What to see on television this weekend? Our recommendations

France 2 / Magazine – 2:05 p.m.

At the end of the investigation, the end of the perfect crime?
While Gisèle Pelicot’s book, Et la joie de vivre, was published almost two weeks ago by Flammarion editions (read Le Pèlerin no. 7472), director Cécilia Frojman returns to the so-called Mazan rape affair and the historic trial which took place from September 2 to December 19, 2024 at the Avignon court (Vaucluse).

The two episodes broadcast in succession begin with the arrest of Dominique Pelicot, filming under the skirts of customers in a supermarket, and extend to the unsolved cases for which he is indicted. These two hours, nourished by factual details and enlightening speeches (those of the security agents, the investigating police officers, lawyers and magistrates involved, etc.), allow us, if necessary, to take stock.

Our opinion: PP

Arte / Documentary – 8:50 p.m.

The forgotten treasures of Arab medicine
Going in search of ancestral medicinal recipes is like immersing yourself in a true odyssey. A team of researchers from the CNRS in Strasbourg is looking for a remedy capable of defeating bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. With ten million deaths worldwide estimated per year by 2050, this is one of the greatest health risks of the future. But to find a miracle solution, forget artificial intelligence or the most complex laboratory processes.

The solution could already exist… What if it was in a parchment yellowed by time? Visit the largest libraries in the Arab-Muslim world, in Morocco (Al-Quaraouiyine in Fez) in Türkiye, to dust off precious manuscripts. From the 8th century, medical research became professionalized in the East; the golden age of prodigious scientists begins. They have developed ointments and elixirs using plants and metals which are of particular interest to our researchers. But for this, we must first call on scholars capable of deciphering such compositions. A fascinating mix of science and history.

Our opinion: PPP

The Day of the Lord / Documentary – rewatch

The forgotten power of fasting
What about the Christian perspective of faith-driven fasting? Testimonies from believers constitute the heart of this documentary produced by the Day of the Lord. With depth, they describe their experience of fasting and its effects, their relationship with God and others. They thus offer precious points of reference to those who would like to reconnect with this ancient practice of prayer. “What am I doing?” Why do I do it? » asks a woman.

The answers are varied: to get through an ordeal, to change your heart, out of solidarity… Another witness recalls that “it is love that is powerful, not fasting. » A film that nourishes the soul, to watch again at the start of Lent.

France 5 / Documentary – 9:05 p.m.

Cargo – In the holds of globalization
This is THE documentary to (re)watch to understand how global maritime trade works. This theme should interest each of us: tires, tomato sauce or electronic chips travel along these nautical highways. Journalists were exceptionally able to board the Merete Maersk (see photo at top of article)owned by a Danish shipowner. A block of buildings alone with its 400 meters in length and 60 meters in width. On its bridge, up to 50 m high, thousands of multicolored boxes are stacked, intended to pass from one continent to another.

A real dive into the nerve center of globalization, which is running at full speed – 65 million containers will have set sail in 2024 – thanks to little invisible hands. These poorly paid workers risk their lives. Dangerous maneuvers, capricious seas, always ready to take the lives of sailors, threats of piracy or terrorist attacks… Dangers to anticipate because, at 80,000 dollars of fuel per day, the captain must think twice before making a detour… And transport the goods to our shelves safely.

Our opinion: PPP

Arte / Documentary – 5:25 p.m.

The world in a painting
The exciting principle of this collection consists of exploring an era from the detail of a painting allowing us to update the economic, cultural, social and artistic links which cross several nations. This fifth part, Manet’s Lamps, dives into the heart of A Bar at the Folies Bergère, one of the last paintings painted by the master, in 1882, shortly before his death. Absent-looking, a blonde waitress stares at us while a large mirror behind her reflects a festive evening in the Parisian cabaret of the title.

The scene is lit by the first electric lamps in history. An object that tells the story of the shift into modernity and evokes the experiments of Thomas Edison.

Our opinion: PPP

France 3 / Series – 9:10 p.m.

Mysteries in paradise
After tasting the sweetness of the Caribbean and the electric atmosphere of London, Inspector Humphrey Goodman (endearing Kris Marshall) and his wife return for a new season of Mysteries in paradise and settled in a small, peaceful market town in Devon, a picturesque region in the southwest of England. Entitled Coup de théâtre, this first episode sees the investigator walking his clumsy and tall, lanky figure through the village of Shipton Abbott where a murder has just been committed on an old steam train. Every member of the theater troupe to which he belonged is suspected. An obvious nod to the intrigues of the great Agatha Christie, this thriller will delight fans of “cozy crimes”, these “cozy” detective fictions with a British twist.

Our opinion: PP