The True Story of Pirates

The True Story of Pirates

Pirates! Hollywood has fueled our imaginations and turned them into popular icons. Beyond literature and fantasy the documentary reveals who these fearless adventurers and these masters of the sea once were.

2022•50m•7.9/10

DocumentaryTV Movie

Ratings

🎬TMDb

7.9/10(15)

Thanks to new excavations in Mauritius and Madagascar, as well as archival and museum research in France, Spain, England and Canada, a group of international scholars paint a new portrait of the world of piracy in the Indian Ocean.

Open in PickFlick

Production

Gedeon Programmes, ARTE, CuriosityStream

Language

FR

Status

Released

Release Date

Cast

Jean Soulat

Jean Soulat

Self-Archeologist

Martin Mares

Martin Mares

Self-Historian

Anna Flori-Lamour

Anna Flori-Lamour

Narrator

Philippe Hrodej

Philippe Hrodej

Self-Historian

Edward Mayhew

Edward Mayhew

Curator - HMS Victory

Recommended

Jamaica Inn

Jamaica Inn

In early 19th-century Cornwall, young Mary Yellan travels to live with her aunt and uncle at the remote Jamaica Inn, where she discovers the inn is a front for a violent gang of wreckers who lure ships to their doom along the coast. As she becomes entangled in their crimes, Mary must fight to survive and uncover the truth behind the terror that haunts the moors.

Jamaica Inn

1939

6.1

Treasure Island

Treasure Island

Enchanted by the idea of locating treasure buried by Captain Flint, Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey and Jim Hawkins charter a sailing voyage to a Caribbean island. Unfortunately, a large number of Flint's old pirate crew are aboard the ship, including Long John Silver.

Treasure Island

1950

6.6

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

After losing Captain Jack Sparrow to the locker of Davy Jones, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and Captain Barbossa journey to the ends of the earth to rescue him. And as the East India Trading Company tightens its grip on the seas under Lord Cutler Beckett—now in control of Davy Jones—the fate of piracy hangs by a thread. Now, they must unite the pirate lords for one final stand. But as loyalties are tested and alliances shift, each must ultimately choose where they stand in the battle for freedom on the high seas.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

2007

7.3

Stolen: Heist of the Century

Stolen: Heist of the Century

Antwerp, 2003. A gang of thieves rob the impenetrable Diamond Center. Who was behind one of the world's biggest heists - and how did they pull it off?

Stolen: Heist of the Century

2025

6.8

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Capt. Jack Sparrow feels the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost sailors led by his old nemesis, the evil Capt. Salazar, escape from the Devil's Triangle. Jack's only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it, he must forge an uneasy alliance with a brilliant and beautiful astronomer and a headstrong young man in the British navy.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

2017

6.7

Waterworld

Waterworld

In a futuristic world where the polar ice caps have melted and made Earth a liquid planet, a beautiful barmaid rescues a mutant seafarer from a floating island prison. They escape, along with her young charge, Enola, and sail off aboard his ship. But the trio soon becomes the target of a menacing pirate who covets the map to 'Dryland'—which is tattooed on Enola's back.

Waterworld

1995

6.2

Sidney

Sidney

This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.

Sidney

2022

7.3

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo

Edmund Dantes is falsely accused by those jealous of his good fortune, and is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the notorious island prison, Chateau d'If. While imprisoned, he meets the Abbe Faria, a fellow prisoner whom everyone believes to be mad. The Abbe tells Edmund of a fantastic treasure hidden away on a tiny island, that only he knows the location of. After many years in prison, the old Abbe dies, and Edmund escapes disguised as the dead body. Now free, Edmund must find the treasure the Abbe told him of, so he can use the new-found wealth to exact revenge on those who have wronged him.

The Count of Monte Cristo

1961

7.2

Dahomey

Dahomey

Thousands of royal artifacts of Dahomey, a West African kingdom, were taken by French colonists in the 19th century for collection and display in Paris. Centuries later, a fraction returned to their home in modern-day Benin. This dramatized documentary follows the journey of 26 of the treasures as told by cultural art historians, embattled university students, and one of the repatriated statues himself.

Dahomey

2024

6.6

The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers

The hot-headed young D'Artagnan along with three former legendary but now down on their luck Musketeers must unite and defeat a beautiful double agent and her villainous employer from seizing the French throne and engulfing Europe in war.

The Three Musketeers

2011

5.8

John Candy: I Like Me

John Candy: I Like Me

Those who knew iconic funnyman John Candy best share his story, in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews.

John Candy: I Like Me

2025

7.8

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Finding himself in a new era, and approaching retirement, Indy wrestles with fitting into a world that seems to have outgrown him. But as the tentacles of an all-too-familiar evil return in the form of an old rival, Indy must don his hat and pick up his whip once more to make sure an ancient and powerful artifact doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

2023

6.5

Similar Movies

815 - The Story of the Lost Pilot

815 - The Story of the Lost Pilot

When Lost premiered on September 22nd 2004 it redefined television in a way that only a few did before. The way it came into existence in the first place might however be just as interesting as the show itself. This is the story of the Lost pilot.

815 - The Story of the Lost Pilot

2023

Secret Life of Diddy

Secret Life Of Diddy will feature interviews with individuals connected to the hip-hop mogul, including Ray J, Lizzette Martinez, and Tiffany Red. The special addresses recent criminal charges against Diddy, who is currently in jail awaiting trial, as well as allegations of physical and sexual abuse brought by his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and others. The program aims to shed light on the allegations and ongoing legal developments that could have far-reaching repercussions for Diddy.

Secret Life of Diddy

2024

The Lost World of the Seventies

Michael Cockerell sheds new light on the tragi-comedy of the 1970s by focusing on some of its most controversial characters. With fresh filming and new interviews, along with a treasure trove of rare archive, the film presents the inside story of giant personalities who make today's public figures look sadly dull in comparison. The well-known journalist revisits some of his films on the big characters who helped shaped the 1970s in Britain. Both tragic and comic, it highlights just how much our world has changed in four decades.

The Lost World of the Seventies

2012

Vodu Between two worlds

Vodu Between two worlds

Voodoo tradition is too often victim of misperceptions and stereotypes in the Western imagination. In Togo, Voodoo is revealed in all its splendour and complexity. Through spectacular ceremonies, consultations and rites, an intimate connection is revealed that unites the visible world with that of invisible forces. By giving a voice to those who live and practise Voodoo, an authentic and nuanced perspective emerges, revealing the richness of this mysterious spirituality. It's a genuine burst of curiosity about a living heritage and the sumptuousness of its traditions.

Vodu Between two worlds

2025

7.5

The Music of Michel Legrand

The Music of Michel Legrand

This video essay, made by Tony Zhou and Taylor Ramos for FilmStruck in 2016, explores the musical motifs in 'Cléo from 5 to 7.'

The Music of Michel Legrand

2016

West Point: The First 200 Years

West Point: The First 200 Years

A documentary about the United States Military Academy at West Point that conveys the vibrancy, sense of fraternity and fierce loyalty that mark the West Point experience.

West Point: The First 200 Years

2002

Shirley MacLaine, comme un torrent

Shirley MacLaine, comme un torrent

With her short red hair, expressive face, vitality, and playful acting style, Shirley MacLaine stands out in the Hollywood pantheon. Driven by a volcanic personality and iron discipline inherited from classical dance, she has constantly reinvented herself, from the girl next door to the eccentric old lady she plays on screen today, proving at 91 that there is a place for actresses of all ages. A refreshing portrait featuring film clips and archival footage, particularly those in which this talk show regular exercises her sharp wit.

Shirley MacLaine, comme un torrent

2026

8.0

Le cinéma de Terry Gilliam - L’imagination au pouvoir

Le cinéma de Terry Gilliam - L’imagination au pouvoir

Bandits, Bandits, Brazil, Munchausen, Twelve Monkeys, not to mention the crazy Monty Python saga... With their visual extravagance and ever-fresh originality, amplifying his vision of a humanity that is as disturbing as it is comical, his films have made history. In the same baroque, zany, but also tragic vein, Terry Gilliam's work and life merge into an adventure that borders on the epic.

Le cinéma de Terry Gilliam - L’imagination au pouvoir

2026

6.5

James Dean: Rebel Generation

James Dean: Rebel Generation

The antithesis of the virile heroes of his era, James Dean shook up the representation of adolescence and masculinity in three films shot in 1955, the same year he died in a car accident at the age of 24—exactly seventy years ago: Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, and Giant. This meteoric rise made him an instant icon, frozen in eternal, rebellious youth, which still resonates strongly today.

James Dean: Rebel Generation

2025

7.5

The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring

The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring

In a candid, first-time interview with Rachel Lee, the so-called teenage mastermind behind a string of high-profile celebrity robberies in 2008 and 2009, the film examines the motivations of Lee and a group of her friends who broke into celebrity homes in Hollywood to ransack and steal, exploring the possible reasons behind her actions including mental health issues and addictions, as well as the climate of celebrity excess that fueled the teens, recontextualizing the events behind the sensational headlines.

The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring

2023

4.8

TETHERS

TETHERS

Prepare for an eye-opening journey into the heart of identity and division. 'Tethers' is a groundbreaking interview-style documentary that delves deep into the complex tapestry of cultural differences, racial tension, and the ethnocentric divide between Africans, African Americans, and Foundation Black Americans.

TETHERS

2023

10.0

Polvere in Sala

Polvere in Sala

No overview available.

Polvere in Sala

2023

PickFlick Assistant

Hi! I'm your PickFlick Assistant. Ask me about movies, TV shows, OTT sources, or anything about PickFlick.

Powered by CopilotKit