As the World Cup coverage has just one week to go, more new programming for SBS across next week.
Peter O’Toole: Along Sky Roads To Aqaba
Sunday 11 December 7:30 PM
Peter O’Toole: Along The Sky Roads To Aqaba is a feature documentary about legendary actor Peter O’Toole, who brought a touch of danger to his art and a stroke of madness to his life, yet inspired a generation of movie makers.
Reflecting O’Toole’s theatrical legacy, this film is structured into four acts, each introduced by a quote about O’Toole that encapsulates his life during a specific period.
Each act expands into a holistic narrative addressing questions such as his self-belief, his alcoholism, his relationships with women, his belief in socialism and his selective embrace of Irishness.
While O’Toole’s words (gleaned from hundreds of hours of archival interviews) act as a narrator of his own journey, Jim Sheridan further explores the story through interviews with O’Toole’s family, artists, actors, and directors that knew him well.
Franklin
Sunday 11 December 9:10 PM
Franklin recounts the epic seven-year campaign to save Tasmania’s World Heritage-listed Franklin River from being drowned by the construction of a hydroelectric project in the early 1980s.
The ‘Franklin Campaign’ remains the most significant environmental protest in Australian history, a definitive example of the power of non-violent direct action and is considered ground zero for ‘Green’ politics worldwide.
The story is told through the eyes of eighth-generation Tasmanian, Oliver Cassidy, as he follows in his activist father’s footsteps and embarks on a solo rafting pilgrimage down the Franklin.
In the process, he retraces the campaign, exploring why it was so successful when others have failed, and what lessons can be applied to other non-violent movements today.
All this while being physically challenged beyond anything he has ever known, in a remote and extraordinary landscape most people won’t ever get to experience - until now.
Navalny
Tuesday 13 December 8:30 PM
Navalny takes viewers inside the careful investigation into the shocking and brazen assassination attempt against Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, and who was behind it.
Through his years-long campaign against corruption among Russia’s elites, Navalny has developed powerful enemies.
His publicised revelations, and calls for democratic reforms, have enraged Vladimir Putin, who refuses to even say his name in public.
In August 2020, Navalny was secretly poisoned with a military-grade chemical nerve agent in an elaborate attempt on his life.
Despite denials from the Russian government, the poison was later linked to the Kremlin through investigations by international news organizations, including Bellingcat and CNN.
Directed by Daniel Roher, Navalny is produced by Odessa Rae of RaeFilm Studios, Diane Becker and Melanie Miller of Fishbowl Films, and Shane Boris of Cottage M, Amy Entelis and Courtney Sexton of CNN Films, and Maria Pevchikh, are executive producers of the documentary.
Britain’s Scenic Railways At Christmas
Thursday 15 December 8:30 PM
Climb onboard for a magical journey through a winter wonderland along Britain’s most scenic railways to join the teams protecting the tracks and the volunteers preserving Britain’s steam heritage as they celebrate Christmas.
As the festive season approaches, we enjoy the sparkling illuminations of Steam in Lights at the Severn Valley Railway, we ride the footplate with Santa on a steam train through the Yorkshire Moors, we take a stunning helicopter flight checking for snow drifts in the wild Scottish Highlands, and we join the Cairngorms reindeer herd on a day trip to the Strathspey steam railway.
Lapland: The Ultimate Winter Wonderland
Saturday 17 December 7:30 PM
Gregg Wallace is on the ultimate Christmas adventure - a magical journey through Lapland in the Arctic Circle, the most festive place on earth and home to Santa Claus.
He’ll discover a world of elves and magic in Santa’s Secret Forest in the middle of the Finnish wilderness, ride a reindeer sleigh through Santa’s Village and discover the magic of a traditional Christmas in Lapland with a host of local guides and experts to reveal what makes this a favourite destination for British tourists wanting the ultimate Christmas experience.
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