He may not know it yet, but Amerigo Vespucci's life is about to change. Though he works as a successful banker, Amerigo feels restless and aspires to greater things. Luckily, Lorenzo de' Medici has offered him the opportunity of a lifetime: a trip to Spain to help Christopher Columbus prepare for an expedition to the Indies.

Amerigo Vespucci sails for the New World to explore new territories discovered by Columbus, draw accurate maps, and find the true route to the Indies. As his ship approaches "Little Venice," or Venezuela, the crew comes into contact with some local natives.

The rock group La Jarry has set to music a text written by Florence Cassez, a French woman who was imprisoned in Mexico in 2005 for her alleged involvement with a Mexican kidnapping ring. Cassez's case has provoked diplomatic tensions between Mexico and France in the years following her arrest.

The explorers are exploring a new territory, full of lush vegetation, exotic wildlife, and, to the joy of a few explorers, gold! Perhaps they could use a lesson on the dangers of greed...

Amerigo Vespucci sets foot for the first time on the American continent. He collects all manner of plants and animals, only to drop them into the Amazon River.

Amerigo and his crew continue exploring the New World. Their water is almost gone. Fortunately, the river they're sailing on turns out to be the Amazon, so they won't die of thirst after all.

Vespuccia or America? In the last episode of this fun cartoon, we find out how the name of the new continent now known as "America" came about.

Yacine Boularès, a young French musician of Tunisian origin, demonstrates some of the differences between Western and Arabic music on his saxophone. If you like what you hear, check out Yacine's jazz band, Afro Groove Collective.

The musician Yacine Boularès talks to us about his large family, which spans two continents, and explains the origins of French influence in Tunisia.

The series Il était une fois… les Amériques: Les premiers Américains (Once Upon a Time… the Americas: The First Americans) relates American history from the very beginning up to the twentieth century. Enjoy the opening song about the making of America and its first settlers...

Finding food was often difficult for the earliest settlers of the Americas. Luckily for the characters in this video, there's enough berries to go around.

Since all the animals have moved away from their area, these early Americans are forced to follow in their paw prints... otherwise they'll have no food!

It's one thing to have to track down a woolly mammoth for food, but it's another thing to cook it! Luckily these prehistoric Americans just discovered how to make fire.

The series Il était une fois... les Amériques: Les premiers Américains (Once Upon a Time... The Americas: The First Americans) relates American history from the very beginning up to the twentieth century. In this episode, hunters boast about their day chasing after a huge animal.

The Maestro has made his final journey and will not join the next expedition. It's time to bid him farewell!

In this segment of the Il était une fois episode on the Americas, a group of hunters go across what is now known as the Bering Strait in search of game. Little do they know that, by doing so, they'll become the first settlers of North America!

This tribe of hunters must use whatever they can find to nourish themselves and survive. Luckily, two of their children stumble across a pond full of fish after the ice melts, giving them plenty more to eat.

Food is scarce, too many men, not enough game to kill. What are they to do? The explorers setting foot on the Americas are having a tough time.

Cristina talks about Senegal, where she comes from. This French-speaking country has close ties with France and is well worth a visit. It has a mild climate and a beautiful coast. And you might like to try the local cuisine, such as chicken yassa.

Join Daniel Benchimol on his tour of the quaint town of Fourqueux. There, you will find a magnificent house where Victor Hugo, the famous French poet and writer, once stayed. Adding to the historic atmosphere, old road markers and vintage hand-painted advertising signs are a great reminder of a colorful past.

Cyril Dion, Mélanie Laurent, and their crew set out to discover how people are trying to make the world a better place. They travel to Reunion Island, Finland, Belgium, India, Great Britain, the United States, Switzerland, Sweden, and Iceland for their documentary Demain (Tomorrow).

Discover Chambourcy with Daniel Benchimol. Chambourcy is a small town on the outskirts of Paris that is full of charming surprises. An interesting garden called Le Désert de Retz will take you back through time with eclectic constructions reminiscent of extinct civilizations.

Daniel Benchimol takes us to the town of Poissy, about twenty kilometers from Paris. The town name is derived from the word poisson (fish) due to its once important fishing industry.

Don't miss this rendezvous with Daniel Benchimol in the town of Poissy near Paris. Enjoy a visit to a twelfth-century Romanesque church called the Collégiale de Poissy. You can also visit its priory, which now houses a toy museum to the delight of the little ones.