The Economist imagines what a possible EURO breakup might look like considering doing nothing, a Greek Exit, and a larger exit of Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Greece and Cyprus.
Immortality; Laurie Taylor explores the ways in which human beings have resisted the idea of mortality, with philosopher, John Gray and cultural historian Marina Warner. Also Barry Smith, Director of the institute of Philosophy in London explores contrasting analyses of 'evil' within modern thought.
Guardian article giving an overview of the financial crisis and the systemic problems that keep it going. These myths being the anglo/ Saxon myth that big finance is good, the German myth that austerity will fix everything and the third myth that nothing is really wrong with the system.
Here is an episode list of Simon Schama's: Power of Art Season 1 Episode 1 CaravaggioThe historian recounts the stories of high drama behind the making of eight masterpieces, beginning with Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio's David with the Head of Goliath. He returns to Rome in 1603, where the Italian Baroque painter broke with artistic convention by creating earthy, realistic images using models taken from streets, taverns, markets and brothels
Season 1 Episode 2 BerniniThe broadcaster and historian recounts how Gian Lorenzo Bernini's 17th-century sculpture The Ecstasy of St Theresa restored the artist's failing fortunes and breathed new life into the art of sculpture. Battling for supremacy with his rival Francesco Borromini, Bernini carved the marble model for the Cornaro family chapel in the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, where it still mesmerises flocks of devotees
Season 1 Episode 3 RembrandtThe historian turns his attention to Rembrandt's painting of The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis. The masterpiece, intended as a decoration for the halls of Amsterdam Town Hall, was the bankrupt artist's opportunity for a comeback, but was not what the commissioners wanted him to create - meaning the painter was left to die in poverty
Season 1 Episode 4 DavidJacques-Louis David's painting of The Death of Marat. The artist had made his name working for the French king and was popular among aristocrats, but turned his talents to help the newly installed revolutionary government, painting the outspoken journalist who was stabbed to death in his bath as a martyr and `friend of the people'
Season 1 Episode 5 TurnerTurner's painting The Slave Ship, which courted controversy in its portrayal of slave traders throwing their dying cargo into the sea to claim the insurance money. The work demonstrates the artist's move from traditional styles to a determination to test the limits of both technique and acceptable subject matter
Season 1 Episode 6 Van GoghThe historian recounts the inspiration behind Vincent van Gogh's Wheat Field With Crows - a work created in the summer of 1890 that saw him hailed as a visionary genius only weeks before he killed himself. Schama charts van Gogh's early life as an art dealer, teacher and preacher, and Andy Serkis plays the troubled artist in a dramatisation of events
Season 1 Episode 7 PicassoThe historian recounts artist Pablo Picasso's attempts to create a `modern history' painting, based on the bombing of the ancient town of Guernica by the Luftwaffe. Instead of making a literal social commentary, he wanted to depict accurately where he felt the horrors of the world came from - the human psyche
Season 1 Episode 8 RothkoThe historian recounts the story behind the creation of Mark Rothko's suite of paintings, commissioned in 1958 for the Four Seasons restaurant in New York's Seagram Building. The artist declared he wanted to ruin diners' appetites by creating work that demanded their attention - an attempt he saw as the ultimate test of art's power in the modern world
Here are the names of a few documentaries that look interesting, mostly historical, with links to watch the videos on youtube. The list comes from documentaryfilms.com.
What is Islam? Who is Muhammad? This is a documentary narrated by Ben Kingsley about Islam and attempts to answer these questions. The first part deals with the life of the Prophet Muhammad, his early life, his encounter with God Almighty and the birth of the Islam.
1. Prophet Muhammad and the Rise of Islam. Islam would become the revitalizing force of a barbaric Arabia, returning people to God and bringing back the monotheistic message of Christianity and Judaism in its most powerful way. Islam Women were given rights over there husbands, racism was annihilated and the rich were made equal to the poor.
2. The Awakening. This part relates the golden age of Islam. A time of great learning when Europe was steeped in the Dark Ages. The building of great works of architecture, reading, writing, mathematics, medicine, and astronomy. Even before the printing press Muslims would have hundreds of scribes writing all at once so they would learn and reproduce the writings.
3. The Ottomans. This portion deals with the growing Ottoman Empire, which would control the bridge between 3 continents: Africa, Europe and Asia. This empire would begin at the close of the Crusades until World War I, from the 1300s to 1923. They would rule the entire Middle East and make there way into Europe. Before there was the state of Israel, there was great peace in the Holy Land regulated by the Ottomans.
Watch the full documentary now (playlist – 2 hours, 40 minutes)
The mass killings of civilians in Houla immediately led to calls for the ICC to investigate and for those responsible to be held to account. But in cases like this, how likely is it that international justice will eventually be done?
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China's politburo experiencing an internal power struggle. It is about ideological more than personal rivalry. Mukul Devichand visits the People's Republic to investigate this battle of ideas.