In Search of the Hobbit (2014)

The universe created by Tolkien is populated with fantastic beings and terrible creatures. Throughout the five stages of the documentary, In Search of the Hobbit reveals the sources of inspiration of the writer, who was also a professor specializing in ancient legends.

Nov. 30, 2014, midnight

John Howe, illustrator and artistic director of the two trilogies by filmmaker Peter Jackson, takes us to discover, notebook in hand, the forest of Brocéliande. This mythical place, which inspired many Celtic legends, is now located in the Breton forest of Paimpont. Historian Leo Carruthers, director of the Center for Medieval English Studies at the Sorbonne, and storyteller Nicolas Mezzalira take us on a journey to discover the legends of Merlin, Morgane and Viviane. The character of Gandalf, created by Tolkien, would it be directly inspired by the famous magician?

Dec. 7, 2014, midnight

John Howe, illustrator and artistic director, meets Nicolas Mezzalira at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall. On the trail of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table and the Grail, he discovers the disturbing links between history and legend, which also inspired The Lord of the Rings.

Dec. 14, 2014, midnight

Impatient to find the adventures of Bilbo Baggins? The universe created by Tolkien is populated with fantastic beings and terrible creatures. This documentary series reveals the sources of inspiration of the writer, who was also a professor of linguistics. In this episode, John Howe, illustrator and artistic director of the two trilogies of Peter Jackson, makes us discover the castles of the Rhine valley and the many legends attached to them, such as that of Siegfried, who may have inspired Tolkien in the elaboration of his work.

Dec. 21, 2014, midnight

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have captured the imaginations of millions of people. But who knows the legends behind these stories? Last episode. John Howe, illustrator and artistic director of the two Peter Jackson trilogies, and Professor Leo Carruthers take us to Iceland on the trail of dragons and Nordic creatures. The opportunity to discuss the founding texts of the Eddas and Beowulf. John Howe completed his quest in Oxford, where Tolkien was a student and then a professor. From the young members of the Oxford Tolkien Society, an answer finally emerges: what if the Hobbit had been born out of Tolkien's imagination alone? What if he was just an ordinary being, with no mythological past, immersed in a vast world of legends?

Dec. 28, 2014, midnight