We
present the following films at the highest possible resolution
for only a short time as a test of the new VIRCAS
player, which features the ability to deliver up to
true High Definition video via on-demand streaming to viewers
with only modest bandwidth. You can see Broadcast DVD quality
at 1.2 mbps and HD at 2 mbps. The Greatest Good is available
in HD, while the others will play at DVD quality. To watch
these videos, just download the VIRCAS player (see link
below; only for Windows users–the Mac version is coming
soon) and then click on “Watch Now” for your
selected video. The player will test your bandwidth and
deliver the highest resolution your system will permit.
When
you click on the player icon below, it will open
a small window that will ask you for your name and
e-mail address as well as a username and password.
Once you submit the form, you will receive an activation
code by e-mail. Your next step will be to fill in
the activation code on that e-mail message and hit
“Submit,” then click on the “Download”
button when prompted to start the player installation
process. Then the player will be installed so you
can launch the videos available on this page. The
information you enter will be held securely by ALI
and VIRCAS and will not be shared with others. You
will have the choice whether to receive updates
relating to new TAC programs, other high-quality
videos available on the VIRCAS network and software
and feature updates relating to the
VIRCAS player
Download the VIRCAS
Player:
A Forgotten Place: The History of an Abandoned Farming Community
Duration: 52 mins Platform: Windows Location: North Carolina
An abandoned wooden house deep
in the woods leads an archaeologist/film-maker on a journey
into the history of a family. Created as part of an archaeological
project, this literally haunting story dramatizes a personal
exploration of the history and folklore of an abandoned
farming community in the Piedmont of North Carolina. The
area was alternately occupied and abandoned from the 1700s
to the 1900s. This film includes a ghostly encounter and
features interviews with descendants of the original Euro-American
inhabitants of the community.
Duration: 59 mins Platform: Windows Location: Mauritania
Distant and deep, the history of Mauritania is marked
from great passages of civilizations. It is a pivotal
point linking Mediterranean Africa to black Africa with
a proud and memorable past. This country has fearlessly
embraced different peoples and traditions and is a complex
cultural universe. In order to best understand this cultural
kaleidoscope, we must travel back in time to the empires
and towns that were beacons in the ancient and medieval
world, and further back to the beginnings of human activity,
into the uncertain horizons of the Neolithic period.
Signs Out of Time: The Story of Archaeologist Marija Gimbutas
Duration: 59 mins Platform: Windows Location: Worldwide
This dramatic story told by renowned archaeologist Marija
Gimbutas has never been timelier. Her work on the Neolithic
cultures of Old Europe (6500-3500 B.C.) reveals evidence
of a peaceful, woman-honoring, goddess-worshiping egalitarian
civilization that existed for thousands of years with
no war. This film weaves together interviews, archival
footage, photographs, and narration to portray the scope
of Marija’s life and work. Using information, artifacts,
and interview footage of Marija herself and both her supporters
and critics, we explore her studies, excavations and publications,
the depth and breadth of her scholarship, and the controversy
around her theories.
Duration: 23 mins Platform: Windows Location: Tennessee
Capitalizing on a rare archaeological opportunity, archaeologists
at Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee have unearthed
the architecture of a Mississippian platform mound built
a thousand years ago. Their findings may change how archaeologists
see all such mounds: these ancient pyramids were not merely
piles of earth, but instead colorful creations with powerful
symbolism. Archaeology is revealing this mound’s original
appearance and yielding compelling clues about the way
it was used during the Mississippian Period (A.D. 900-1550).
Duration: 124 mins Platform: Windows Location: United States
From the timbered shores of the Pacific Northwest to
the marble halls of Washington, DC, the choices about
how we use our natural heritage are filled with controversy.
Whether it is the protection of endangered species or
meeting the needs of a growing public, the fate of public
lands is constantly challenged. Visionary foresters
Gifford Pinchot and Aldo Leopold shaped the debate for
a hundred years. Their journey from the “wise use” of
resources to the idea of a “land ethic” has defined
the evolution of the Forest Service. In a breathtaking
high-definition documentary, The Greatest Good takes
the audience on a journey as compelling as it is uniquely
American.
