Documentary Shorts

Caracas is a city with a population over three million, crammed into a valley in northern Venezuela. Over 2000-2010, Venezuela's oil revenues did not compensate for mismanagement of the city. The city's infrastructure deteriorated and Caracas residents are increasingly entrenched in slum areas. As of 2011, there was still no clear plan regarding how crime, poverty and severe traffic problems could be eradicated from the city.

The city of Caracas receives preferential treatment in Venezuela's economy, as Venezuela's oil-generated revenues are used to subsidise the city's development. Caracas' population growth is driven entirely by natural increase, as the city is too packed to accommodate further immigration. Housing in Caracas accounts for a relatively small share of the household budget but for damaging reasons. The majority of dwellings in the city are located in the slum areas, which are cheap.

Set on a wide plain near the foot of the Andes, Santiago boasts one of the most dazzling backdrops of any capital city on earth. Chile's capital is a dynamic, modern city where colonial mansions sit among soaring skyscrapers, folk art becomes fashion and Latin and European cultures intertwine. The city is reinventing itself, with arts, nightlife, and restaurant scenes that have never been better, making this thriving and sophisticated metropolis into the civic, cultural, and historical nucleus of the country. Enjoy it all while gazing up at the peaks of snow-dusted Andes range surrounding the city's extremities.

The views onto the towering cordillera after a rainstorm clears the air are magnificent, especially in winter, when the snow-covered peaks rise behind the city like a giant white rampart against the blue sky (though smog, unfortunately, often obscures such vistas).

Santiago is divided into 32 autonomous comunas, most of them squat, flat suburbs stretching out from the centre. The historic centre, in contrast, is compact, manageable, and has a pleasant atmosphere. Part of the appeal comes from the fact that it’s so green: tall, luxuriant trees fill the main square, and there are numerous meticulously landscaped parks.

You can get round many of Santiago’s attractions on foot in two to three days. A tour of the compact core, centered on the bustling Plaza de Armas, should include visits to the Palacio de la Moneda, the excellent Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino and the evocative Museo Colonial, followed by a climb up Cerro Santa Lucía.

North of downtown, on the other side of the Río Mapocho, it’s an easy funicular ride up Cerro San Cristóbal, whose summit provides unrivalled views. At its foot, Barrio Bellavista is replete with cafés, restaurants, bars and clubs, plus the former home of poet Pablo Neruda, now a wonderful museum.

"In the middle of the Great Ocean, in a region where no one ever passes, there is a mysterious and isolated island; there is no land in the vicinity and, for more than eight hundred leagues in all directions, empty and moving vastness surrounds it. It is planted with tall, monstrous statues, the work of some now vanished race, and its past remains an enigma."

- Pierre Loti

Easter Island is a Chilean island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeastern most point of the Polynesian Triangle. Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapa Nui people. In 1995, UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage Site, with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park.

The name "Easter Island" was given by the island's first recorded European visitor, the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who encountered it on Easter Sunday 1722. The island's official Spanish name, Isla de Pascua, also means "Easter Island", while the local population called it "Rapa Nui".

The Rapa Nui are Polynesian descendent's who, according to the most recent studies, arrived at the island some time around the 8th century. Legend has it that it was King Hotu Matu'a who first arrived here on a double-hulled canoe with his extended family; researchers believe they most likely came from the Marquesas, Cook, or Pitcairn islands. The population flourished and created a society characterized by a written language and megalithic art, including moais and petroglyphs. But it all went horribly wrong when the Rapa Nui deforested the island and population exploded, bringing about war and starvation. The first Europeans here found a culture in decline. Many were carted off to work on the guano islands in Peru in the 19th century or died in epidemics. Catholic missionaries came next and destroyed much of their cultural art, including their Rongo-Rongo written tablets; and experts have been unable to decipher the few that remain. Nevertheless, the Rapa Nui are experiencing a cultural renaissance, and they take great pride in their culture and native language, which they habitually speak among themselves, in addition to Spanish.

Of course, the island's famous Moai sculptures that stand like mute sentinels are the first thing that you'll think of when you picture Easter Island, but really there is so much more here: 20,000 archaeological sites, a rich culture of truly beautiful people, dramatic views of volcanic craters, scuba diving in crystalline waters, white-sand beaches, and that unmistakable hang-loose island vibe that makes you want to throw your agenda away after day one.

In prehistoric times, much of North America was a lush subtropical habitat embracing a vast inland sea. This is where the dinosaurs roamed 70 million years ago. Fast forward to present-day central and southern Alberta where their bones now rest in ancient riverbeds, framed by the maroon-striped canyons of the mysterious Canadian Badlands. Find yourself a little bit out there. I travelled to two popular destinations: Drumheller, and Dinosaur Provincial Park.

Celebrating Christmas on Christmas Island. Who would have thought of that, from a foreigner from far across the ocean? After 4 flights and over 24 hrs of travel, I spent a week on Christmas Island to explore the beautiful wonders of what the island could offer, from the annual crab migration, the majestic beaches and waterfalls, hiking in ridiculous humidity, and enjoying spending my time with the locals.

This journey through Egypt packs in the best of culture and adventure in 1 week. We explore the ancient sites along the Nile and discover the most famous of them all, the Great Pyramids of Giza. Embrace the culture and meet remarkable people as we sample some traditional fare with a Nubian family in a local village. Feel the buzz of vibrant bazaars in Aswan and Luxor, but still manage to relax and watch life unfold as you sail the Nile in a traditional felucca.