Series synopsis
Voyage of the Continents, also known as La Valse des continents is a French documentary television series that premiered on ARTE on June 4, 2012. It stars Anna Flori-Lamour, Dimitri Glakochub, Victor Puchkov and Éric Buffetaut.
This extraordinary series is a sweeping account of the rise of Earth’s continents. They are the product of a grand waltz of plate tectonics and the continual evolution of Earth’s crust. As landmasses assemble and separate, they fuel volcanoes and spark earthquakes, building mountains and tearing valleys. We see the Earth, eons in the making, through the eyes of geologists and other scientists.
Premise
This extraordinary series is a sweeping account of the rise of Earth’s continents. They are the product of a grand waltz of plate tectonics and the continual evolution of Earth’s crust. As landmasses assemble and separate, they fuel volcanoes and spark earthquakes, building mountains and tearing valleys. We see the Earth, eons in the making, through the eyes of geologists and other scientists.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Anna Flori-Lamour as Self (voice)
- Dimitri Glakochub as Self
- Victor Puchkov as Self
- Éric Buffetaut as Self
- Varavudh Suthetorn as Self
- Mike Widdowson as Self
- Kyle Larson as Self
- Laurent Godin as Self
Supporting cast
- Ananta Garudel as Self
- Christian France-Lanord as Self
- Kristel Chanard as Self
- Zhibao Dong as Self
- Shaocheng Ji as Self
- Takashi Furumura as Self
- Glyn Williams-Jones as Self
- Anthony Williams-Jones as Self
- François Semah as Self
- Sylvie Crasquin as Self
- Simon Wilde as Self
- Martin Van Kranendonk as Self
Guest cast
- Dimitri Glakochub as Self
- Victor Puchkov as Self
- Éric Buffetaut as Self
- Varavudh Suthetorn as Self
- Mike Widdowson as Self
- Kyle Larson as Self
- Laurent Godin as Self
- Ananta Garudel as Self
- Christian France-Lanord as Self
- Kristel Chanard as Self
- Zhibao Dong as Self
- Shaocheng Ji as Self
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 15 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 10 | June 4, 2012 | September 5, 2014 |
| Season 2 | 5 | July 15, 2013 | July 15, 2013 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Oceania - The Tectonic Ring of Fire Examining what resulted from the collision of the Australian and Pacific plates that formed the lands of the South Pacific. |
June 4, 2012 |
| 2 |
Asia - The Tectonics of Life and Death The greatest destruction of life in the Earth's history; Siberia joining other land masses. Charting Siberia's course across the Earth's surface and the formation of the planet's largest continent. |
June 5, 2012 |
| 3 |
Asia - Rising Mountains and Sinking Countries The Indian subcontinent pushes the Himalayas upward; Japan is shaken by tectonic forces; Indonesia is ravaged by volcanoes. The rise of the Himalayas is chronicled. Also: Natural events that impacted Japan and Indonesia are discussed. |
June 6, 2012 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Origins of Africa Africa is Mother Earth. Gondwana, the first, single, landmass broke apart into today's continents, but its heart is Africa. Land of rifts, lakes and volcanoes, Africa's mineral deposits testify to its eons-old history. |
July 15, 2013 |
| 2 |
Africa Today Volcanic activity and climate change define Africa's "modern" history. Modern in geological terms, of course! Recently - meaning 50 million years ago - the Arabian plate snapped off the African continent and joined Southeast Asia. The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden were born. |
July 15, 2013 |
| 3 |
North America North America's mountain chains and huge plateaus were formed by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and the odd ice age. Here we travel from the Canadian Shield, across the Grand Canyon and to the Rockies to understand the extraordinary geological forces at play. We even look into the future, when part of California should be an island in the Pacific! |
July 15, 2013 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ARTE |
|---|---|
| First aired | June 4, 2012 |
| Last aired | July 15, 2013 |
| Runtime | 43 minutes |
| Status | continue |
| Schedule | Saturday at 20:00:00 |