The Middle Sea

Sep 30, 2019

1h 14m

★ 8.0

Overview

A peculiar personal journey along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the inland sea that bathes the beaches of three continents, passing through the port of Marseille, the Rock of Gibraltar, Algeria and Syria; an artistic and experimental collage made up of thoughts, memories and emotions.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

Baldanders Films

ARTE

The Middle Sea Trailers

Cast

Self (voice)

Jean-Marc Chapoulie

Self (voice)

Nathalie Quintane

A short distance from Marseille, at Cape Morgiou, in the depths of the Calanques massif, lies the Cosquer cave, discovered only about thirty years ago by a diver, Henri Cosquer. With its bestiary of hundreds of paintings and engravings - horses, bison, jellyfish, penguins - the only underwater decorated cave in the world allows us to learn a little more about Mediterranean societies 30,000 years ago. Today, threatened by rising water levels accelerated by global warming, this jewel of the Upper Paleolithic is in danger of being swallowed up. To save the cave from disappearing, the Ministry of Culture has chosen to digitize it. From this virtual duplicate, a replica has been made on the surface to offer the public a reconstruction that allows them to admire these masterpieces.

9.3

The Rise and Fall of the Etruscans

Jun 11, 2022

For eight centuries, between the 9th and 1st century BC, the Etruscans, inhabitants of the Italian peninsula, were one of the most powerful peoples of the Mediterranean basin, and when they disappeared they left behind impressive necropolises, vestiges of sanctuaries and even entire cities. How did they attain such power? How far did they extend their dominion and influence? What were the causes of their decline?

0.0

Coogan's Runner

Jun 2, 2003

Video diary from behind the scenes of 2002's "Cruise of the Gods."

8.2

The Deep Med

Sep 12, 2020

The Mediterranean. Because people have been travelling there for thousands of years, it is believed to be without secrets. And yet, far below its surface, lie vast unexplored territories, luxurious gardens worthy of the finest tropical coral reefs. These natural wonders are inaccessible to the traditional diver, in a twilight zone, between 60 and 120 m, where there’s less than 1% of sunlight. If diving at such depths is always a challenge, staying there is a fantasy, a utopia that becomes reality in Planet Mediterranean. In the tradition of Commander Cousteau and his "houses under the sea," the team of diver-photographer Laurent Ballesta is undertaking a new world-record setting mission in complete freedom and without time limit.

0.0

The Mystery of the Med Rings

May 3, 2025

Explore the mysterious giant rings of the Mediterranean, buried at a depth of 120m, with the world-famous Laurent Ballesta, world-renowned diver and his team, to understand the origin of these unique and unknown formations.

8.0

Fluch des Mittelmeers - Piraterie, Menschenraub und Sklaverei

Oct 4, 2024

Drama documentary based on the latest discovery of a 16th Century sailing shipwreck found close to Malta by an underwater research team led by maritime archaeologist Timmy Gambin.

0.0

Porta d’Europa

Dec 8, 2023

A migrant boat has been stranded in the Mediterranean Sea for 30 hours. As authorities ignore calls for help, the Sea-Watch Crew, an NGO, launches an urgent search.

0.0

Nausicaa

Oct 30, 2018

No overview available.

0.0

Death by Rescue: The Lethal Effects of Non-Assistance at Sea

Apr 18, 2016

In April 2015, two shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean resulted in over a thousand deaths. The first, on 12 April, occurred when an overcrowded boat was approached by a large commercial vessel. Less than a week later, on 18 April 2015, a similar incident led to over eight hundred deaths after an overcrowded vessel collided with a cargo ship that had approached to rescue its passengers. Both incidents are in part the result of changing EU policies toward at-sea rescue, particularly the retreat of state rescue operations and a resulting onus on commercial vessels to fill the ‘rescue gap’.

9.0

Pythéas, l'astronome voyageur

Nov 13, 2013

No overview available.

10.0

Homme et Dauphin : Mode d’emploi

Jan 1, 1997

No overview available.

0.0

Only Ghosts in the Waves

Apr 6, 2025

Enrico Naso is an undertaker in Lampedusa. Constantly confronted with the death that lurks everywhere on this remote rock in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Enrico has chosen life, immersing us in what it means to be human.

8.0

La Corse, belle et méditerranéenne

Dec 14, 2023

No overview available.

8.5

Méditerranée : la face immergée des volcans

Apr 28, 2023

With the help of diver and biologist Laurent Ballesta, a scientific expedition explores three sunken Italian volcanic sites in the Mediterranean.

0.0

Aita Mari

Dec 3, 2021

The Stella Maris Berria is a tuna vessel destined for scrapping. However, Iñigo Mijangos and Iñigo Gutierrez, two members of the NGO Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario, have an unusual idea: to transform the fishing boat into a rescue boat to save refugees drowning in the Mediterranean Sea. That is how Aita Mari was born.