rabbit in the Moon

1999
2
Like many Japanese Americans released from WWII internment camps, the young Omori sisters did their best to erase the memories and scars of life under confinement. Fifty years later acclaimed filmmaker Emiko Omori asks her older sister and other detainees to reflect on the personal and political consequences of internment. From the exuberant recollections of a typical teenager, to the simmering rage of citizens forced to sign loyalty oaths, Omori renders a poetic and illuminating picture of a deeply troubling chapter in American history.
Robber of the Cruel Streets

2006

Robber of the Cruel Streets

2006
7
This program presents the life and ministry of George Muller, who cared for thousands of orphans in 19th century England. He never asked anyone for money. Instead he prayed, and his children never missed a meal.
My Brother's War

2005

My Brother's War

2005
1
Civil War drama directed by Whitney Hamilton. Grace Kieler disguises herself as a man and takes her brother's place in the Confederate army in an effort to protect him from the horrors of the war. When she meets young war widow Virginia Klaising (Dana Bennison), the two form a bond that may get complicated once Grace reveals her true identity. My Brother's War is based on Hamilton's novel
Africa Speaks!

1930

Africa Speaks!

1930
4
Explorer Paul Hoefler leads a safari into central Africa and what was then called the Belgian Congo, in the regions inhabited by the Wassara and the famous Ubangi tribes.
Pearl Harbor: A Day of Infamy

2004

Pearl Harbor: A Day of Infamy

2004
4
On the morning of December 7, 1941, a surprise attack by Japanese naval aviation against the American held island of Oahu and Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into World War II. This story details one of the most momentous events in American history and a crucial turning point in the 20th century. Most importantly, it is a story of the people who were there, told through eyewitness accounts of American and Japanese veterans, some of whose stories have never been told. This is a story of perseverance and heroism in the face of overwhelming odds. This is the story of Pearl Harbor.
Empire City

1985

Empire City

1985
9
A film essay contrasting the modern metropolis with its "golden age" from 1830-1930, with the participation of some of New York's leading political and cultural figures. Made at a time when the city was experiencing unprecedented real estate development on the one hand and unforeseen displacement of population and deterioration on the other. Empire City is the story of two New Yorks. The film explores the precarious coexistence of the service-based midtown Manhattan corporate headquarters with the peripheral New York of undereducated minorities living in increasing alienation.
The Boer War: 1899-1902

1992

The Boer War: 1899-1902

1992
5
Journey back in time to a different age, when the sun never set on the British Empire and her armies were great in number. The Boer War: 1899-1902 was a turning point in British military history and would revolutionize tactics, battlefield strategy, equipment, and training. Well known participants in the Boar Wars include: Harry "Breaker" Morant, Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi.
David Macaulay: Roman City

1994

David Macaulay: Roman City

1994
9
The glories of Ancient Rome are explored in ROMAN CITY, based on David Macaulay's acclaimed book. This animated and live-action video recounts life in Verbonia, a fictional city in Gaul. A well-planned town with all modern conveniences, it is threatened by conflict between conquerors and conquered. Macaulay also visits Pompeii, Herculaneum, Ostia, Nimes, Orange, and Rome, to view actual Roman architecture and engineering greatness.
The Tragedy of Richard III

1983

The Tragedy of Richard III

1983
6
Richard Duke of Gloucester, youngest brother of King Edward IV, will stop at nothing to get the crown. He first convinces the ailing King that the Duke of Clarence, his elder brother, is a threat to the lives of Edward's two young sons. Edward has him imprisoned in the Tower of London; killers in Richard's pay then drown Clarence in a barrel of wine. When news of Clarence's death reaches the King, the subsequent grief and remorse bring about his death. Richard is made Lord Protector, with power to rule England while his nephew (now King Edward V) is still a minor. Before the young king's coronation he has his two nephews conveyed to the Tower, ostensibly for their safekeeping. Richard's accomplice, the Duke of Buckingham, then declares the two boys illegitimate and offers Richard the crown, which after a show of reticence he accepts. After Richard's coronation, he and Buckingham have a falling-out over whether or not to assassinate the two children.
Henry VI Part 2

1983

Henry VI Part 2

1983
7
The life of King Henry the Sixth, in three parts.