OCTOBER 2010

SBS DVD HIGHLIGHTS

OCTOBER 2010

This month we step back in time with AMERICA BEFORE COLUMBUS and discover that while the Europeans’ motives when they set sail to the ‘New World’ were economic, political and religious, their true legacy was largely biological; moving forward a few hundred years we meet the Lancaster bomber and the brave men who flew and fought with her during World War II in LANCASTER AT WAR; we pay tribute to the legacy of the British steam train, with A FEAST OF STEAM and TITANS OF STEAM, featuring the legendary Flying Scotsman; and finally we take an intimate look at one of Australia’s brightest culinary stars in TETSUYA’S PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE.

AMERICA BEFORE COLUMBUS

Did you know that there were no apples or peaches in the Americas before Columbus? Or that settlers in the Americas could hardly navigate their boats because the water was so laden with fish? These fascinating facts and many more are revealed in AMERICA BEFORE COLUMBUS, a documentary that sheds a different light on the history of the Americas.

History books traditionally depict the pre-Columbus Americas as a pristine wilderness where small native villages lived in harmony with nature. But scientific evidence tells a very different story – when Columbus stepped ashore in 1492, millions of people were already living there and America wasn’t exactly a ‘New World’, but a very old one whose inhabitants had built a vast infrastructure of cities, orchards, canals and causeways.

Release date: 13th October

LANCASTER AT WAR

LANCASTER AT WAR tells the story of the Avro Lancaster and its part in the bombing campaign of World War II Germany, a campaign that remains highly controversial to this day. The Lancaster became the mainstay of a long, savage campaign to cripple the Third Reich and bring Germany to its knees. This grim battle, fought in the night skies over Germany, resulted in the deaths of over 55,000 aircrew and thousands more in the cities and towns that came under attack.

This beautifully made documentary incorporates archive and feature film material along with vivid, moving recollections from surviving Lancaster aircrew. Their exclusive interviews bring home the dreadful reality of taking part, night after relentless night, in missions where the odds of survival were slim. LANCASTER AT WAR will not only appeal to those with an interest in military aviation, but to all who appreciate the spirit, resolution, stamina and courage of ordinary people.

Release date: 13th October

A FEAST OF STEAM

We’re going full steam ahead with classic trains this month! A FEAST OF STEAM is an incredible and unique tribute to the preserved British steam locomotives, including the Great Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, the London and North Eastern Railway and the Southern Railway.

Providing plenty of action for any fan of the mighty steam train there are British Rail locomotives, as well as scores of examples from the time of the pre-nationalised railways, narrow gauge, industrial and British Rail standard classes.

Release date: 13th October

TITANS OF STEAM (INCLUDING THE FLYING SCOTSMAN)

All aboard! The special aura and excitement of the steam age will always be remembered. For almost 40 years the Great Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, the London and North Eastern Railway, the Southern Railway and British Rail turned out hundreds of powerful and pioneering locomotives.

TITANS OF STEAM looks at those which survived, and have since found a new lease of life on preserved railways all over Britain. Incredible footage in this documentary shows preserved locomotives of the London and North Eastern Railway including ‘The Flying Scotsman’ and ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ – a must for any history lover!

Release date: 13th October

TETSUYA’S PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

We should all count our lucky stars that, as a 22-year-old Japanese immigrant with little money, no professional skills and no English, fate dictated Tetsuya Wakuda’s first job in Australia would be as a kitchen hand in a Sydney restaurant. From that accidental beginning, Tetsuya has chartered a course that has taken him to the top of fine cuisine around the world.

TETSUYA’S PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE takes an intimate look at one of Australia’s brightest culinary stars. Not only do we hear from his internationally renowned colleagues including Ferran Adria from El Bulli in Spain, Heston Blumenthal from Fat Duck in the UK and Richard Geoffroy, Chef du Cave at Dom Perignon, but from his first friends and mentors in Oz, who helped him through a nervous beginning to become the man he is today.

TETSUYA’S PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE also features over 80 minutes of extended interviews with food industry veterans and colleagues, including Heston Blumenthal, as well as selection of Tetsuya’s video recipes.

Release date: 13th October

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