Exclusive Documentary: Virtual Worlds Powering Scientific Research to Reveal the Secrets of the Lighthouse of Alexandria
90-minute documentary “The Lighthouse of Alexandria: The Last Secrets” follows the scientific investigation led by the Centre d’Études Alexandrines, with the support of La Fondation Dassault Systèmes, bringing the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria back to life. Produced by GEDEON Programmes and winner of the Global Doc Competition at the 2024 World Congress of Science and Factual Producers, the film airs in France on November 5 and is available on france.tv and internationally.
A wonder of Ancient Engineering
Built in the early 3rd century BCE by Ptolemy I and inaugurated by his son Ptolemy II, the 103-meter Lighthouse of Alexandria guided sailors along a low, dangerous coastline and placed the city at the heart of Mediterranean trade. Erected on the island of Pharos, it can be considered humanity’s first skyscraper. It stood for centuries before its ruins finally disappeared.
Inside the documentary
Off the coast of Alexandria, beneath several meters of water, lie the remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. For 30 years, CNRS archaeologist and architect Isabelle Hairy has led the excavations, working with her multidisciplinary team at the Centre d'Etudes Alexandrines (CNRS/IFAO) to piece together the story of this extraordinary monument.
Launched in 2023, the ambitious Pharos project took the quest further. Born from a collaboration between the CEAlex and La Fondation Dassault Systèmes, it set a bold goal: to virtually reconstruct the Lighthouse and reveal the secrets behind its architectural feat.
In June 2025, a new excavation campaign brought some of its most important blocks back to the surface, some weighing tens of tons. Meanwhile, researchers from many disciplines combed through coins, mosaics and ancient texts to catalog every known representation of the lighthouse.
Every clue became a piece of the puzzle. Isabelle Hairy and the volunteer engineers of La Fondation Dassault Systèmes combined their expertise to achieve a complete 3D reconstruction of the lighthouse, for the first time, and understand how the structure was actually built. Step by step, they built a 3D model, enriching it with each new finding. A digital twin of the lighthouse then made it possible to simulate and assess the structure’s mechanical strength during earthquakes, and explain how the lighthouse endured for 16 centuries.
The result: the last secrets of a giant more than 2,000 years old, finally within reach. Directed by Laurence Thiriat, the film tells the story of this remarkable scientific adventure. It will air on France Télévisions as part of its “Science grand format” evenings on November 5 and internationally.
It is a unique opportunity to have filmed, in 1995, the discovery of the remains of the Lighthouse of Alexandria and the first archaeological excavations, and then, 30 years later, to reunite for a new documentary with Isabelle Hairy of the CNRS and the CEAlex team. Back then, we were at the very beginning of this remarkable archaeological adventure. Today, new technologies, made possible by the support of La Fondation Dassault Systèmes, allow the remains to speak and help solve the riddle of the Lighthouse’s architecture. An exceptional adventure, at the crossroads of history, science and human endeavor. I hope it will captivate viewers around the world as much as it has captivated the whole GEDEON Programmes team