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This documentary tells the story of the creation and cultural impact of the world's most famous Christmas carol, composed in 1818 in Salzburg, Austria, and since then translated into about 140 languages.

Five times, Earth has faced apocalyptic events that swept nearly all life from the face of the planet. What did these prehistoric creatures look like? What catastrophes caused their disappearance? And how did our distant ancestors survive and give rise to the world we know today?

The Salzburg Festival presents one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's masterpieces: the opera Le Nozze di Figaro, in a new production staged by Sven-Eric Bechtolf and conducted by Dan Ettinger. Set-List: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492.

On Christmas Eve, the parents of Clara and Fritz have invited guests. Among them is Clara’s godfather Drosselmeyer, who presents her with a nutcracker. Clara is delighted and finally falls asleep with her Christmas present tucked under her arm. But at midnight Drosselmeyer appears as a wizard and transforms the Nutcracker into a prince.

Any performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida at La Scala, Milan, is guaranteed to be an experience – but, when it’s a new production, it becomes a major event, especially given the theatre’s notoriously critical audience. Legendary stage director Peter Stein succeeds in delivering a lucid production acclaimed in equal measure by the press and public: “a perfect coup de théâtre” (Giornale della musica). A “stellar cast” (La Stampa) contributes to the production’s success under the musical direction of Verdi specialist Zubin Mehta, who leads the orchestra in a “gorgeously colourful performance”, while “the entire ensemble is brilliant in its portrayal of the characters” (Die Presse).

A story about Hannah (Anna Åström), a young woman who is very shy on the outside, but whose inner world is deep, exciting and vibrant. One day, Hannah notices a house that looks as if it is cut out from a hip home decorating magazine. Intrigued, she decides to break in and try to find out who owns this emotionless beautiful home equipped with high-end technology. While at first Hannah enjoys the luxury, she starts to notice on each visit that Max (Stipe Erceg), the owner of the house, is excessively obsessed with his physical possessions. He has spent a lot of time to make sure that everything external meets the society’s standards that he has forgotten himself. The things that he himself likes, the activities that make him smile, and the people who make him happy. Having realised that, Hannah starts leaving hints for Max, so as to shake him out of the the everyday emptiness and make him focus on what is important.

A documentary about the life and career of the conductor Carlos Kleiber. Featuring interviews with Placido Domingo, Brigitte Fassbaender, Manfred Honeck, Michael Gielen, and others. On the 11th July 2004 Carlos Kleiber got into his car and drove from Munich, via the Alps, to his holiday home in the remote Slovenian village of Konjsica. There he wrote a final letter to a friend in which he bid farewell to the world. A short time later the conductor, increasingly plagued by illness and suffering, was found dead.

Die zahlreichen Bilder vom 11. September bewahren die Erinnerung an eine beispiellose Katastrophe. Zu ihrem zehnten Jahrestag wird der Anschlag im Fernsehen wieder und wieder nachgestellt, dokumentiert, analysiert und kommentiert werden. Zum Auftakt zeigt die ARD die Dokumentation "Die Falle 9/11". Der in Teilen bestechende Film kann seine reißerische These allerdings nicht erhärten.

An offbeat educational film about the natural world, told through the eyes of sheep.

Anna Veith speaks more openly than ever in the documentary about ups and downs – gives the viewer insights into a personality that was often only seen as an attractive athlete and winning machine from the outside.