Watch Snapshots of History

  • 2023
  • 1 Season

The 20th Century is the century of the photograph. From Paris in the 1930s to the Congo in the 1960s, this series will examine the stories of men and women who witnessed our History. By exploring where reality meets fiction, we aim to give life back to these "ordinary" heroes, to get close to them, and turn these unknown people into our contemporaries.

Snapshots of History is a series that ran for 1 seasons (20 episodes) between August 8, 2023 and on

Snapshots of History
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Pierre Louis - A Gay Man in the Interwar Years
20. Pierre Louis - A Gay Man in the Interwar Years
August 8, 2023
In 1923, Pilou was 19 years old. He lived in Avallon, a small town in the Yonne and knew that one day he would go to Paris, where he could fully embrace his desire for men. His photo albums provide a rare record of the life of a young homosexual during the roaring twenties. They tell the tale of this magical interlude that would soon be endangered by the rise of extremism throughout Europe.
Richard and Michael - Love at the Time of AIDS
19. Richard and Michael - Love at the Time of AIDS
August 8, 2023
In autumn of 1980, Richard, a young drummer, headed to New York to make a name for himself. He met Michael, with whom he shared the same love of the blues. Michael told him that he was seriously ill. Richard decided to stay and fight alongside him. Together they would lead a struggle against the disease and the government, whom they accused of not taking the necessary steps to stop the epidemic.
Leon Collin - A Doctor in a Penal Colony
18. Leon Collin - A Doctor in a Penal Colony
August 8, 2023
Dr L
Vickie Henderson - A Black Singer in Switzerland
17. Vickie Henderson - A Black Singer in Switzerland
August 8, 2023
The 500 photographs left by Vicky Henderson record the rise of a young black woman in 1950s Europe. Vicky was born in 1926 in Alabama. Slavery had been abolished for fifty years, but segregation was still rife in the south. Her photos tell the story of a black girl whose fate would change thanks to a few musical notes. She would become the first black cabaret dancer and singer in Switzerland.
Stanislas Antonowicz - A Frenchman in India
16. Stanislas Antonowicz - A Frenchman in India
August 8, 2023
Stanislas Antonowicz left 800 photographs of his time in India. In 1930, India was starting to face nationalist demands. His photos provide a glimpse of a period and a vision: that of an expatriate European in the heart of the jewel of the British colonial empire where the winds of independence were already starting to blow.
Anuschka and Antoinette - The Road to Katmandou
15. Anuschka and Antoinette - The Road to Katmandou
August 8, 2023
Based on the photographs taken by Anouschka, a young Dutch woman, the film takes a look back at the 1970s. In 1975, in the Netherlands, she placed a classified advert and met Antoinette. Together, they purchased a Volkswagen minibus in which they would live and travel for a year. Their photographs and films tell the tale of their expedition to Kathmandu.
Marcel Binet - A Sailor in Indochina
14. Marcel Binet - A Sailor in Indochina
August 8, 2023
In the 1930s, Nazi Germany and its Japanese ally were threatening global stability. Japan wanted to capture territories in China. France mainly sought to protect its colonies. Several of its ships were in the Far East. Among them was the Lamotte-Picquet. On board was a young mechanic, Marcel Binet. His photos allow us to illustrate his view of the world when Asia was entering a new era.
Mr. X - A Frenchman in the Brothels
13. Mr. X - A Frenchman in the Brothels
August 8, 2023
The wealth of photographs accredited to a certain Mr X provides an astonishing record of Paris in the roaring twenties. This twenty-year-old middle-class man from Normandy discovered 'erotic Paris' guided by a young Russian immigrant with whom he'd shared time in the trenches of Verdun. The myth of roaring twenties Paris, capital of libertinage, and the 'little women of Pigalle' was at its peak.
Andree Greffrath - A Childhood in Colonial Africa
12. Andree Greffrath - A Childhood in Colonial Africa
August 8, 2023
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Wolfgang Thomas - A Citizen of East Germany in 89
11. Wolfgang Thomas - A Citizen of East Germany in 89
August 8, 2023
As of 1985, the USSR committed to Perestroika. In 1989, there were increasing signs of the pending collapse of the Soviet bloc and the desire for freedom spread to East Germany. Wolfgang Thomas was a railwayman and amateur photographer who lived in East Berlin with his wife and son. His photos show the crucial months that led to the collapse of the Berlin wall.
Francois Dullin - A Soldier in Mururoa
10. Francois Dullin - A Soldier in Mururoa
August 8, 2023
In September 1968, a young officer who had just graduated from Saint Cyr Military Academy flew to Papeete where he was to be stationed. Thanks to his photos, we are able to revisit this astonishing period in the history of France. Fran
Bill Manbo - An American in Camps for Japanese
9. Bill Manbo - An American in Camps for Japanese
August 8, 2023
On the morning of the 7th December 1941, Japan bombed the American fleet based in Pearl harbour. This surprise attack killed 2,000 Americans and completely changed history. The 120,000 people of Japanese origin living on the West Coast of the USA became suspects. We relive this period with Bill Manbo, an American citizen of Japanese origin caught up in the turmoil of the war in the Pacific.
Robert Talpain - A Fighter for the Popular Front
8. Robert Talpain - A Fighter for the Popular Front
August 8, 2023
12 February 1934. Robert Talpain, a socialist activist was out on the street. The French Section of the Workers' International was reacting to the extreme-right-wing demonstrations of six days prior. They attempted to overthrow the Republic. Robert Talpain, who was passionate about images, was a driver at a film production company. A pacifist who had been traumatized by the Great War.
Louis Danton - A Soldier and His Doll
7. Louis Danton - A Soldier and His Doll
August 8, 2023
On 2 August 1914, France decreed the mobilisation of its armed forces. This war that started as a 19th-century conflict would drag Europe into the 20th-century brutality. The first months of that conflict are seen through the eyes of a non-commissioned reserve officer. His name was Louis Danton, and he was thirty years old. Louis took his camera and a doll named 'Toto' his fianc
Victor Bermon - An Officer on the Yangtze
6. Victor Bermon - An Officer on the Yangtze
August 8, 2023
In the early 20th century, China was a waning empire in the sway of the European nations. France, already in Indochina, was trying to expand its influence. In 1905, Victor Bermon, a French naval officer, was sent to China to assure the presence of France on the Yangtze river. He took photos of his mission and daily life in China. These images are a record of the Empire just before its collapse.
Jean Sarda - On Petains Construction Sites
5. Jean Sarda - On Petains Construction Sites
August 8, 2023
After its defeat in 1940, France was split. In the north were the Germans and in the south, a free zone overseen by Marshal P
Jean and Natascha - Brief Encounter at the STO
4. Jean and Natascha - Brief Encounter at the STO
August 8, 2023
August 1944, Paris celebrates its Liberation after four years of occupation. But for more than 600,000 French Compulsory Service workers, the war isn't over. In the factories of the Reich, they have been rounded up by the Nazi regime. This period will be explored through the eyes of a young French STO worker, Jean Baudet. The war brought together Jean and Natascha, but peace will separate them.
Andree Kuentzmann - Waiting for the Liberation
3. Andree Kuentzmann - Waiting for the Liberation
August 8, 2023
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Dan Slobin - An American in Moscow
2. Dan Slobin - An American in Moscow
August 8, 2023
Between Stalin's death and the coming to power of Nikita Khrushchev in 1953, relations between the Soviet Union and the United States warmed up. In July 1959, an exhibition presenting The American Way of Life to the Soviet people opened in Moscow. We'll discover this unprecedented coming together of the East and the West through the eyes of one of the exhibition's American guides, Dan Slobin.
Dan Love - Vietnam 1969
1. Dan Love - Vietnam 1969
August 8, 2023
Spring 1969, it has been 4 years since the Americans started to fight in Vietnam. In the United States, anti-war organizations are growing and on the battlefield, the war effort is crumbling. Using pictures of a 20-year-old American soldier, Dan Love, the film relates this critical year. During his tour, a mechanic, working on the Phu Loi base near Saigon, is immersed into a difficult time of war.
Description
Where to Watch Snapshots of History
Snapshots of History is available for streaming on the website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Snapshots of History on demand at Amazon.
  • Premiere Date
    August 8, 2023