Empire Builders: LA

Two hundred years ago Los Angeles was a small outpost of Mexico. Today it is one of the largest cities in the US.

After the Mexican War of Independence, Mexico took possession of California from Spain. That Hispanic heritage has been a constant through two centuries of spectacular growth. While Los Angeles today is identified with the film Industry, it was the forces of war, real estate speculation, agriculture and the rag trade, and the discovery of oil, that fuelled its growth, bringing together a myriad of people from vastly different places and backgrounds. Los Angeles may have invented the freeway in America but LA's journey into the 21st century has been marked by a giant merging and sometimes collision of cultures. Throughout its history Los Angeles' story has enshrined twin ambitions - and myths - those seeking escape and those chasing success, and this remains so today. This documentary explores Los Angeles today and traces its journey to how it became one of the biggest and richest cities on the planet in just over 100 years.

European rights only.