Superquark

Season 22

2015 · 10 episodes · 19h 28m in all

Episodes

1. 1

   1. Episode 1

   25 Jun 2015 · 118 min

   The first episode of SuperQuark opens with a stunning documentary: the Alps as seen from above, the way only an eagle could view them. Thanks to an ultra-high-definition camera mounted on a helicopter, we get the sensation of soaring over the peaks, brushing past summits, and observing, from an entirely new perspective, dizzying cliff faces, glaciers, and crystal-clear lakes. We also see castles, trenches from the First World War, and daring skiers descending near-vertical mountain slopes amidst snow and rock. We get a close-up look at the great icons of the Alpine ranges, such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn, as well as ibexes and mountain climbers. It is a natural world that was once inaccessible, now revealing its full, imposing beauty, along with, as we shall see, the challenges it faces. In recent weeks, the centenary of the Great War has been commemorated, a conflict fought in trenches, in mud, and in blood.

2. 2

   2. Episode 2

   2 Jul 2015 · 118 min

   The second episode of SuperQuark opens with a truly unique documentary: it tells the stories of large animals in the forest or savanna that have been severely injured and are then saved by doctors and surgeons who rush to the scene to help. Sometimes, it is poachers, shooting in an attempt to capture specimens, who leave animals behind, gravely wounded. In other instances, animals are maimed or crushed by traps and snares. At other times, they suffer from actual illnesses that require surgical intervention. We discover that animals suffer from the very same ailments as humans, yet providing treatment becomes far more challenging when in remote, isolated locations. Among the procedures featured, we will see a young gorilla, injured by poachers, undergoing surgery, as well as a rhinoceros that receives a skin graft, a particularly complex procedure for an animal of its kind. Money is truly “dirty.”

3. 3

   3. Episode 3

   9 Jul 2015 · 118 min

   In this third episode of SuperQuark, we return to the BBC’s Operation Wild series, traveling to some of the most remote corners of the globe to follow doctors and surgeons as they come to the aid of large animals, creatures wounded by poachers or maimed by lethal traps. We will see one such case: a giraffe that has become ensnared by its leg, a predicament that would surely lead to its death without proper medical intervention. Yet, tracking and capturing a giraffe without causing further harm is a daunting task, and administering anesthesia is even more complex, given the animal’s unique anatomy. We will also witness a brain surgery performed on a bear under exceptionally challenging conditions. This form of emergency care in the wild not only restores suffering animals to life, but, perhaps more importantly, serves as a way to make amends for the atrocities committed by other humans. It might feel like another planet, but it is right here on Earth, only a four-hour flight away.

4. 

   4. Episode 4

   16 Jul 2015 · 118 min

   The fourth episode of Superquark features another documentary from the Ushuaia Nature series: "Worlds of Crystal." Nature conceals secret, breathtaking places that are otherwise inaccessible to us, locations that require expertise, courage, and specialized equipment to explore. Tonight, we join the Ushuaia crew as they venture into some of these realms: deep within the Earth’s crust, navigating through caves, tunnels, and vast underground rivers, surrounded by extraordinary crystal formations. Our journey takes us into the canyons and caverns of Mexico, before arriving at a tiny island in Colombia to witness a spectacular deep-water dive. On this small island, we will encounter a rare and delicate creature: the glass frog. Scientists and naturalists join Nicolas Hulot on this fascinating expedition.

5. 5

   5. Episode 5

   23 Jul 2015 · 114 min

   In the fifth episode of SuperQuark, we feature another documentary from the Ushuaia Nature series. This time, Nicolas Hulot and his highly equipped team explore the Mozambique Channel and its surrounding waters, the very place where, years ago, fishermen off the coast of South Africa discovered a strange, prehistoric-looking fish in their nets. It was a creature well-known to paleontologists through fossils, but one they believed had been extinct for millions of years: the coelacanth. We will join the *Ushuaia* crew as biologists dive into these depths to study this "living fossil." The journey also offers an opportunity to encounter various species of sharks that inhabit these waters—ancient animals themselves, dating back as far as 400 million years, long before the appearance of dinosaurs. Today, however, they face the threat of extinction due to the unrestrained fishing occurring across the globe.

6. 6

   6. Episode 6

   30 Jul 2015 · 120 min

   In the sixth episode of Superquark, we feature another documentary from the Ushuaia Nature series, this time taking us to a remote corner of Africa. As we have seen many times, Africa is a continent of remarkably diverse landscapes, ranging from forests, savannas, and vast lakes to mountains taller than Mont Blanc, and deserts. Today, the Ushuaia crew takes us to a little-known area of ​​Namibia: a unique environment where sand dunes descend all the way to the sea. It is here that a rare animal makes its home: the desert-adapted lion. Nicolas Hulot travels in an extraordinary flying machine, a one-of-a-kind prototype that harnesses the wind to move silently and effortlessly. The journey also includes an encounter with a Himba tribe in one of the most pristine regions of Southern Africa. Cholesterol is essential to life, yet it can also be highly dangerous; with the help of experts, Barbara Gallavotti and Federica Calvia provide a detailed profile of this insidious molecule.

7. 

   7. Episode 7

   6 Aug 2015 · 114 min

   In the seventh episode of SuperQuark, we feature the final documentary from the Ushuaia Nature series, which brings us face-to-face with extraordinary wild birds, griffon vultures, soaring high above the Pyrenees. Nicolas Hulot and his crew, flying much like birds themselves, without engines or propellers, relying on just a few square meters of fabric, share the warm air currents with these magnificent vultures, gliding over cliffs and valleys. This journey leads them to another treasure, this one hidden underground: Pas de Vallgornéra, one of the most beautiful sea caves on the planet. It was discovered by chance in 1968 during the excavation of foundations for a hotel, a site now abandoned. The cave system spans 62 kilometers of passages, some of which are entirely submerged. It stands as one of the world’s most significant subterranean labyrinths, navigable both on foot and by swimming.

8. 8

   8. Episode 8

   13 Aug 2015 · 116 min

   The eighth episode of Superquark opens with the first installment of a BBC documentary series dedicated to monsoons. Tonight’s film reveals the colossal power of this natural phenomenon, which occurs every year in Southern Asia, spanning the region between India and Australia. For four months each year, the area experiences torrential rains, profoundly impacting the lives of both animals and humans. During this time, insects suddenly appear everywhere. Great rivers overflow, spilling onto roads and land while carrying vast amounts of nutrients, a process that provides a vital lifeline for rice crops. The film captures this awakening of nature, as well as the anticipation surrounding the monsoon; any delay in its arrival can spell trouble not only for toads and crabs but even for the New Delhi stock exchange.

9. 9

   9. Episode 9

   20 Aug 2015 · 116 min

   In the ninth episode of SuperQuark, we feature the second documentary from the BBC series Land of the Monsoon. Much like the sea, which alternately drenches and dries the shore, the monsoon, after unleashing vast amounts of rain—shifts direction, bringing dry air (and drought) to those very same regions. For millennia, animals have had to contend with this sometimes abrupt seasonal transition; the resulting water scarcity creates recurring crises in which the weakest perish. Humans, too, have spent millennia adapting to this rhythmic pendulum, through their agricultural practices and their relationship with the natural world. Today, however, this balance is being challenged by development, which is increasingly encroaching upon the habitats of certain animals, such as orangutans and Bengal tigers, leaving them effectively homeless. Water, our most precious asset, is the molecule of life, yet it remains one of the planet’s most critical resources.

10. 

    10. Episode 10

    27 Aug 2015 · 116 min

    In the tenth episode of SuperQuark, there is a magnificent BBC documentary, a classic of nature programming: the setting is the African savanna, and the stars are the great predators.