France Télévisions

In the summer of 1963, François Mitterrand was going through a deep existential crisis. His political career was at a standstill and, after 19 years of marriage, the couple had grown apart. It was at this point that François Mitterrand met the woman who was to give new meaning to his life. Anne Pingeot, aged 19, was to become the companion of a lifetime, a woman who would be with him throughout his rise to power and who would remain by his side until his last breath. For the first time, Anne Pingeot has agreed to allow the fragments of this passionate love story — hundreds of letters and a diary — to be shown on television, before being donated to the National Library.

In summer 2003, when the heatwave hit in Europe, in Switzerland, the glacier below the Schnidejoch pass, released a mysterious object: a piece of a Neolithic quiver.

On the occasion of the fourty years anniversary of François Mitterand's election, a look back to the relationship between the President and artists, from admiration to manipulation.

May 10th, 1981. François Mitterrand is elected President of the Republic. The “soviet tanks” supposedly coming upon the Champs-Élysées dressed in red, feared by some, did not march. Serge Moati takes a personal look at this episode, focusing on the relationship the president had with television, that he witnessed and played a role in.

Fourty years ago, in May 1981, with François Mitterrand's election, some people were letting themselves dream about a better life while others were predicting the coming of soviet tanks upon the Champs-Élysées. If we gladly remember the turning point of austerity in 83, there were also the wage rises, the fifth week of paid leave, the abolition of death penalty, the decriminalisation of homosexuality, or the advent of independent radio stations. Rare archives and accounts by those who were at the heart of this story give an overview of it and shed light on lesser-known aspects.

1951. André Bazin and Jacques Doniol-Valcroze founded "Cahiers du cinéma". With contributions from self-taught filmmakers (Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Claude Chabrol, Éric Rohmer, Jacques Rivette...), the magazine revolutionized film criticism and gave birth to the leading figures of the Nouvelle Vague.

Considered one of the most beautiful actresses of her time, Grace Kelly remains an icon today. Her life and career are well documented, from her work in Hollywood to her marriage to Prince Rainier and her tragic death in a car accident in 1982. But do we know the inside story? Who really was Grace Kelly?

On March 2, 1955, like every day, Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old black girl from Alabama, bought her ticket at the front of the bus, but had to get on the back. If the front is reserved for White, when they have no more room, Black must give up theirs, to the rear. It's the law. But that day, the teenager refuses to give way to a White. Claudette Colvin says no. Arrested, she pleaded not guilty and sued the city, a first. However, we will not make an example of it. We will wait for Rosa Parks, a lighter-skinned seamstress, who, nine months after Claudette, will make the same gesture, soon supported by the young Martin Luther King. History is on the move. Claudette Colvin allowed everything, but she is the one we have forgotten.

The show, recorded on December 16 and televised on France 5 on February 5, provides a different perspective on the international pop star. For the performance, MIKA was invited by the sumptuous Royal Opera of Versailles and accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra of the Royal Opera of Versaille, conducted by Stefan Plewniak. Throughout the production, MIKA was joined onstage by prestigious guests such as the “Gospel for 100,” pianist Vincent Bidal, cellist Gautier Capuçon, classical guitarist Thibaut Garcia and countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński.

It all begins in the early 60s, in a slum just outside Paris inhabited by Algerian immigrants. Malika is 5, and her mum has just bought her a brand-new pair of sandals. They're so white that the little girl can't keep her eyes off them, and doesn't see the reversing truck. Then begin years of hospital, operations, suffering and struggle. Years far from her family, during which the little Muslim girl, in the hands of Catholic nurses and nuns, discovers music and singing at mass. From that point on, fighting the racism of French society as well as the enduring prejudices of her own community, Malika follows her dream and moves mountains to become the woman everyone will one day call "the diva of the ghetto".

Wave-Breaker' is a choreography created by master of visual dancing Damien Jalet inspired by the movement of the waves, seen here as a metaphor of what passes through us, overwhelms us and eventually saves us.

Stonehenge is one of the world's greatest mysteries. Now, a new discovery found deep in the soil of the surrounding area is threatening to upturn everything we think we know about this 4,500 year-old landmark. Rob Bell joins archaeologists, scientists and engineers who have uncovered a vast, previously undetected monument that is many times the size of the original henge.