Gernot Stadler

Stories of extraordinary lives and extraordinary lands across the globe.

People experience adventures on mountains all around the world. Personalities, fascinated by the world of the mountains, bring us closer to the freedom many people experience in such breezy hights.

The railway age in the Austrian Empire began with the construction of the horse-drawn railway from Linz to Budweis. Plans soon followed to connect the imperial capital of Vienna with the iron and coal deposits in northern Moravia and with the port city of Trieste. In 1837 the Kaiser Ferdinands Nordbahn was opened, in 1857 the Semmeringbahn planned by Karl Ritter von Ghega, overcoming one of the most difficult obstacles on the way to the Adriatic. The crossing of the Alps by train, such as over the Arlberg or the Brenner, is still considered a unique engineering masterpiece. The expansion of the railway network brought epochal changes. Goods and people circulated on an unprecedented scale – life accelerated. It had succeeded in connecting the northern crown lands such as Silesia or Bohemia and Moravia with Carinthia, Tyrol or the coastal region.

How was a castle built in the Middle Ages? With which tools, which technology? Answers to these exciting questions can be found in Friesach in Austria's southernmost province of Carinthia.

The rock paintings of the Australian aborigines are among the oldest evidence of human culture. But the unique cultural heritage of the Aborigines is in danger of being lost forever. The paintings, some of which are over 40,000 years old, are severely affected by weathering and algae infestation.

A visual journey through the magnificent garden landscapes of European royal houses – from the baroque forms at Hampton Court Palace to the ornate grounds of Sanssouci Palace and the extensive green spaces of Schönbrunn Palace. Each of these gardens tells not only of power and aesthetics, but also of the challenges of keeping nature, culture and history alive today.

An outlook on Wilhelm von Habsburg, an aristocrat who wanted to become the King of Ukraine and thus became an early fighter for the independence of Ukraine after World War 1.

Parks are not only recreational areas for us humans, but also valuable habitats for animals and plants. These green oases make cities worth living in and provide a surprising wealth of species. Parks are often our quickest contact with nature and a great opportunity to get to know wild animals. This film shows typical and well-known park inhabitants from a new perspective. In interviews, experts introduce us to the unknown sides of crows, squirrels and the like and report on their research. This much in advance: just as city dwellers and country dwellers differ, city animals also have their very own way of life. The next time you go for a walk, you will see the animals in the park with completely new eyes!

The documentary traces the development of the phenomenon of alpinism and questions the motives of the early pioneers, who set themselves a monument with their mountaineering achievements.

Breathtaking pictures of the variety and diversity of the Carinthian mountains, their untouched natural and ancient cultural landscapes.

The film is dedicated to the period between the first half of the 18th and the second half of the 19th century and goes in search of the traces that the Habsburgs left in Tuscany, but above all in Florence.

A cinematic foray along the largest and most important river in southern Austria and the portrait of unique river landscapes and mountain regions at the intersection of three cultures.

The film traces the historical development of the Evangelical Church in Carinthia from the Reformation through the time of the Counter-Reformation and secret Protestantism to the tolerance period in the 18th century.

Kärnten is renowned for its beautiful bathing lakes, but beyond the treeline, Austria's southernmost state has even more hidden gems: sparkling mountain lakes set against stunning alpine backdrops. The documentary embarks on a cinematic journey to explore the most picturesque mountain lakes in the region.

A trip to the most impressive and beautiful castle buildings in the country.