DISCOVERY ATLAS COMP SERIES [BLU-RAY]

Details

• Release Year: 2006
• Genre: Documentary
• Plot: Since 2006, The Discovery Channel has aired 11 episodes of Discovery Atlas—all bundled here in this 2-disc set—and each follows the same exact formula. Every country-specific episode follows three or four or five individuals who are somehow representative of their culture. Taken as a whole, they exemplify just how varied and unique each country can be. In the episode on Japan, for example, a nation known for being both ultra-traditional and hyper-modern, we meet a broad cross-section of the populace. 17-year-old Mari is training to be a geisha, a dying art in Japan's cultural capital of Kyoto. Hiroshi Ishiguro is a professor who has created a robotic replica of himself—impressive but creepy, still stuck firmly in the uncanny valley. Saeko and Yuko are Tokyo schoolgirls, eager to shop and test out the latest photo booths. And Reiko Nomura is 75 but still takes pleasure in diving everyday for shellfish along the coast of her native seaside village. Americans have stereotypically held the Japanese as emotionless drones—worker bees on autopilot—but that couldn't be further from the truth. The goal here—in all the episodes—is to value our cultural differences but emphasize just how alike we are, how we share the same feelings, motivations, and aspirations.; ; ; The stories of many of the people we meet along the way are unabashedly inspirational. It's impossible to suppress a smile as a mineworker in South Africa finally pays off the mortgage to his company-owned home, making it his—and his family's—at last. Or when we meet guru Saraswati, a swami who rescues orphans from India's lowest caste and trains them to be spiritual teachers, effectively raising their standing in society. We witness an Australian aborigine trying desperately to hang on to his people's traditions, and a female Egyptian magazine editor who seeks to challenge the notions of what women in her country can and cannot do and be. There's no sentimentalism here, just real, honest people living within, embracing, and sometimes pushing against the boundaries of their cultures.; ; ; The production level is excellent. Shot in high definition video, the cinematography is frequently awe-inspiring, going effortlessly from vast aerial vistas to close-ups of a craggy, sun-beaten face with a story to tell. The Discovery Channel has also brought together a fine cast of narrators, including Russell Crowe, Isabella Rossellini, Heroes' Masi Oka, and acclaimed director Mira Nair. Most importantly though, the narration is informative but unobtrusive, giving us a good balance of facts and history but also knowing when to stay quiet and let the locals do the talking. And this is what sets Discovery Atlas apart from other travel programs. By following average—and sometimes extraordinary—citizens, it skips the usual tourist traps and gives us a glimpse at what it's really like to live in each culture.; ; Disc One:; 1. South Africa (Andre Braugher); 2. France (Candice Bergen); 3. Japan (Masi Oka); 4. Mexico (Edward James Olmos); 5. China (James Spader); 6. Italy (Isabella Rossellini); ; Disc Two:; 7. Egypt (Omar Metwally); 8. Russia (Dan Oreskes); 9. India (Mira Nair); 10. Australia (Russell Crowe); 11. Brazil (Sela Ward); ; Note: Each episodes clocks in at 43:35. Apparently, a few of the episodes ran slightly longer when they first aired, and have been trimmed down a bit here. I haven't seen the original broadcasts, so I really can't compare, but I certainly didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. All of the episodes seemed very complete, though I can understand if diehard fans of the series feel slightly miffed. ; ;
• Cast: James Spader, Andre Braugher, Russell Crowe, Mira Nair, Edward James Olmos, Omar Metwally, Masi Oka, Tatyana Yassukovich, Sebastian Feldman, Isabella Rossellini, Sela Ward, Candice Falzon, Hung Le, Candice Bergen, Michael Lynch, Graham Booth, Cassian Harrison, William Hicklin, Chris Thorburn, Nic Young, Nick Brown, Alan Eyres, Toby Macdonald, Tom Pollock, Jon Stephens
• Director: Michael Lynch
• Runtime: 7:53
• Company: Discovery Studios
• Media Format: Movie