Other documentary series by Roel Oostra
From the maker of “Many Voices, One World”: In coproduction with TLC/Discovery Channel,
WDR/ARD (Germany), Dutch and Belgian TV: An exciting new series of documentaries featuring
history’s great mysteries..
Strange sects, astronomical precision beyond present-day comprehension. What really happened
to the Holy Grail? Noah’s Ark? What are the latest findings concerning Pyramids and Sphinx or
the Nazca lines of Peru? Best-selling authors and investigators of world renown unravel the realities
which lie behind the legends. The mystery is the core, their obsession is the story.. “History’s
Mysteries” is an exciting new journalistic look at age-old myths and mysteries which spark the
imagination today as never before.
Producer/Director Roel Oostra
75 years ago part of the “Lamb of God”, one of mankind’s greatest and most mysterious works of art, vanished without trace.. The panel, said to hold the secret where the Holy Grail lies hidden, was coveted by many, including Hitler’s SS. The quest for the stolen mysterious masterpiece continues unabated – up until today..
An ingenious fraud from the Middle Ages as carbon dating proved “beyond doubt”? Or authentic after all.. The Question arises whether carbon dating works on linen at all. As British author Ian Wilson traces its history to the time of Christ he places the Shroud back in the realm of mystery…
Over a surface of 5000 square miles, the south Peruvian desert is covered with huge animal drawings and lines.. Theories of their origin are many. Made to be seen from the sky only, how were they made and why..? Author Tony Morrison pays homage to the late Maria Reiche, keeper of the Nasca lines until her death at 95…
What Mecca is for Muslims, Santiago de Compostella was for medieval Christians. At a time when pilgrimage is out of date and interest for Rome, Lourdes or Jerusalem is waning, millions take the road again to Compostella.. The mysterious and spectacular revival of an ancient pilgrimage.
Half a century after they were discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls are now open to science. They unveil the apocalyptic context from which Christianity sprang. Did the apostle Paul go against the earliest followers of Jesus to lay down a false foundation for the church of Rome thereafter..?
The Giza Pyramids are the last remaining wonder of the Ancient World and continue to be its greatest enigma.. Authors Bauval and Hancock combine for a groundbreaking quest: Their exciting new insights are now about to change our perception of ancient Egypt and the civilisation of mankind. Award winner at the Netherlands Film Festival and the New York Film Festival.
Montségur, high in the French Pyrenees, once was the last stronghold of mysterious rivals to the Church of Rome.. German nazi’s searched the ruins for the Holy Grail believing age-old rumours that it once held this priceless treasure.. Now ancient gnosticism seems to revive here..
In the Ararat mountains a puzzling shape has emerged of what might be a huge fossilized ship: Noah’s Ark? Next to the Bible hundreds of other myths allude to a worldwide disaster virtually wiping out mankind… Was there something like a “Flood”..? Was Noah only one of many captains of survival rafts?
The greatest of Jewish myths.. On man’s desire to create, shape life and imitate the act of God.. American author Chaim Potok and the shaping of artificial life; from Golem of Prague to Monster of Frankenstein and technical achievements of today.. For these are days of golems..
The lost Ark of the Covenant with the Ten Commandments.. Focus of worship in the early Judaic religion; its disappearance without trace is the greatest riddle of the Bible. Author Graham Hancock sets out on a quest through history and traces the Ark to Ethiopia’s most holy city..
Fraud is undermining maritime trade today, yet the full extent of the problem remains unknown—and seemingly ignored. With no international authority to intervene and national governments passing responsibility, the high seas have become a haven for fraud. As maritime security expert Eric Ellen puts it, "The High Seas are one huge ‘beyond jurisdiction’."
At the dawn of the new millennium, piracy has surged dramatically. With a 30% year-over-year rise in attacks, hundreds of ships have been targeted—especially in Southeast Asia. Small vessels suffer silently, and few authorities acknowledge the scale of this maritime menace. Governments act only when forced. The shadow of piracy grows ever darker.
Many Voices, One World was co-produced with UNESCO (a.o.) and has been broadcast and warmly received in Japan, Russia, Canada, The Netherlands, Brazil, China, Turkey, Spain, India, Serbia along with many other countries.
Eighty percent of the world’s surface is covered by oceans. Eighty percent of the world is
virtually out of bounds of law.. Where a plane hijack triggers swift international action,
the disappearance of a ship goes virtually unnoticed..
At the beginning of the new millennium, pirates cast a shadow of fear and misery over today’s
seafarers.. With a staggering increase of 30% over the previous year, piracy is now worse than
ever before.. Every year 30 billion dollars and numerous lives are lost in maritime fraud and
crimes on the high seas.. But hardly anyone notices. And no one is doing anything about it.
On eighty percent of the world’s surface there is no law enforcement. Anyone who sails the high
seas is unprotected.. This series presents the dark side of the seas..
Eric Ellen – once chief constable of the Port of London, then “super sleuth” for the International
Chamber of Commerce and Lloyds insurers – has dedicated his life to the protection of the unprotectable.
From their London office, Ellen and his successors, led by Indian captain Mukundan now operate
the International Maritime Bureau, the only organisation in the world to systematically fight
crime on the high seas.
Virtually unknown to the public at large, crime rages in the lawless expanse of the world’s oceans:
Pirates steal and kill, “respectable citizens” play fraudulent games with ship’s papers. Freighters
become phantom ships, changing identity and stealing cargoes, or are scuttled to claim massive
insurance sums. National and international authorities are unable, or – all too often – unwilling
to take action.. “Crime on the High Seas” is two fast paced, exiting hours of television, featuring
the work of Eric Ellen and the International Maritime Bureau. In every episode different aspects
of maritime crime are analysed in spectacular case studies that are logically interwoven. By
following the actions of the IMB and recreating some of the most prolific cases in the history
of modern maritime crime, the fascinating story will be told of Crime on the High Seas, and the
sinister side of life at sea…
200 short stories (5 – 7 min.) by master storytellers from around the world with an
introduction program (27 min.) hosted by Peter Ustinov.
Though nearly extinct in many cultures, storytelling is the oldest art of mankind.. Nothing is
comparable to the spellbinding contact which the masters of this ancient oral tradition could
make with their audience.
Many Voices, One World is a wonderful panoramic journey through the world of storytelling. In
each of the short programs, a story is told to a small group of people. The settings – a living
room, a market square or pub – lend an everyday intimacy to the proceedings. Consequently, the
viewer inevitably falls under the spell of the storyteller. Storytelling knows no boundaries
and Many Voices, One World features stories from around the world. We’re treated to the legends,
parables, epics, and burlesques of master storytellers from across the five continents. Peter
Ustinov welcomes us to the world of storytelling in a 30’ introductory program.
