DW Documentaries

Épisode 1 - The Treasure Hunter - Hermann Parzinger, Archeologist and Culture Manager

24 février 2008

Hermann Parzinger takes on the position of President of the Foundation of Prussian Cultural Heritage on March 1st 2008. On February 24, 2008 DW-TV will present a portrait of the culture manager. The Foundation of Prussian Cultural Heritage was established fifty years ago by the German Federal Government and the 16 German states. It is Europe's largest cultural complex with 2000 members of staff and encompasses a total of 17 museums, libraries and research institutes.

Épisode 1 - Hitler’s Assault - How World War II Began - Part 01

1 septembre 2009

World War Two started on 1 September 1939 when German forces unleashed an attack on the Polish garrison on the Westernplatte peninsular on the territory of what was then the Free German City of Danzig, later Gdansk. But that historical wisdom is not strictly true. The first shots opening Nazi Germany`s war were fired just a few minutes earlier when German Luftwaffe planes launched a ferocious attack on Wieluń, a Polish town which had no military or industrial targets of any significance. This horrific bombing forms the dramatic framework of the film documentary, told from both angles, with German Wehrmacht soldiers elaborating on their first wartime experiences and Poles explaining how, as civilians, they were subjected to aerial attacks, how they fled the fighting, how they were forced to leave their homes: personal memories 70 years after the opening of World War II hostilities. For the first time, in a joint German-Polish project, film makers from both countries describe the events that marked the beginning of Hitler's assault on Poland.

Épisode 2 - Hitler’s Assault - How World War II Began - Part 02

8 septembre 2009

World War Two started on 1 September 1939 when German forces unleashed an attack on the Polish garrison on the Westernplatte peninsular on the territory of what was then the Free German City of Danzig, later Gdansk. But that historical wisdom is not strictly true. The first shots opening Nazi Germany`s war were fired just a few minutes earlier when German Luftwaffe planes launched a ferocious attack on Wieluń, a Polish town which had no military or industrial targets of any significance. This horrific bombing forms the dramatic framework of the film documentary, told from both angles, with German Wehrmacht soldiers elaborating on their first wartime experiences and Poles explaining how, as civilians, they were subjected to aerial attacks, how they fled the fighting, how they were forced to leave their homes: personal memories 70 years after the opening of World War II hostilities. For the first time, in a joint German-Polish project, film makers from both countries describe the events that marked the beginning of Hitler's assault on Poland.

Épisode 1 - Coming Home - A Journey with Saruul Fischer through Mongolia

4 juin 2015

When Saruul Fischer came to East Germany from Mongolia at the age of eleven, she could not have known how important her homeland would be to her in the future. She stayed there after the fall of the Berlin Wall, went to university, married and had children. Struck by a yearning for her homeland, she began developing an idea for the fashion label "Edelziege:” The designer has clothing manufactured in Mongolia using the finest cashmere and sells the pieces in Germany. Now, a Deutsche Welle film crew accompanies Saruul on a trip back home to Mongolia. The journey begins in the capital Ulan-Bator, where many of the relatives she regularly visits still live. The tour continues into the west of the country, where she spends the night in a yurt on the expansive steppe. Saruul shows us a life far from civilization, a life that may not exist in this form for very much longer. What does the fashion designer think about the changes that have taken place in Mongolia? How has this transformation affected the Mongolians’ affinity with their traditions?

Épisode 2 - A Vision of a Zoo to Preserve Wildlife

13 août 2015

“Animals behind bars:” That’s usually the first thought when you go to a zoo. Time for an image change. So do zoos need to change to meet future challenges? And perhaps they can even help to protect endangered species?

Épisode 3 - 2 + 4 + X - The Documentary

25 septembre 2015

A Short History of German Reunification: After the fall of the wall, tensions were high as negotiations about Germany’s future began between France, the Soviet Union, the US and Britain. But were Helmut Kohl’s shrewd tactics the real catalyst in the reunification? What many now take for granted was more exciting than any thriller when it was actually happening. The reunification of Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall was certainly not a foregone conclusion. Barely 327 days lay between the Wall’s fall and reunification on October 3, 1990. The GDR had imploded and Chancellor Helmut Kohl took advantage of the situation with a 10-point program. The two German states negotiated the merger of East and West Germany with the four victorious powers of World War II - The United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and France. The result was the so-called "2 + 4 Treaty” that regulated the whole reunification. Our report looks at the most important events. Prominent politicians such as former Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and US chief negotiator Robert Zoellick talk about the events they experienced and helped to shape at first hand. Renowned international historians and journalists also give a multifaceted picture of a tumultuous time. And documents from British archives show how great the fear of a resurgent Germany really was.

Épisode 1 - Light Pollution - The Disappearing Darkness

16 juin 2016

Night-time satellite images of the Earth show a sea of light that stretches across populated areas around the globe. The electric light-bulb has come to represent economic prosperity and the advance of modern technology. But too much light can have a negative effect on the health of both humans and animals -- and scientists are warning of the dangers of light pollution. At night, city lights kill large numbers of insects, confuse migrating birds, and rob many people of a good night's sleep. Humans have developed their day / night cycle over millions of years -- a cycle that dictates that people work during the day, and relax in the evening. Now, researchers are working on next-generation lighting systems that are more sustainable and work more efficiently.

Épisode 2 - The Mystery Conman - The Murky Business of Counterfeit Antiques

31 juillet 2016

Who is the talented fraudster, smuggling counterfeit antiques onto the art market? Experts have named him the “Spanish master” but his exact whereabouts are still unknown. An investigative journey into the wheelings and dealings of the art world.

Épisode 1 - Science fiction – Sputnik and the space race in the 1960s

21 juillet 2017

The first Soviet space mission in 1957 launched a race into the future. In film and comics as well, science fiction and outer space became all the rage. The Soviet satellite "Sputnik" ushered in a new, futuristic age. For the next ten years, the future and its favorite setting, space, were more in vogue than ever before. This documentary takes a wry look into the fantastic future of the 1960s - one that is already deep in the past. On October 5, 1957, a radio signal sent America into profound shock and enthralled the world. The persistent beep of the Russian satellite "Sputnik 1" spread like wildfire around the globe. The Soviet Union had put the first ever man-made satellite into orbit around the Earth. The space age had begun. In the coming decade, the future - and its favorite setting, space - was in fashion like never before. Pneumatic space heroines appeared in science fiction comics and films and futuristic sounds conquered the dance floors. In September 1966, the future also began on German television: The launch of the seven-part science fiction series "Space Patrol - The Fantastic Adventures of the Orion Spaceship" made TV history. In short, the future had begun and was promising great things. Our documentary looks back at this utopian time between "Sputnik" and the US moon landing. How did human beings see the future - our present - half a century ago? And how did culture reflect this boundless enthusiasm for technology and optimistic belief in the future?

Épisode 2 - Follow Your Nose - Cracking's Smell Code

14 janvier 2017

Traditionally our sense of smell has been downplayed as relatively unimportant, especially in the modern age. Research shows, however, that the human body's biggest gene family, making up around 1percent of our DNA, is dedicated to olfactory processes. We can in theory distinguish between over a trillion different odours. Why the complexity, and to what purpose?. Researchers call smelling our most primeval sense. The part of the brain where odours are decoded is directly connected to the limbic system the source of memories and emotions. Our immediate reaction to a smell is as such a feeling. All humans have an individual sense of smell; there are no two identical 'noses'. What we all share, however, is a feeling of revulsion to unpleasant smells a sensation unique to homo sapiens. It turns out that the triggers are not pre-programmed in our DNA. Every society has its own cultural norms that define our perception of smells but there are also certain odours that result in identical signals being sent. Somewhat surprisingly, our olfactory receptors are located not only in the nose but all over the body: in the liver, the kidneys, and with men in the testicles. Where do our preferences and aversions for smells come from? And in which other parts of the body do odour molecules play an important role? This documentary presents the latest insights into our sense of smell.

Épisode 3 - Will robots steal our jobs? - The future of work (1/2)

1 septembre 2017

Robots and machines could soon replace humans in the workplace as artificial intelligence improves. Imagine having colleagues controlled by computers. Society is facing radical changes. Industry 4.0 - the fourth industrial revolution - is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. Artificial intelligence is constantly gaining ground. The digital era and the Internet are not just changing industrial production processes. An increasing number of jobless people are facing stiff competition from intelligent machines. One software company owner in the US even says the machines are better designed to do most jobs than people are. And that isn’t just restricted to the car industry. Workers cost money and employers are out to minimize labor costs. What will that mean? Soon there could be more intelligent robots and machines than humans and they could soon be replacing people in the workplace. Industry 4.0 poses a great challenge to the world as we know it and millions of people could lose out in the process. Find out more in 'Robitics - Impacting the Workplace'.

Épisode 4 - Will robots steal our jobs? - The future of work (2/2)

1 septembre 2017

As artificial intelligence improves, machines could soon replace us in the workplace. Are robots set to take over? Society is facing radical changes. Industry 4.0 - the fourth industrial revolution - is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. Artificial intelligence is constantly gaining ground. The digital era and the Internet are not just changing industrial production processes. An increasing number of jobless people are facing stiff competition from intelligent machines. One software company owner in the US even says the machines are better designed to do most jobs than people are. And that isn’t just restricted to the car industry. Workers cost money and employers are out to minimize labor costs. What will that mean? Soon there could be more intelligent robots and machines than humans and they could soon be replacing people in the workplace. Industry 4.0 poses a great challenge to the world as we know it and millions of people could lose out in the process. Find out more in 'Robitics - Impacting the Workplace'.

Épisode 5 - Kiribati: A Drowning Paradise

8 novembre 2017

Épisode 6 - The Story of a Neo-Nazi Network in Germany

7 novembre 2021

Between 1998 and 2011, a German neo-Nazi terrorist group murdered ten people. They called themselves the National Socialist Underground or NSU, carried out robberies to finance their terrorist cell, and planted bombs to spread terror in Germany.

Épisode 1 - No love in a hostile climate

13 janvier 2020

A fence divides Muslim and Croat pupils at a school in the Bosnian town of Travnik. Here and elsewhere in Bosnia contact between different ethnic groups is discouraged, even though the war ended over 20 years ago.

Épisode 2 - Cyborgs - human machines

2 février 2018

Cyborgs are no longer just characters in science fiction movies. They live among us. Technology has developed to make life easier, but is there a bad side? Some humans have implanted devices in their skull to sharpen their senses and become cyborgs. Others have planted magnets in their fingers, or chips underneath their skin to open doors. Gimmickry - or are these the pioneers of some brave new world? Some people are now taking the next step: Cyborgs or human machines that integrate technology into their bodies to enhance their abilities and expand their senses. Who are these people? And what drives them? Oliver Waack-Jürgensen from Berlin is one of them. He suffers from a bone disease and has two artificial knees and an artificial hip and will be getting another new hip soon: So far, so normal. But the new hip will be able to do more than the old conventional one: recharge a mobile phone wirelessly from its kinetic energy, for example, or measure and analyze body data and save and transfer it via Bluetooth. It may even host a free router: WLAN from the hip. Neil Harbisson is already one step ahead. The Briton is the world's first officially recognized cyborg. He is color-blind and can only perceive the world in shades of grey. However, the "Eyeborg,” an antenna in his head, allows him to hear colors. A sensor scans the colors in Neil's field of vision and then a chip in his head converts them into sounds. Each color has its own individual sound in his ears. Not only can Neil cannot hear the spectrum of colors visible to us, he can also perceive ultraviolet and infrared waves. Neil Harbisson is a co-founder of the Cyborg Foundation - an international organization that helps people become cyborgs. But at what price - and where are the limits? Are we losing our humanity? What would happen to society if some people had superhuman abilities? Whatever the answer, technology is already getting closer to us than we could ever have imagined - in some cases even under our

Épisode 3 - Revolution in art - Gustav Klimt

4 février 2018

Artist Gustav Klimt was a revolutionary, an overrated decorative painter and pornographer. Today his artworks are some of the most expensive of all time. Gustav Klimt was one of the most important Art Nouveau painters and enfant terrible of Austria’s conservative middle class. His opulent portraits of women caused a stir in the early 1900s. As co-founder of the Vienna Secession, he helped revolutionize art history. Opposing the historicism of contemporary art, he employed a frivolous sensuality that many of his contemporaries found highly uncomfortable. At the dawn of the twentieth century, Vienna, more than any other European city, embodied the spirit of a cozy society in which art was to be innocent and adapted to the prevailing conditions of the imperial age. Like a number of other well-known artists that did not conform, Klimt’s art was subjected to scorn and hostility and it took almost half a century after his death for his greatness to be finally recognized in France and Germany. His themes reflect the great existential questions of life and death, joy, fear and birth. And he repeatedly returns to an exploration of the myth of woman in his ornamental works.

Épisode 4 - Silk Road 2.0 - China's Way to the Top

15 février 2018

The New Silk Road is one of the most ambitious undertakings by far to be put forward by the Chinese president Xi Jinping. The goal of this gigantic project is the construction of a transport link between Asia and Europe: 10,000 kilometers of road, a railway freight line and a shipping route are to run from western China to Europe via Kazakhstan, the Urals and Moscow. Since the start of the 21st century China has become the most important export nation on the global stage. But in light of increasing tensions in the South China Sea and the threat from North Korea, it’s becoming more and more important for China to open up alternative trade routes. As a result the country has turned its gaze westward, to central Asia with its many resources and to Europe, which is still its most important trading partner. The New Silk Road is intended to connect China to Europe via Kazakhstan and Russia over a distance of 10,000 kilometers. The construction of the road with the parallel railway line has already begun in Chongqing, a megacity in the country’s interior that’s just one example of the economic boom of the past thirty years. The products made here will, it’s hoped, reach European customers effortlessly in a few years’ time. But it’s not just China’s exporters who hope to benefit from this infrastructure project. Rural regions in the west of the country should also see a boost. There’s the province of Xinjiang for example, which has seen little of the economic growth of recent years. But China’s ambitions go beyond its national borders. The planned New Silk Road runs past rich oil fields as it goes through Kazakhstan. The extraction of oil is to be ramped up, thereby securing China’s growing need for energy. By extending the route all the way to the edge of the Urals, Beijing can get all the way to Russia. But it’s not certain whether the former big brother will welcome the expansion of China’s sphere of influence all the way to central Asia and Europ

Épisode 5 - The Fight for the Arctic

17 février 2018

For years, the Arctic ice has been retreating, releasing valuable raw materials. The states adjoining the Artic Ocean are interested in the resources and the race to obtain them is on. But the consequences for humans and animals there are dramatic. DocFilm The fight for the Arctic For years, the Arctic ice has been retreating, releasing valuable raw materials. The states adjoining the Artic Ocean are interested in the resources and the race to obtain them is on. But the consequences for humans and animals there are dramatic. Watch video 26:25 The fight for the Arctic’s resources is coming to a head. The states adjoining the Arctic Ocean are positioning themselves, scouting out the land and securing the best sites for getting their hands on the raw materials. Russia already has an ultra-modern nuclear-powered icebreaker in operation. The Norwegian company Statoil is conducting test drilling with its cutting-edge rig "Songa Enabler,” which was designed especially for the Arctic; it’s the most northerly drilling operation in the world. Norway hopes to discover vast natural wealth in the Arctic. But the borders in the Arctic have not yet been set, and a war over resources is always a distinct danger. For the animals of the Arctic, including seals and polar bears, the melting sea ice is also having drastic consequences. They’re losing their habitats and their search for food is becoming increasingly difficult. In addition, the rubbish that is piling up in the Arctic only degrades very slowly and it’s poisoning the animals. Seabirds and whales are dying because they can’t digest the plastic in their stomachs. International fishing fleets are the main culprits when it comes to rubbish in the Arctic. The ice used to be a natural barrier. Now the trawlers can penetrate further and further into the icy ocean and, as a result, catch greater quantities of fish. Overfishing is almost inevitable. Furthermore the huge trawl nets used by the industrial fis

Épisode 6 - How close are we to uploading our brain to a computer?

25 mars 2018

Science fiction or reality? Researchers are trying to create an artificial brain that emulates the human mind. What is the future of mind uploading and AI? We are all familiar with science fiction films featuring mad researchers who breathe life into machines. Is this futuristic vision already becoming reality? This documentary sheds light on a massive research effort of neuroscientists and roboticists. The Space Race was yesterday. The big challenge today is the creation of an artificial brain. From simple molecules to complex networks of neurons - the cartography of the human brain has begun. The goal pursued by scientists and experts around the world is to emulate the human brain. But the consortiums of researchers are as varied as their motivations. Most scientists are primarily concerned with understanding the brain, one of the last great mysteries, and using the new insights to develop advanced treatments for neurological diseases. But among those involved in the race for the artificial brain are transhumanists looking for ways of making people immortal through technology. Internet giant Google wants to know how artificial intelligence interacts with the world and learns autonomously. Can the human brain be replaced by a machine? It would have to take on the function of 100 billion neurons interconnected in a highly complex network. And suppose the search for an artificial brain were to succeed - would it provide digital immortality to a handful of eccentric billionaires? This documentary accompanies a number of researchers who are working toward this science fiction vision with practically inexhaustible funds - and with lots of science and ever less fiction.

Épisode 7 - Dust Storm

7 avril 2018

Dust Storm looks at the growing menace created by this increasingly common phenomenon, which threatens both the environment and human health. Up to five billion tons of dust and sand blow around the earth each year: Dust Storm looks at the growing menace created by this increasingly common phenomenon, which threatens both the environment and human health. Governments are working feverishly on early warning systems and measures to protect their citizens. The Middle East, with its vast deserts, is particularly prone to dust and sandstorms. But the phenomenon is also becoming increasingly common in North America, Europe and Asia. The documentary explores the causes of dust storms and shows why they are becoming stronger and more frequent. Climate change in particular plays a major role. Scientists and politicians have been working closely together for a long time to protect people and infrastructure. Dust storms pose an extreme health risk, and the only real protection is to seek cover. But early warning systems don’t always sound the alarm in time. This documentary shows what protective measures can already be taken today and which ones experts are now working on.

Épisode 8 - Shanghai – life in the megacity

28 avril 2018

Almost everything in the Chinese megacity of Shanghai is bigger and faster than anywhere else. Shanghai has the world’s biggest port and the longest underground railway system. Its skyline is soaring to ever-new heights. How can its 24 million inhabitants keep up? A driving force behind China’s rapid change, Shanghai is a city of superlatives and eventful history. The documentary follows people there through their everyday lives. Li Langbin is a dock worker; Li Yinfeng a security officer in the subway; and 25-year-old Dai Meng a singer rising to fame. These are some of the faces behind this dynamic metropolis. Entrepreneurs from all over the world also see the potential here in Shanghai. David Li has returned from the USA to launch a cutting edge start-up for autonomous driving. The skyscrapers in the Pudong district are a symbol of China's burgeoning economic growth. Not far away, old districts that still bear the traces of European colonialism, Japanese occupation and Mao's Cultural Revolution are disappearing. We meet people like Mr. Xi, who is opposed to this wave of modernization and refuses to leave his 100-year-old Shikumen house, even though most of his neighbors have already gone. Shanghai’s breakneck pace affects everything and everyone.

Épisode 9 - The future of travel - the Hyperloop

19 juin 2018

Travel could be changing. The Hyperloop is a capsule that is supposed to glide through a steel tube at 1200 kilometers an hour. Travel has always been a dream of humankind: to reach distant places or foreign countries in the shortest possible time. Even today, roads and rails are overloaded and resources are scarce. The most innovative idea for a solution is the Hyperloop. This is a capsule that is supposed to glide through a steel tube at 1200 kilometers an hour. Will we travel from Berlin to Paris in less than an hour? Los Angeles, the city of dreams, is the birthplace of a vision that could revolutionize travel. The Hyperloop is a rail moving at the speed of sound, 1,200 kilometers per hour, through a vacuum tube. The idea came from the billionaire Elon Musk. An international competition is intended to push the concept forward. A team from Munich has also been working on it. Students from the Technical University are determined to be part of the mobility of tomorrow. In the future, the desire for mobility is expected to increase. More and more people are traveling longer distances, but the existing infrastructure was not designed for such a mobile society. Is the Hyperloop - which travels as fast as sound - the solution to our traffic problems? Innovative technology has already been tried out in Germany. In the 1980s, the Transrapid monorail reached speeds surpassing today’s ICE and TGV. However, an accident resulting in 23 deaths on the test track in Emsland in 2006 put an end to its development in Germany. Does a new concept such as the Hyperloop stand a chance - or will we ultimately be left with that most durable of all means of transport, the car? Autonomous, self-propelled vehicles are designed to help make our mobility safer, but they may also bring new dangers. The first serious accident involving a self-driving car claimed a life. Nevertheless, digitalization is seen by many as the key to controlling motor traffic in the future.

Épisode 10 - Cologne Cathedral

29 mars 2018

Cologne Cathedral on the Rhine is one of the tallest churches in the world. Germany's most-visited landmark hosts royalty, politicians and celebrities. In the course of its history Cologne's majestic cathedral (known in German as 'Der Kölner Dom') has repeatedly been used for political and commercial ends. The documentary shows how the gentle giant has always retained its dignity. Home to one of the largest church treasuries in Germany, even today the cathedral continues to play an important role in the city's economic life. It attracts 20,000 visitors a day and its silhouette is used to promote the sale of all manner of products and souvenirs, from bottle openers to cookie cutters. As a powerful and distinctive symbol, it is also used to ensure publicity; the cathedral has seen environmental activists chaining themselves to scaffolding around its spires and a feminist protester appearing topless during a Christmas mass, while skaters and buskers also use the cathedral square for performances. The cathedral provides a backdrop for heads of state, international music stars and party events, but is exposed on a daily basis to wear and tear - from vandalism, street urination and the weather. The maintenance bill alone runs to around €20,000 a day. There have even been break-ins - the most spectacular being the Cathedral treasure robbery in 1975, described in the documentary by former public prosecutor Maria Therese Mösch. And one thing is certain: Cologne Cathedral and its powerful cardinals will always play a key role in Germany’s Catholic church.

Épisode 11 - Archeology 2.0 - Exploring the Past with Modern Technology

7 octobre 2018

Today modern archaeology often works with digital technology. Geophysics has allowed thousands of ancient sites to be located - a huge gain for science. The dig is no longer the be-all and end-all of archeology. We accompany some archeologists on their journey into the virtual past. Geophysics comprises a range of techniques with various geological and military functions. Geomagnetism is used to locate enemy submarines or potential reserves of oil or other minerals. Now, German and Irish archeologists have teamed up to use it to trace prehistoric grave systems. Researchers in western Germany are applying it to locate ancient procession and pilgrimage routes. Shipping archeologists in Bremerhaven are availing of digital technology to create virtual models of shipwrecks and, in Berlin, archeologists and game designers have also embarked on a joint project. As luck would have it, they scanned every millimeter of a temple in the Syrian city of Aleppo, not suspecting that, soon afterwards, the complex would be largely destroyed in the country’s civil war. Their virtual model is evidence that the study of the past can have uses for the present, just as technologies of the present can help us to study the past.

Épisode 12 - Ai Weiwei Drifting

27 janvier 2018

Ai Weiwei is a global star and an enigma. DW followed him for a year for this intimate portrait. The film shows Ai Weiwei at home, at work, and on the road for work, as he prepares his latest series of works focused on refugees and their fates.

Épisode 13 - Zero tolerance: Bangladesh

17 avril 2018

In Bangladesh headlines are dominated by violence: Secular bloggers murdered by extremists, opponents of the government disappear, the Hindu minority is under attack. Why is Bangladesh finding it harder and harder to reconcile democracy and religion?

Épisode 14 - A special relationship: Germans in Israel. Israelis in Germany.

19 avril 2018

A new generation of Israelis and Germans is showing that reconciliation really is possible, even though – more than 70 years after the Holocaust – Germany still contends with anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish attacks.

Épisode 15 - The mule women of Melilla

21 avril 2018

The Spanish enclave of Melilla lives from the trade of second-hand goods. Carried on the shoulders of Moroccan women, these goods cross Europe's southernmost border. It’s a lucrative business for the traders, but inhumane work for the carriers.

Épisode 16 - Time for Outrage! Time to Act! - Stéphane Hessel

1 mai 2018

With his pamphlets, Stéphane Hessel became an icon for youth culture in Europe and North Africa even in old age. He addressed issues such as rebellion against injustice, environmental destruction and the fight for human rights. Why was he so popular?

Épisode 17 - Lisbon - city of fado and light

8 mai 2018

Lisbon, Portugal’s "White City", is an old multifaceted European city. The metropolis has experienced many periods of prosperity and has survived equally many crises. But what makes Lisbon so attractive today – especially among young people?

Épisode 18 - The returnees

13 mai 2018

Countless Palestinians were forced to leave their homes after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. What Jewish Israelis celebrate as their declaration of independence, Palestinians call "Nakba" - catastrophe. Today they hope to one day rebuild their villages.

Épisode 19 - The Germans - Charlemagne and the Saxons

16 mai 2018

Charlemagne was one of the most powerful kings in world history and is widely regarded as the "Father of Europe." In 800, he became the first western European ruler to be crowned emperor in Rome. But who was Charlemagne really?

Épisode 20 - The Germans - Otto and the empire

20 mai 2018

Otto the Great is regarded as the progenitor of Germany and German history begins with him. During his reign, the four main tribes on German territory began to see themselves as having a collective fate. But opponents made Otto's life difficult.

Épisode 21 - Italy's populists reach for power

27 mai 2018

The Five Star Movement celebrated an historic victory in the Italian parliamentary elections. In tough coalition talks, top candidate Luigi di Maio has been under consideration for the job as prime minister. But what does the movement stand for?

Épisode 22 - The Germans - Barbarossa and the lion

27 mai 2018

In the Middle Ages, Friedrich I, also called "Barbarossa", was regarded as a brilliant ruler who fought for the "honor of the empire." Barbarossa's reign coincided with the crusades and the great age of chivalry. His life was full of ups and downs.

Épisode 23 - Organic food - hype or hope?

29 mai 2018

There is growing demand in the western world for organic food and consumers are prepared to pay a significant premium for it. But do consumers always get what it says on the label? How can authenticity be verified?

Épisode 24 - The Germans - Luther and the nation

3 juin 2018

How did Martin Luther, a simple monk, become a key figure in history in the 15th century? Born into a world governed by the Roman Church and a distant emperor, Luther managed to unite and divide Germans. His message changed the world.

Épisode 25 - The Germans - Frederick and the Empress

9 juin 2018

After the Thirty Years' War, there was a dramatic rivalry between two monarchs: the Prussian King Frederick II and the only female ruler of the House of Habsburg Maria Theresa. Only after making peace did both powers begin to flourish culturally.

Épisode 26 - Cahier Africain (1)

14 juin 2018

The pages of a school exercise book contain the brave testimonies of 300 Central African women who suffered war atrocities. The notebook details the crimes committed by Congolese mercenaries in 2002. What does life look like for the victims today?

Épisode 27 - The Germans - Bismarck

17 juin 2018

Prussia's Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck paved the way for the first German nation-state. For the first, the Germans were united in a single state with a single capital: Berlin. Bismarck became the Chancellor of the new German Empire.

Épisode 28 - Racism in former East Germany

22 juin 2018

Racism and assaults on foreigners did not fit with Communist East Germany's own self-image at all. Nevertheless, foreign contract workers were repeatedly hounded and subjected to violent attacks. Many of these crimes remain unsolved today.

Épisode 29 - Schools for Afghanistan

30 juin 2018

As Afghanistan becomes increasingly dangerous, more international aid workers are withdrawing. But there are still some people in the country who refuse to give up.

Épisode 30 - The Money Deluge

4 juillet 2018

Zero interest, exploding real estate prices and a rising stock market – the rich are getting richer. But what dangers does the global financial system pose to average citizens? Is the world facing a new financial crisis?

Épisode 31 - Secrets of the Stone Age - Part 1: From Hunters to Farmers

4 juillet 2018

12,000 years ago, humans shifted from the nomadic lifestyle to the more settled life of farmers. The Stone Age produced monumental buildings made of stone blocks weighing tons. A trip back in time to an important period of human history.

Épisode 32 - Secrets of the Stone Age (2)

11 juillet 2018

How were our ancestors capable of building gigantic structures like burial mounds and stone rings, given that the technical possibilities of the Stone Age were still very simple? Archaeologists give us a deep insight into the history of humankind.

Épisode 33 - Germany's right-wing terror network: NSU on trial

14 juillet 2018

After more than five years, one of the most complex trials in post-war German history is coming to an end – the trial against the neo-Nazi NSU. Much of the trial focused on Beate Zschäpe. What role did the defendant and her associates play?

Épisode 34 - Battle of the Museums - Artistic Patronage in the Gulf

14 juillet 2018

Museums have become the new cultural prestige objects – especially in the United Arab Emirates. The challenge of producing the world's biggest and most beautiful museum has taken on a new dimension. Hundreds of millions of Euros are being invested.

Épisode 35 - The Sputnik Shock

15 juillet 2018

The Soviet Union succeeded in launching the first manmade Earth satellite into orbit in 1957. The world reacted with fear and fascination at the idea of exploring space. A look at the myths and realities of the first Sputnik expedition into space.

Épisode 36 - Aloha - The spirit of Hawaii

28 juillet 2018

With its hula dancers, cool surfer dudes and white, sandy beaches: Hawaii is the place to go. Millions of tourists visit the archipelago in search of South Pacific paradise and "Aloha" - the breath of life. What is life really like on these islands?

Épisode 37 - Cybercrime - The business of fear

7 août 2018

Experts have long warned of an evolution in the world of cybercrime. Cyber attacks are increasing in frequency and scope. Financial markets, trade secrets and foreign government networks are all at stake. But is the fear of cyber attacks justified?

Épisode 38 - From street child in Nairobi to teacher in Hamburg

25 août 2018

Philip Spenner spent his youth on the streets of Nairobi. Violence, fear, hunger and homelessness were daily obstacles. A donor from Hamburg made it possible for him to attend school. Today Philip Spenner is a high school teacher in Germany.

Épisode 39 - Poland at the crossroads

30 août 2018

The wave of optimism that accompanied Poland's accession to the EU in 2004 is now a distant memory. What explains the extreme shift in Poland? What is the motivation behind Jaroslaw Kaczynski's drastic changes? And what is the impact of his policies?

Épisode 40 - The guardians of the Kruger National Park

7 septembre 2018

Rendani Nethengwe is one of the most experienced rangers in South Africa's Kruger National Park and responsible for the protection of the animals. He sometimes fights poachers who ruthlessly slaughter elephants for their ivory tusks.

Épisode 41 - Renaissance man - Karl Lagerfeld

9 septembre 2018

Karl Lagerfeld - the man behind the brand or the brand behind the man? Almost everyone knows who he is and where his talents lie but does anyone really know the man behind the sunglasses? A rare insight into the life of a fashion icon.

Épisode 42 - Colonia Dignidad - a quest for justice

17 septembre 2018

Colonia Dignidad, one of the darkest chapters in Chilean - and German history. For 20 years Winfried Hempel was trapped in the sect, an isolated world in which he had to endure slavery and torture. His struggle for justice.

Épisode 43 - The Deceptive Promise of Free Trade

27 septembre 2018

Is free trade fair? What trickery, threats and deception take place when it comes to global trade? The documentary not only takes a look at the role of US President Trump and economic powerhouse China, but also the role of the European Union.

Épisode 44 - DocFilm - No-Holds-Barred - Redeeming the Guilty Pleasure of Chocolate

28 septembre 2018

The world’s insatiable demand for chocolate is fueling poverty and environmental degradation. This report explores how a blend of fair working conditions and sustainable farming in Africa can deliver chocolate that leaves no bitter aftertaste.

Épisode 45 - Exploring the Past with Modern Technology

7 octobre 2018

Today modern archaeology often works with digital technology. Geophysics has allowed thousands of ancient sites to be located without resort to a shovel - a huge gain for science. Discover new insights from a journey into the virtual past.

Épisode 46 - Fighting for the lagoon

13 octobre 2018

Spain's Mar Menor is Europe's largest saltwater lagoon but it is under threat from industrial farming in the region. The local residents and fishermen are taking on the agricultural lobby to try and stop the destruction of this natural paradise.

Épisode 47 - Military Industrial Complex - The Business of Defense, Part 1

20 octobre 2018

The German and French armed forces are facing challenges due to foreign deployment. Both have to struggle with a lack of personnel and financial problems. Outsourcing and privatization are the solution - but at what price?

Épisode 48 - How the 30 Years' War was ended (1)

23 octobre 2018

For 30 years, a brutal war between Catholics and Protestants raged in Central Europe. Power, intrigue, secret treaties and shady deals were at the center. In 1648, the bloody conflict was finally brought to an end by the Peace of Westphalia.

Épisode 49 - The mine clearers of Bosnia

27 octobre 2018

Even 23 years after the end of the war, Bosnia's population has to live amongst deadly minefields. Mine clearer, Davor Kolenda, thinks it’s a disgrace. Kolenda and his team are fighting for a mine-free Bosnia-Herzegovina – often risking their lives.

Épisode 50 - The business of defense (2)

27 octobre 2018

External companies have long been supplying armed forces with equipment as well as know-how and personnel. But just how privatized are defense forces in Europe and what could the impacts of connecting the worlds of military and business be?

Épisode 51 - 1648 - The long road to peace

30 octobre 2018

Brutal soldiers and marauding mercenaries turned Central Europe into a battlefield in 1618. Almost all the major European powers had a hand in the war. The peace negotiations lasted five years and signaled the beginnings of modern diplomacy.

Épisode 52 - The black heart of America

3 novembre 2018

West Virginia, USA - under its wild mountain idyll hides the "black hell": A labyrinth of tunnels just one meter high, in which miners still spend their entire working days toiling in the dark on their hands and knees. Hard life in a coal mine.

Épisode 53 - Anti-Semitism in Europe

8 novembre 2018

Fear has returned to Europe. Jewish people are afraid of attacks in the street. This documentary explores the causes of this new wave of anti-Semitism in Germany and in neighboring Poland and France.

Épisode 54 - Singapore - Asia's global hotspot

14 novembre 2018

Singapore, the small city-state in Southeast Asia, has always been a country of immigration – and is one of the richest countries in the world. People of different ethnicities, religions and cultures live peacefully side by side.

Épisode 55 - A World without Money

20 novembre 2018

Cashless payments are on the rise around the world. They are fast, easy and convenient. But who benefits from digital payment systems? What happens to our financial data? Are consumers losing some of their freedom as a result?

Épisode 56 - Driven to Succeed – Founders' Valley

21 novembre 2018

Korea’s education system is ruled by competition. With suicide being the No.1 cause of death among teenagers, it’s been argued the system produces overachieving students who pay a high price in health and happiness. Digitization could bring about a change to Korea’s overheated education system.

Épisode 57 - The Legend of Cape Horn

29 novembre 2018

In January 1616, the Dutch navigator Willem Cornelisz Schouten, discovered the southern tip of South America. 400 years later, adventurer Arved Fuchs sets out to make the journey around Cape Horn on a traditional fishing boat.

Épisode 58 - Testifying against Assad

29 novembre 2018

The torture victims of the Syrian regime fear being forgotten. Survivors of the jails are now fighting for justice in Germany. The principle of 'universal jurisdiction' could allow crimes against humanity in Syria to be prosecuted in foreign courts.

Épisode 59 - Out of the Ashes

30 novembre 2018

For decades in the West, Libya was practically synonymous with Muammar Gaddafi. But since the revolution there and the NATO deployment in 2011, images of civil war and chaos are more common. Are hopes of a democratic new beginning doomed to fail?

Épisode 60 - In Data We Trust - Founders' Valley (2/5)

4 décembre 2018

Everything we do in the digital world involves data. The bits and bytes can serve our interests or be used against us. But without digital trust there can be no digital business. How do startups deal with personal data and cybersecurity?

Épisode 61 - The war on my phone - lifeline to Syria (1)

8 décembre 2018

Four refugees are torn between Syria and Europe – torn between the safety of their places of refuge and news they receive from friends and family back in Syria. Through these messages, the film offers an intimate insight into life in war-torn Syria.

Épisode 62 - Digital Africa - A Continent Reinventing Itself

12 décembre 2018

This film could turn our image of Africa upside down: mobile payments in remote villages, drones monitoring harvests, 3D printers that deliver spare parts and reduce electronic waste, and robots that direct traffic. Creative start-ups, from Nairobi to Kumasi, are developing technical innovations that are inspiring the world.

Épisode 63 - The Dream of New Money - Founders' Valley

12 décembre 2018

The 2008 financial crisis spread distrust in banks and sped up the acceptance of new kinds of money. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin now promise to provide transparent, democratic alternatives. Startups in the Philippines are disrupting old structures.

Épisode 64 - Treatment under the Pines

13 décembre 2018

Forests are so much more than just exploitable land; they can also be a place of healing. An increasing number of doctors and scientists agree forests can have positive health effects, such as alleviating hypertension, depression and stress.

Épisode 65 - The Reich University of Strasbourg

18 décembre 2018

The Allied occupation of Strasbourg on November 23, 1944, spelled the end of the Reich University. Most professors had fled, but Johannes Stein, Dean of the Medical Faculty, stayed on. What did he know about the crimes of the National Socialists?

Épisode 66 - The War on my Phone - Lifeline to Syria, Part 2

19 décembre 2018

Refugees Amjad, Omar, Zena and Shahinaz are living in Münster, Saarbrücken, Ahrweiler and Lausanne. However, they are not entirely present in their new homes. Every day they receive messages and videos from relatives and friends in Syria.

Épisode 67 - Women Breaking Bounds - Founders' Valley

20 décembre 2018

All over the globe, digital transformation is opening new paths for women. In Indonesia, more and more are taking the opportunities for independence it offers to open a business. But how do the young founders cope with the challenges posed by the role? All have had to overcome hurdles thrown up by traditional structures, widely accepted clichés and investors who prefer to bet on men.

Épisode 68 - Let It Snow

28 décembre 2018

To find a flurry of snowflakes in a winter wonderland, you sometimes have to travel far. We traveled to Montreal in Canada, to the forests of Karelia in Russia, and to the Japanese island of Hokkaido. Winter can be tough in all three places.

Épisode 69 - The Ruins of Raqqa

26 avril 2018

What is life like in Raqqa today? In October 2017, the northern Syrian city was liberated from the rule of the so-called Islamic State, or IS.

Épisode 71 - The Last Harvest

16 octobre 2018

Soil is the foundation of nature, environment and food. Soil is full of life, of which most people know little about. But mismanagement is threatening world food supplies. The consequences are desertification and contamination. Is disaster looming?

Épisode 1 - The Alaska Highway - Pioneer Path Through the Wilderness

2 janvier 2019

The Alaska Highway: A 2,400-kilometer track through swamps and mountain ranges and the only road connecting the US mainland to Alaska. Built by the US military in just seven months in 1942, today it’s a popular route for tourists and truckers.

Épisode 2 - Life with autism

10 janvier 2019

Markus is autistic. He’ll probably never grow up, nor does he want to. "Most people don’t understand that, even my parents think it’s bad," says Markus. The documentary follows Markus for a year.

Épisode 3 - Overfishing in Africa’s great lakes

12 janvier 2019

Lake Malawi, between Malawi and Tanzania, has long been home to an extraordinary variety of fish. But the most important species in Africa's third largest lake is almost extinct, a result of unscrupulous over-fishing and population growth.

Épisode 4 - bauhausWORLD (1) - The Code

13 janvier 2019

2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of Germany’s best-known art school, the Bauhaus. Do the Bauhaus’s social ideals and design principles still shape how we live today? Explore the legacy of this iconic German institution.

Épisode 5 - Breaking Silence, Ending Violence – Founders’ Valley (5/5)

18 janvier 2019

In India, public outrage over violence against women has reached fever pitch. Entrepreneurs are no longer willing to let the devastating violations go unchallenged – they’re trying to create safer cities with technology.

Épisode 6 - The tattooed lady

19 janvier 2019

Whang Od is the last tattoo artist of the Kalinga, a mountain tribe in the north of the Philippines. She has spent her whole life tattooing warriors and headhunters. These days, young people will travel across the world just to meet her.

Épisode 7 - bauhausWORLD (2) - The Effect

19 janvier 2019

Part two of the Bauhaus series traces its worldwide influence on art, design and architecture. Where do we encounter the Bauhaus in everyday life? Nowadays is it just a brand? Is the Bauhaus to blame for the modern world’s obsession with design?

Épisode 8 - Breaking Silence, Ending Violence – Founders’ Valley (5/5)

20 janvier 2019

In India, public outrage over violence against women has reached fever pitch. Entrepreneurs are no longer willing to let the devastating violations go unchallenged – and so they’re trying to create safer cities with technology.

Épisode 9 - bauhausWORLD (3) - The Utopia

22 janvier 2019

Part 3 explores the influence of the Bauhaus philosophy on today’s globalized society. “How do we want to live in the future?”, “Can design and good craftsmanship improve lives?” - have the questions that the Bauhaus posed been answered?

Épisode 10 - The death train to freedom

25 janvier 2019

Towards the end of World War II, a train set off from the Leitmeritz concentration camp with several thousand prisoners on board. The film shows how the Czech population succeeded in liberating around 1,500 of an estimated 4,000 prisoners.

Épisode 11 - The solar power brokers

28 janvier 2019

Could private investment be more effective than traditional development aid? A German company is setting up a solar container in the village of Amaloul Nomade in Niger. If the project is successful, it will be launched in another 500 villages.

Épisode 12 - Kenya's startup community

29 janvier 2019

Africa's future belongs to the startups. Whether in Kenya, Uganda or Senegal - with their apps and platforms the founders are looking for gaps in existing services and are working on solutions from the private side.

Épisode 13 - My Colleague the Robot

30 janvier 2019

What are the opportunities and limitations of robotics, automation and artificial intelligence? The world of work is undergoing radical change. The documentary shows companies embracing new technologies to help them they stay globally competitive.

Épisode 14 - Brutal Ritual - FGM Victims Seek Help in Germany

6 février 2019

Female genital mutilation is a serious violation of human rights. Yet, an estimated 200 million women worldwide have suffered genital mutilation as children. More than 50,000 victims now live in Germany. How do these women overcome such trauma?

Épisode 15 - The farm of the future

7 février 2019

Farmers now live far more in the future than any other professionals. "Smart farming" is the agricultural industry's new buzzword: A majority of German farmers uses digital solutions to optimize their harvests.

Épisode 16 - Digital nomads

9 février 2019

Digital nomads: They travel the world permanently, work on the road and are always online. Their lives epitomize the digital revolution and how it is changing how we work and live. But their Lifestyle also has its limits.

Épisode 17 - Ecuador by Train

12 février 2019

The train line through Ecuador is considered one of the most spectacular in South America. It's 450 kilometers long and runs from the Pacific coast up to the Andean highlands. The train zigzags to ascend 500 meters – not a trip for the faint-hearted.

Épisode 18 - The innovators behind new eco-products

16 février 2019

Researchers into raw materials in Germany are developing new products with the aim of launching sustainable production trends: bamboo bicycle frames, chicory fiber pantyhose, and crockery made from old coffee grounds.

Épisode 19 - Truth detectives (1) - technology and crime

17 février 2019

More and more war crimes and human rights violations are brought to indictment. In almost all conflict and crisis regions in the world, people are now using their smartphones to document events. And older crimes can be reconstructed using satellite imagery. The documentary shows how state-of-the-art technology helps uncover these crimes worldwide.

Épisode 20 - La Maestra - Alondra de la Parra

18 février 2019

Alondra de la Parra is a star of classical music. She has conducted more than 100 orchestras in 20 countries, breaking the glass ceiling in a male-dominated profession. In 2017, she was appointed Music Director of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

Épisode 21 - Abuse within the Catholic Church

20 février 2019

Doris Wagner used to be a nun. She reported to the Catholic Church authorities how she had been spiritually and sexually abused by priests - to no avail. She then appeared in a televised conversation with Cardinal Christoph Schönborn.

Épisode 22 - Truth detectives (2) - technology and crime

23 février 2019

In Colombia, the human rights organization Equitas is searching for missing people with the help of their relatives. Satellite images, 3D mapping and algorithms are lending new momentum to the seemingly hopeless search. Can technology bring justice?

Épisode 23 - Video Game Music

25 février 2019

Music for video games is a growing if still underrated genre. Some tracks now even make the charts. What began with the simple 8-bit Game Boy melody has warped into complex compositions and arrangements that are finding their way into concert halls.

Épisode 24 - Venice - La Serenissima as theme park

28 février 2019

Few cities are as threatened by the phenomenon of mass tourism than Venice. Every year, more than 30 million visitors come to the city, causing many residents to move away. Those who have remained feel left behind. But they are fighting back.

Épisode 25 - Digital Warriors - Women Changing the World

7 mars 2019

Women around the world use social media platforms as a weapon in their struggle for equal rights. Their online campaigns against femicide in Latin America, FGM in Africa or compulsory headscarves in Iran, mobilize thousands others.

Épisode 26 - Elor Azaria - Murderer or Hero?

7 mars 2019

Two young Palestinian men attack Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Hebron with knives. One of the attackers is shot dead; the other is wounded, left lying on the ground unable to move. What happened next would spark debate in Israeli society like few other events in the country’s history.

Épisode 27 - An Ethiopian in the Alps

9 mars 2019

A refugee from Ethiopia has built a new life for herself in Italy, producing and selling goat’s cheese. The move has helped increase numbers among an increasingly rare breed of the animals, which are allowed to graze on abandoned communal pastures.

Épisode 28 - Outsourcing border controls to Africa

13 mars 2019

Europe is paying African states billions of euros to act as its new border police. Development aid is being used as a bargaining chip to control immigration. What price do refugees hoping to seek asylum pay and who is benefiting from this policy?

Épisode 29 - The Crude Poker Game - A Geopolitical Investigation

17 mars 2019

When the price of crude oil tumbled between 2014 and 2016, it heralded the demise of an economic and geopolitical world order in place since the end of World War II. Today, fracking technology has turned the US into the world's largest oil producer.

Épisode 30 - Desert Patrol - A Soldier on a Mission of Peace

17 mars 2019

Light wheeled tanks roll over the sands of Mali on a patrol led by a young Bundeswehr officer. The documentary accompanies the man for a year as he’s deployed on the UN mission - from its start at training camps in Germany until he returns home.

Épisode 31 - Tesla - The future of electric transport

18 mars 2019

Elon Musk and Tesla initially appeared to have left the rest of the car industry in the dust. But things have become tougher for Elon Musk's crown jewel company. The race to dominate the market for the car of the future has entered a critical phase.

Épisode 32 - The Floods are Coming - Climate Refugees in Bangladesh

19 mars 2019

Experts predict that up to 20% of Bangladesh will disappear beneath the water within the next 30 years as rivers and sea levels rise. As many as 30 million people will have to be resettled as a result of climate change.

Épisode 33 - Populism on the Rise - The New Italy

20 mars 2019

The government led by the right-wing Lega and anti-establishment Five Star movement is causing a stir. Xenophobia, frustration, isolation, aggressive rhetoric and indifference to rising debt are now part of everyday political life in Italy.

Épisode 34 - Last Days in Shibati

23 mars 2019

In the Chinese city of Chongqing, the Shibati district is the only neighborhood to have survived the government’s drive to demolish and rebuild. But it won’t be around for long. Here too, the narrow alleyways are giving way to vast shopping centers.

Épisode 35 - The end of banking as we know it?

23 mars 2019

The Internet has turned the worlds of retail, book publishing and finance upside down. Now the next chapter in the digital age is dawning - the era of the virtual currency Bitcoin. It's a revolution that could ultimately make banks superfluous.

Épisode 36 - Land of Inequality - Power

24 mars 2019

How much power do people with a lot of money really have? Who decides how Germany should look? These questions are the subject of the film "Land of Inequality - Power.” Many studies show that a small but wealthy part of society defines a country’s political direction. It’s the same all over the world.

Épisode 37 - Botswana’s Heavy Metal Queens

27 mars 2019

A heavy metal fan base has been developing in Botswana for years now, and a surprising number of women from across the generations are identifying with the genre as they rebel against a society structured along patriarchal lines.

Épisode 38 - God Save Russia

28 mars 2019

The Patriarch of Moscow Kirill I is the head of the rapidly expanding Russian Orthodox Church and one of the most influential men in Russia. Allied with Vladimir Putin, Kirill is working to impose more conservative values there.

Épisode 39 - Franco’s Long Shadow

30 mars 2019

General Francisco Franco left a lasting impact on Spain. Now old resentments have been resurrected over the issue of relocating his remains and Spaniards are calling for those responsible for the regime’s atrocities to be finally brought to justice.

Épisode 40 - Song from the Forest

31 mars 2019

American Louis Sarno is a fully accepted member of the Bayaka tribe – a traditional pygmy people. After living with the tribe for 25 years, he took his young son on a trip from the African rainforest to the concrete jungle of New York City.

Épisode 41 - North Korea - All the dictator's men

1 avril 2019

North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Un has not reined in its nuclear program, despite a number of UN resolutions. How did he manage that and who are the men who have helped Kim Jong Un keep his dreams of reaching nuclear power status alive?

Épisode 42 - The New Cold War - More Nuclear Weapons in Europe?

2 avril 2019

Nuclear rearmament is back in full swing and the INF treaty between the USA and Russia has been suspended. East and West seem to be on a collision course again. Are we looking at a return to a scenario such as the balance of terror in the 1980s?

Épisode 43 - Paul Kagame and the Rwandan tragedy (1/2)

5 avril 2019

During the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, Hutu militias killed about 800,000 people. Most of them belonged to the country's Tutsi minority. Contemporary witnesses and insiders such as President Paul Kagame describe the events.

Épisode 44 - The Implant Files

7 avril 2019

More and more people are dying or suffering injury from unsafe medical devices such as prostheses, pacemakers or breast implants. In Germany, such incidents have tripled over the last 10 years, whilst in the USA it’s five times as many.

Épisode 45 - Laos - The village above the clouds

9 avril 2019

The Akha in Laos live almost untouched by modern civilization. They still adhere to their archaic customs. But they are on the verge of upheaval.

Épisode 46 - Zero Tolerance: The Philippines

9 avril 2019

Is the so-called "Islamic State" aiming to use the Philippines as its bridgehead in Asia? IS took control of the predominantly Muslim city of Marawi in 2017, and it took the Philippine army five months to take it back.

Épisode 47 - An Army on the Ropes - What Will Happen to the Bundeswehr?

10 avril 2019

Recent scandals have rocked the Bundeswehr: a lack of military strength, abuses of power, and right wing extremists in its ranks. The Bundeswehr has long been neglected, leading to staff shortages, overwork, poor equipment and a high level of frustration. What's gone wrong?

Épisode 48 - Paul Kagame and the Rwandan Tragedy (2/2)

12 avril 2019

During the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, Hutu militias killed about 800,000 people. Most of them belonged to the country’s Tutsi minority. Contemporary witnesses and insiders such as President Paul Kagame describe the events and the failures of the international community.

Épisode 49 - Georgia on the move

12 avril 2019

Writer Davit Gabunia travels through his native Georgia to visit the grave of his cousin, who was killed in the war against Russia in 2008. He gives you a profound and moving picture of how his country ticks.

Épisode 50 - Amazing Iran - A Turkmen Wedding

15 avril 2019

For the ethnic Turkmen of northeastern Iran, a wedding is the event of a lifetime: A flamboyant affair complete with centuries-old customs that bring to life the rich traditions of these once nomadic tribes.

Épisode 51 - The Insect Apocalypse

16 avril 2019

Three quarters of the world’s insect population has disappeared in the last 30 years and many species have become extinct. And it's all man's fault. This documentary looks at the dramatic consequences of this hitherto unrecognized catastrophe.

Épisode 52 - The Search for the Last Supper

18 avril 2019

Leonardo's famous painting "The Last Supper" hides a secret: only 20 percent of the original work is still visible. In the style of a thriller, the documentary attempts to reconstruct what it originally looked like.

Épisode 53 - The Nansen Passport

19 avril 2019

After the end of the First World War, millions of people in Europe became stateless refugees. A newly devised passport created by the League of Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees was their salvation.

Épisode 54 - Protecting Resources in Gorilla Habitat

20 avril 2019

Rangers in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are at war against militias exploiting natural resources. The conflict has cost the lives of more than 180 rangers, whose job it is to protect endangered silverback gorillas.

Épisode 55 - The Renaissance Factor (1)

22 avril 2019

Beginning at the end of the 14th Century, the Renaissance created a new type of man, triggering economic, scientific, technical, religious, social and cultural developments that are unique in history.

Épisode 56 - Fashion Can Change

23 avril 2019

Activists are calling for fashion based on ethical principles. On 24 April 2013, the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh collapsed, killing 1,134 textile workers. The terrible event marked the beginning of a radical change in the fashion industry.

Épisode 57 - The Abolition of Gender

24 avril 2019

The classic division of roles between men and women is eroding. Debates on sexism, marriage for all and a third gender have shaken up society and challenged centuries of tradition. Our documentary questions definitions of masculinity and femininity.

Épisode 58 - A Journey to the Copts

24 avril 2019

The Copts, Egypt’s original Christians, are being persecuted and killed by Islamist fanatics. But, although they are a minority In the Islamic country, they have done much to shape Egypt's culture.

Épisode 59 - A Story of South Africa

25 avril 2019

25 years after the end of apartheid, South Africa’s black women are looking for their chance. Jabulile Ndaba was one of many who had no education and little chance of ever changing that.

Épisode 60 - Holiday in Chernobyl

27 avril 2019

The business in post-radioactive tourism is booming. The accident at the Chernobyl power plant in 1986 was the worst nuclear disaster in history. So what’s it like there today? Is it deadly silent? On the contrary. Thousands of tourists flock to the scene of the catastrophe every year.

Épisode 61 - The Renaissance Factor (2)

27 avril 2019

Épisode 62 - Iran - A Journey through a Land of Contradictions

30 avril 2019

Iran: wealth and a western lifestyle in Tehran, poverty and tradition in the Persian Gulf. Rock music and Koran schools in the holy city of Maschhad. People who love their country and yet have problems with it.

Épisode 63 - The Climate Exodus - The Real Environmental Disaster

30 avril 2019

How many millions of people will be forced to leave their homes by 2050? This documentary looks at the so-called hotspots of climate change in the Sahel zone, Indonesia and the Russian Tundra.

Épisode 64 - Medical Research on the Move

4 mai 2019

If medical research does not appear profitable, it usually gets shelved. But now, through networking and crowd-funding, research is also found in less commercially viable areas. Scientists around the world are taking the initiative themselves.

Épisode 65 - The Black Museum - A Journey through African-American History

6 mai 2019

400 years of African American history can be seen at a museum in Washington. Opened by President Obama in 2016, the house conveys a past marked by slavery and racism - and is itself a symbol of reconciliation.

Épisode 66 - Clean Air - A Human Right

8 mai 2019

You can literally feel the bad air in the world’s dirtiest city, the Indian capital, Delhi. Thirty years ago, the air in Germany was as bad as it is today in India. Then stricter environmental legislation brought improvements.

Épisode 67 - Nelson Mandela - A Life for Liberty

9 mai 2019

Nelson Mandela was democratic South Africa’s first freely elected president. Imprisoned by South Africa’s apartheid regime for 27 years, he later received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and became president in 1994, becoming a PR icon for worthy causes. The documentary traces the triumphs and tragedies in this epochal figure’s life.

Épisode 68 - Omnipotent Amazon

10 mai 2019

No company stores more data than Amazon, the former online bookseller. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has become the richest man in the world. Every second Euro in online trading is spent at Amazon. Is the IT giant, with its unabated growth, about to turn our economic system upside down?

Épisode 69 - Dynamite in Paradise - The Treasures of Khalkidiki

11 mai 2019

Greeks fearing for their livelihoods and health are locked in a fight against international gold mining corporations. Highly toxic pollutants such as arsenic are used in gold mining and are polluting the environment.

Épisode 70 - The Forgotten Children - Europe's Failure in the Refugee Crisis

12 mai 2019

The refugee camps in Greece are hopelessly overcrowded. Many refugees are sick and traumatized and government agencies overtaxed. The situation is particularly difficult for unaccompanied minors. The number of suicides is increasing.

Épisode 71 - Remembering Baghdad

12 mai 2019

A vibrant Jewish community existed in Baghdad until the 1950s. The film tells the story of Jewish Iraqis in the first half of the 20th century - until their mass emigration - through private images.

Épisode 72 - Treasure blossoms in Bulgaria's Rose Valley

14 mai 2019

Bulgaria has a fragrant treasure: the Damask rose, which provides costly oils for luxury perfumes. Roses in the EU's poorest country thrive like nowhere else. A film about rose pickers and farmers and their struggle for a bigger share of the profits.

Épisode 73 - Gringo Trails - From insider tip to mass tourism

15 mai 2019

From Bolivia's rainforests to the deserts around Timbuktu in Mali and the Himalayan empire of Bhutan, the question always arises: what huge effects has tourism had on culture, the economy and the environment in the last 30 years?

Épisode 74 - Urmila - My Memory is My Power

16 mai 2019

This documentary tells the optimistic story of a young woman fighting for freedom, justice and a future for young girls in Nepal.

Épisode 75 - Life Currents, Part 1: How Will We Satisfy Our Hunger for Energy in The Future?

17 mai 2019

Our hunger for energy goes beyond all limits and will double in the next 20 years. But what available technologies could meet the growing thirst for electricity? And will we also have to cut power consumption? What can Europe learn from China?

Épisode 76 - The Big Buzz - You Can't Do Without Insects

18 mai 2019

Up to 75 percent of the insects in Germany have already disappeared - a silent death with serious consequences. Two thirds of the one hundred most important agricultural crops require pollination by insects. New habitats are needed.

Épisode 77 - The Enemy in Brussels - What are Europe’s Right-wing Populists After?

20 mai 2019

Be it Italy, France, Hungary, Poland or Germany, many European countries are experiencing a shift to the right. Right-wing populists are expected to make significant gains in the European Parliament elections this spring.

Épisode 78 - Rhino Dollars

22 mai 2019

Rhino - Horns are more expensive than gold or cocaine and fetch as much as 30,000 Euros per kilogram. The illegal trade in the coveted raw material is firmly in the grip of the Mafia.

Épisode 79 - 1949 - One Year, Two Germanies

23 mai 2019

1949 was a special year in German history as two separate states were founded almost in parallel. The division into East and West Germany reflected the division of the world into two during the Cold War. The East-West conflict was to last over 40 years.

Épisode 80 - The Borneo Case - The Fight Against Illegal Logging

28 mai 2019

Swiss environmental activist Bruno Manser has been missing since 2000. On Borneo he fought against illegal logging and corruption in the timber industry. Where have profits from the mass clearing of the rainforest ended up? A tragic story.

Épisode 81 - New Gun Love

29 mai 2019

Despite Germany’s strict weapons laws, the number of firearms is increasing. Is this fascination with shooting part of our nature? Our reporters meet scientists, weapons advocates and opponents, and even get to pull the trigger.

Épisode 82 - The Power of the Corporations (1)

30 mai 2019

It challenges the state before a private court - an international tribunal of arbitration - with the proceedings held in camera. Billions are at stake for taxpayers in the power struggle between states and multinationals.

Épisode 83 - Life Currents, Part 2: Full Watt Ahead

31 mai 2019

The switch to renewable energies will affect people's everyday lives. How will we get from A to B when fossil fuel reserves run out in the future? How will we fly around the globe without oil and gas?

Épisode 84 - Cinema Dadaab - Movies in a refugee camp

2 juin 2019

Dadaab in Kenya is one of the oldest, largest and most dangerous refugee camps in the world. Many refugees are now leaving it to return to their home countries. For those who have to stay, the only escape from everyday life is cinema.

Épisode 85 - Little Yellow Boots (1) - A Story for the Future

3 juin 2019

What will the world look like in 2060? What role will climate change or the growing world population play? How does the drive for prosperity fit together with finite resources? John Webster writes a letter to his unborn great-granddaughter in film.

Épisode 86 - Operation Yellow Bird

3 juin 2019

In spring 1989, Chinese students demonstrated on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square calling for more freedom and democracy. The protests were brutally suppressed by the Communist regime.

Épisode 87 - Thailand - Holiday Paradise in Danger

4 juin 2019

Plastic garbage and the death of the coral reefs show the downside of mass tourism in Thailand, which hosted 36 million visitors in 2018. The documentary looks at the effects on tourist resorts above and below water.

Épisode 88 - Memories of D-Day

5 juin 2019

6 June 1944: D-Day. Alongside the British troops were cameramen and photographers tasked with recording the Normandy landings. The images they took give us new insights into the greatest seaborne invasion in history.

Épisode 89 - Power of the Corporations, Part 2

6 juin 2019

What happens when a multinational company doesn’t like a law? It challenges it before an international tribunal with the proceedings held in camera. Billions are at stake for taxpayers in the power struggle between states and multinationals.

Épisode 90 - Little Yellow Boots (2) - A story for the future

8 juin 2019

What will the world look like in 2060? What role will climate change or the growing world population play? How does the drive for prosperity fit together with finite resources? John Webster writes a letter to his unborn great-granddaughter in film.

Épisode 91 - Love matches not wanted

9 juin 2019

In India, 90 percent of all marriages are still arranged by parents. Maria and Gabriel met while studying and become a couple. Eight years later they wanted to marry - to the horror of Gabriel's Indian family. Marriages of love are still the exception in India.

Épisode 92 - The Discreet Lives of the Super-Rich

9 juin 2019

The rich in Germany been never been as well-off as they are today and assets have never been so unevenly distributed. But who are they? How do they live? And what do they think of their country? A journey into the discreet world of the super-rich.

Épisode 93 - ID Theft

11 juin 2019

Your fingerprints, your iris and your voice are unique features in biometric identification. IT companies promise privacy and security. But cyber-crooks have already managed to break into biometric data banks -- with potentially dangerous results.

Épisode 94 - The DC-3 Story

12 juin 2019

The Douglas DC-3 is by far the most successful aircraft in the world. Sixteen thousand of them were built, and they flew under various different names, including "Skytrain," "Skysleeper," "Dakota," "C-47" - and in Germany "Raisin Bomber."

Épisode 95 - The Mystery of Anesthesia

13 juin 2019

It’s a horrifying scenario: Being operated on under general anesthesia - and you are still awake! Around ten million operations are performed under general anesthesia in Germany each year. But what exactly happens in the brain is still a mystery.

Épisode 96 - Little Stones

15 juin 2019

Four female artists fight for international women's rights with rap music, dance and graffiti. They fight against genital mutilation and domestic violence and for the dignity of sex workers.

Épisode 97 - God, the Devil and Rock 'n' Roll

16 juin 2019

Rock ’n’ roll was born from a spirit of rebellion that questioned authority and the traditional morality of the Christian church. And for many Christian leaders, it was clear that rock music paved the way to damnation. To them, everything about rock ’n roll clearly spoke of the "Devil’s Music" - from its roots in African-American culture to its hip-shimmying rhythms and less-than-pious lyrics

Épisode 98 - On Route 7 into the Heart of Patagonia

18 juin 2019

A trip along Chile’s National Route 7, the Carretera Austral, takes us into the stunning wilderness of Patagonia - a place that many German emigrants chose as their new home almost a century ago.

Épisode 99 - Markus the 35-Year-Old Child

19 juin 2019

Markus is autistic. He’ll probably never grow up, nor does he want to. "Most people don’t understand that, even my parents think it’s bad," says Markus. He spends a lot of his time playing with toys, while also dealing with the struggle for his father’s acceptance, and the question of what he can contribute to society. The documentary follows Markus for a year.

Épisode 100 - Daughters of the Karakorum

21 juin 2019

In the heart of the Karakorum, the highest mountain range in the world, Muslim women are turning Pakistan's traditional gender roles upside down. In the remote mountain village of Shimshal, women are training as mountain guides for the first time.

Épisode 101 - Berlin's Treasure Trove - Part 1

21 juin 2019

Berlin has a unique treasure trove: the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. It is one of the five largest universal collections in the world, including 19 museums with over five million objects from the bust of Nefertiti to the art of Joseph Beuys.

Épisode 102 - Berlin's Treasure Trove - Part 2

21 juin 2019

The second part of the documentary deals with the Mandu Yenu throne, which has been at the center of a debate about looted art in Germany. We also look into one of Joseph Beuys' works, which is also part of the collections of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in Berlin.

Épisode 103 - Venezuela's Broken Health System

23 juin 2019

Imagine running a pharmacy and having to send away your customers empty-handed. Imagine being a doctor paid so little you can’t make ends meet. Imagine having cancer and hoping they’ll soon get a shipment of the medication you need, before the disease starts spreading again.

Épisode 104 - Healing without Antibiotics

24 juin 2019

Resistance to antibiotics is leading to an increasing number of deaths. But special viruses could help. Antibiotics are becoming increasingly ineffective. But one medicine could help: it contains special viruses that can destroy germs. So-called bacteriophages have been used successfully in Georgia for decades.

Épisode 105 - Hoping for a Better Life - The History of Europeans in America

25 juin 2019

Thirty million Europeans emigrated to the USA in the 19th Century to realize their American dream. But the continent was settled at the expense of its original inhabitants.

Épisode 106 - Of Black Holes and Neutrinos - Messages from the Edge of the Universe

26 juin 2019

Neutrinos are spectral particles that are not only extraterrestrial but also extragalactic. Scientists have discovered that they make up a miniscule part of the cosmic rays that constantly bombard the Earth's atmosphere.

Épisode 107 - Impossible Peace - The Treaty of Versailles and Its Consequences

27 juin 2019

Épisode 108 - Silicon Dream Girls

29 juin 2019

New generation realistic sex dolls are becoming more and more technically sophisticated and ever more popular. Europe's first doll brothel recently opened in Barcelona, quickly followed by ones in Britain, Germany and France. Enthusiasts and collectors of silicone ladies say this shows they are slowly becoming part of Europe's cultural mainstream. But the dolls are more than mere sex toys to some men - they actually live with them. The camera team visits Dean Bevan from Suffolk, Britain. The retired nurse felt lonely after separating from his wife. His solution: His doll Sarah and six of her "sisters." They live in the same house and he talks to them, photographs them, and even watches TV with them. If Sarah could speak and move, he says he'd prefer her to a real woman. But is this just a harmless foible or does it reflect an alarming social development where interpersonal closeness and communication engender fear instead of well-being?

Épisode 109 - The New Silk Road - Part 1: From China to Pakistan

30 juin 2019

The New Silk Road is a mammoth project intended to connect China with the West. It's a gigantic infrastructure project that Beijing says will benefit everyone. But this two-part documentary shows China’s predominant self-interest and geopolitical ambitions.

Épisode 110 - My Abusers: The Priests

1 juillet 2019

Child abuse in the Catholic Church was long a taboo subject, kept under wraps by senior church dignitaries. But in the pursuit of justice, the Church’s inactivity eventually prompted the victims of child abuse to take matters into their own hands.

Épisode 111 - Cape Town - A City without Water

3 juillet 2019

Cape Town is already running out of water now. But the catastrophe was foreseeable. Politicians have ignored periods of drought and the rapidly growing population for too long.

Épisode 112 - The BND File

4 juillet 2019

Germany’s secret service, the BND, is heavily involved in the delivery of weapons to crisis areas of the world. As this documentary shows, it has - among other things - played along with arms deals made by German shipping companies.

Épisode 113 - Pure Love - The Voice of Ella Fitzgerald

5 juillet 2019

Ella Fitzgerald’s voice was a phenomenon unrivalled to this day. She had absolute pitch and perfect intonation. Ella’s voice spanned three octaves, her phrasing seemed effortless, and the odd moments in her nearly sixty-year career when she sang off-key were few and far between. There is hardly any style of music in which she did not excel.

Épisode 114 - The New Silk Road - Part 2: From Kyrgyzstan to Duisburg

8 juillet 2019

The New Silk Road is a mammoth project meant to connect China with the West. It’s a gigantic infrastructure project that Beijing says will benefit all. But this two-part documentary shows another side: of China’s self-interest and geopolitical ambitions.

Épisode 115 - The Andes

8 juillet 2019

High in the Andes, the Kolla are fighting to preserve their traditions. Argentina’s indigenous Kolla people live an austere life in the high desert plains. This is their home where they thrive.

Épisode 116 - Jonas Kaufmann: A Tenor for the Ages

9 juillet 2019

The German tenor Jonas Kaufmann is one of the most sought-after artists in the opera world. He captivates audiences with the power, emotion and beauty in his singing, the intelligence of his acting, and his extraordinary range - from heroic stage roles in Wagner, to Schubert’s intimate Lieder compositions.

Épisode 117 - Jellyfish on the Rise?

11 juillet 2019

Will jellyfish conquer the oceans of our earth in the future? Jellyfish can destroy entire fish farms and even bring coastal nuclear power stations to a standstill. Scientists are now investigating their meteoric rise

Épisode 118 - Chicago - Survival in the Shadows

12 juillet 2019

Eleven dead and 70 injured: the result of a deadly weekend in Chicago. The city has experienced an explosion of violence in the last two years, with 650 more people killed in shootings there than the US’s two biggest cities combined: Los Angeles and New York. Young black men are the main victims of this endless cycle of gang crime, illegal weapons and social problems.

Épisode 119 - An Impossible Journey? - Nidal Wants to Return to Gaza

13 juillet 2019

German-Palestinian Nidal wants to return from Berlin to his family in the Gaza Strip. But will Israel allow a Palestinian to pass through the country? And will the Palestinian Hamas government let him enter?

Épisode 120 - On Bananas and Republics

16 juillet 2019

How did the banana become a global export hit? How did the United Fruit Company turn into a multinational empire that would turn Central American nations into easily manipulated "banana republics"? This documentary shows how global capitalism works.

Épisode 121 - Eternal Chancellor

17 juillet 2019

Many see Chancellor Angela Merkel as the most powerful woman in the world. But is she? The 2015 refugee crisis saw her reveal a more humane side - and take a considerable political risk. But she can still repeatedly outwit her opponents and skillfully maneuver them to the sidelines.

Épisode 122 - The Legacy of Courage - Sons and Daughters of the Resistance

18 juillet 2019

Today, the July 20 plotters who tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler are seen as heroes who paid for their courage with their lives. But to their children, their untimely deaths were a calamity that has haunted them through to the present.

Épisode 123 - Neil Armstrong - The moon was his destiny

19 juillet 2019

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Neil Armstrong was 38 in 1969 when he spoke these legendary words as the first man ever to set foot on the moon.

Épisode 124 - The Eco-Rebels of the Himalayas

20 juillet 2019

An Indian state in the Himalayas has completely transformed its agriculture and switched to organic farming. Sikkim has become a model for the rest of the world, because its farmers only cultivate their fields and plantations in a sustainable way.

Épisode 125 - How the Moon Conquered Pop

22 juillet 2019

Stories about the moon have provided inspiration for countless pop songs. The race for the first moon landing and the myths surrounding the Earth’s satellite have inspired some of pop culture’s best songs.

Épisode 126 - Rota n' Roll

23 juillet 2019

In the mid-20th Century, Franco’s Spain was impoverished and isolated from the rest of the world. But then a fresh breeze blew through the fishing village of Rota.

Épisode 127 - The Exploitation of Jungle

24 juillet 2019

FSC eco-certification was established 25 years ago to stop the deforestation of primeval forests by attesting that products are made from "environmentally-friendly" wood. But does the FSC really prevent illegal deforestation?

Épisode 128 - The Divided Soul of America

25 juillet 2019

Racism, intolerance and xenophobia have always existed in the USA. But under Donald Trump, America has become a bitterly divided country and the scene of a fierce cultural struggle for the nation's future.

Épisode 129 - Fashion Photographer Walter Pfeiffer

26 juillet 2019

At the age of 73, Walter Pfeiffer is at the zenith of his career as a fashion photographer and illustrator. The Swiss artist gives an insight into his eventful life - and his models tell us what his pictures mean to them today.

Épisode 130 - Balkan Earthquake - The Guča Trumpet Festival

27 juillet 2019

The trumpet festival in the western Serbian town of Guča is one of Europe’s most captivating musical events. Each year, a bold mix of national pride, fairground fun and a Woodstock-like air attracts visitors from all over the world.

Épisode 131 - Alpine Twilight - Europe without Glaciers

30 juillet 2019

It is far too late to save the Alpine glaciers. And now, the dangers caused by tons of melting ice are rising sharply. Every year, climate change is destroying two of the currently 70 square kilometers of glaciers left in the Alps.

Épisode 132 - African logbook - On the road in Mali and Niger

31 juillet 2019

The EU has enlisted the help of Mali and Niger in an effort to keep African immigrants in Africa. A documentary that focuses on one of the most complicated and geopolitically important regions in the world: Niger and Mali.

Épisode 133 - For All the World to See

1 août 2019

Violence against women is a violation of human rights, but it happens everywhere. We meet women in Benin, Bangladesh, DRC and Germany who have been victims of horrific violence, yet fought their way free.

Épisode 134 - Astor Piazolla - Tango Nuevo

2 août 2019

Astor Piazolla, the founder of "Tango Nuevo," revolutionized Argentinian tango, breaking the rules of traditional tango and bringing the country's iconic music and dance to international concert halls.

Épisode 135 - DocFilm - Rojava - Northern Syria: The Kurds between Conflict and Democracy

3 août 2019

What will happen next in northern Syria? All of the parties to the conflict - the Americans, Assad's regime, Russia, Iran and Turkey - have their own agendas for the war-torn region. But what do the Kurds themselves think about their future?

Épisode 136 - The new Maharajas of India

6 août 2019

Only the US and China currently have more billionaires than India. Some of them are as famous as pop stars and enjoy similar adulation. Their social media accounts have millions of followers - in a country where more than half the population lives below the poverty line.

Épisode 137 - The guardians of the Amazon

7 août 2019

The Amazon rainforest is often called the Earth’s ‘green lung’. Today, indigenous peoples like the Yawalapiti are its last guardians. Their young chief Tapi describes the effects of ongoing climate change and the threats the Yawalapiti face.

Épisode 138 - The Row over ETA Prisoners - A Difficult Reconciliation in the Basque Country

10 août 2019

The Basque terrorist organization ETA is a thing of the past. But be they behind bars or walking around in freedom, the treatment of former ETA members is controversial and divisive.

Épisode 139 - Daniel Hope - The sound of life

10 août 2019

Daniel Hope is one of the most sought-after violinists of our time. This very personal portrait looks at his career and the history of his family, who came to London from Berlin via South Africa - and at what drives him as a musician.

Épisode 140 - Dirty dreamboats

13 août 2019

Ocean cruises are booming, but the downside is massive air pollution from the ships’ exhaust fumes. The cruise industry's billion-dollar business is extremely lucrative - and a threat to coastal cities.

Épisode 141 - Paradise or robocalypse?

14 août 2019

Are we facing a golden digital age or will robots soon run the world? We need to establish ethical standards in dealing with artificial intelligence - and to answer the question: What still makes us as human beings unique?

Épisode 142 - Mein Kampf - Secrets of Adolf Hitler's book

15 août 2019

You can still buy Adolf Hitler's credo all over the world, under the counter in some places, on the Internet or simply at the bookshop in others. But did Hitler actually write it himself? And was it really a blueprint for war and the Holocaust?

Épisode 143 - Lift-off to Mars

16 août 2019

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet spent seven months on the International Space Station ISS, which brings together researchers from all over the world. He conducted experiments in space to find out more about the potential of human spaceflight. Could we really send people to Mars?

Épisode 144 - The Wealth of Biodiversity - Peru

17 août 2019

Illegal gold prospectors are threatening the Manu National Park in Peru, which is a World Heritage Site. More species of wild animals and plants have been documented in Peru than anywhere else on Earth. But now their very survival is at stake.

Épisode 145 - Life after Crude - Economic Change in the Gulf

3 juillet 2019

The Gulf states are preparing for a economic future independent of oil. The black gold once turned Bedouins into global players, but the market for oil and gas is changing as renewable energies become increasingly viable

Épisode 146 - Strong Women in Africa

20 août 2019

Épisode 147 - Slaves - Human Bondage in Today’s World

21 août 2019

There are over 45 million slaves worldwide today - more than ever before in human history. Modern slavery has many faces: workers, sex slaves, household servants and child soldiers. But some people are fighting this trade in human misery.

Épisode 148 - Brain Beats

23 août 2019

Be it sound, music or noise, the future will be audible. In a world full of visual stimuli, human hearing is underestimated. As scientist Trevor Cox puts it: "Without the acoustic aspect, everything is nothing."

Épisode 149 - The Kosher Cop - A Policeman Fights Anti-Semitism

24 août 2019

Anti-Semitism is on the rise in France and the country's Jews feel increasingly threatened. After attacks on Jewish institutions and Jewish life, many feel abandoned by the state. A retired Jewish policeman wants to change that.

Épisode 150 - Charcoal - An Environmental Disaster

25 août 2019

Huge areas of tropical rainforest are being destroyed to make charcoal for barbecues. The global deforestation is leading to growing problems. Nigeria and the DRC Congo - two of Europe’s main charcoal suppliers - are also affected.

Épisode 151 - A Matter of Life and Death - Rodeo in Brazil

27 août 2019

Rodeo in Brazil is a balancing act between tradition and business. Its stars are the riders, mounted on specially bred fighting bulls. But animal rights activists are sounding the alarm because the bulls often face abuse, injury and death.

Épisode 152 - Agfa 1939 - My Journey Into War

28 août 2019

A box full of photos from the Second World War serves as the starting point for a historical thriller. It was found by a Polish filmmaker whose grandfather had served in the German army. But what does it mean for Michal Wnuk’s family history?

Épisode 153 - Hooked on Painkillers - The Opioid Crisis in the USA

29 août 2019

Opioid addiction has already cost nearly 200,000 lives in the US alone. But recent figures indicate the crisis is no longer a purely American problem. The use of these painkillers has also increased in Germany and France in the last few years.

Épisode 154 - Tasty Taipei - Food, Fusion and Fun

31 août 2019

Taiwan’s diverse culture has given way to many popular restaurants which specialize in exotic cuisine. It is THE place for foodies who love fusion and more. Few places in Asia have so many different delicious dishes on offer, and all in one city!

Épisode 155 - Bugs – Nature’s Little Superheroes

2 septembre 2019

Think insects are pests? Think again. Our visually stunning documentary shows how these tiny geniuses can help us solve some of science’s biggest problems - from producing biofuels to killing drug-resistant bacteria and curing cancer.

Épisode 156 - The Future of Europe

3 septembre 2019

For young people in Europe, the Second World War is safely in the past. But peace and the shared values of European unification are now under threat. Young Europeans are fighting to make sure that history does not repeat itself.

Épisode 157 - Bombs in the Sea

3 septembre 2019

About 1.6 million tons of ammunition and chemical weapons lie in waters off Germany’s coasts. Left over from two world wars, this huge arsenal of sunken bombs, grenades, mines and torpedoes is becoming increasing unstable - and increasingly dangerous.

Épisode 158 - Gidon Kremer

6 septembre 2019

Musician, orchestra founder, artistic activist and intellectual: Violinist Gidon Kremer is one of the most exciting artists of our age. This film follows Kremer on tour around the world for a year and looks back on important stages in his life.

Épisode 159 - Germany's Creative Spirits

6 septembre 2019

Épisode 160 - The Woman with the Bloodhounds

8 septembre 2019

Swiss vet Marlene Zähner trains dogs to fight poaching in the Congo. The game population in the Virunga National Park has already been decimated by up to 95 percent. Gorillas in particular are facing extinction.

Épisode 161 - Leonora - How a Father lost his Daughter to Islamic State

10 septembre 2019

A father fights to save his daughter who has run off to join the terror organization Islamic State. For four long years Maik Messing doesn’t know if she will survive the ordeal. And for those same four years he was joined by a camera Team.

Épisode 162 - Turning Toxic - The Bayer-Monsanto Merger

11 septembre 2019

A year after Germany’s Bayer Group took over Monsanto, and it’s struggling to deal with the US seed giant’s controversial reputation. Now Bayer is also liable for Montano’s legal bills - which are starting to mount alarmingly.

Épisode 163 - Testosterone

12 septembre 2019

Testosterone has long been seen as a metaphor for aggression, but is there really anything to the idea of the testosterone-driven male? Prominent scientists explain how subtle the hormone’s effects actually are.

Épisode 164 - The Short Life of Chris Gueffroy

13 septembre 2019

Chris Gueffroy was the last person to be shot while attempting to cross the Berlin Wall in 1989. He was 20 years old when he was killed. His name became a symbol for those who were killed whilst attempting to escape Communist East Gemany.

Épisode 165 - It's in our Genes

17 septembre 2019

Some diseases wait like ticking time bombs in our genetic blueprints. Gene mutations might mean that we have a greater risk of getting Alzheimer’s or cancer, for instance. But how do we cope psychologically with this knowledge? And do we really have no control over this ‘master plan’?

Épisode 166 - Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas, Part 1

18 septembre 2019

Farmland - the new green gold. Across the globe, global commercial demand for arable land is on the rise. One of the most profitable new agricultural hotspots is Ethiopia. In the hopes of huge export revenues, the Ethiopian government is leasing millions of hectares of land to foreign investors. But there’s a dark side to this dream of prosperity.

Épisode 167 - Plastic Tide - Choking on Coke

19 septembre 2019

By 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the sea. Ten tons of plastic are produced every second. Sooner or later, a tenth of that will end up in the oceans. Coca-Cola says it wants to do something about it - but does it really?

Épisode 168 - On the Road with John Neumeier

20 septembre 2019

John Neumeier has been head of the Hamburg Ballet since 1973 and has led the company to world fame. He has created 160 choreographies, many of which have long since become dance classics. Neumeier is always on the road, but at home in Hamburg.

Épisode 169 - Evgenia Won’t Give Up - Empty Nets in the Aegean Sea

21 septembre 2019

The EU says 93% of Mediterranean fish stocks have been overfished, and blames big trawlers in particular. The fish are getting smaller, and some species have disappeared completely. What comes next, Greek fisher Evgenia asks.

Épisode 170 - Back to the Future? Weimar Today

22 septembre 2019

What resemblance do today’s ethnonationalistic ideologies bear to those of the Weimar-era? Quite a lot, this documentary shows. Germany’s far-right scene is now bigger than at any time since National Socialism.

Épisode 171 - After the Ice - What will Happen to the Arctic?

23 septembre 2019

Climate change in the Arctic is fueling not only fear, but also hope. Sea levels will rise and flood many regions. But the melting ice will also expose new land with reserves of oil, gas and minerals. New sea routes are also emerging.

Épisode 172 - Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas, Part 2

24 septembre 2019

Épisode 173 - The great leap forward

26 septembre 2019

Developments in artificial intelligence (AI) are leading to fundamental changes in the way we live. Algorithms can already detect Parkinson's disease and cancer and control both cars and aircraft. How will AI change our society in the future?

Épisode 174 - Donor Organ Recipients - Second Chance at Life

28 septembre 2019

Fewer and fewer Germans are willing to donate their organs after death, which often means long waits for transplant patients. Our documentary accompanied two such patients over a period of four years.

Épisode 175 - Raising the Iron Curtain - The Heroes of Eastern Europe

29 septembre 2019

The fall of the Berlin Wall began long before autumn 1989, in a warehouse at the Lenin shipyard in Gdansk. This is also where the documentary begins, before moving through Europe, to Prague and the no-man's-land between Hungary, Serbia and Romania.

Épisode 176 - Young Americans Against Gun Mania

1 octobre 2019

A man running amok in Florida took just six minutes to kill 17 people. Nationwide protests in the wake of the Parkland massacre called for tougher firearms laws. The killer had acquired the assault rifle he used in the killings legally.

Épisode 177 - Mahatma Gandhi

2 octobre 2019

Mahatma Gandhi, the man who led India to independence from British rule, was assassinated on 30 January 1948. This documentary shows how the ethnic and religious conflicts that divided the Indian subcontinent still shape it today.

Épisode 178 - D-Mark, Unification, Fatherland - The Difficult Legacy of the Treuhand

3 octobre 2019

The word Treuhand still triggers stronger reactions in East Germany. For millions of East Germans, the change from a planned to a market economy meant unemployment - and an affront that still rankles today.

Épisode 179 - Namibia - Shadows of Colonialism

4 octobre 2019

Namibia was a German colony for 30 years and the Germans left scars that remain even today, a century later. When the Herero tribe revolted against their colonial masters in 1904, the German General Lothar von Trotha decided to wipe them off the map.

Épisode 180 - Global Family

8 octobre 2019

A family torn apart by the brutal civil war in Somalia, scattered all over the world. A fate shared by countless refugee families. "Global Family" explores existential questions about what it means to leave a home and make a new one.

Épisode 181 - Top of the World - The Discrete Lives of the Super-Rich

9 octobre 2019

The rich in Germany been never been as well-off as they are today and assets have never been so unevenly distributed. But who are they? How do they live? And what do they think of their country? A journey into the discreet world of the super-rich.

Épisode 182 - The Brahms Code - Part 1

11 octobre 2019

Paavo Järvi: The Estonian star conductor has rediscovered the four symphonies by Johannes Brahms. The film follows him and the orchestra at rehearsals, in the studio and at concerts and presents the highlights of the romantic masterpieces.

Épisode 183 - The Melting Arctic - In the Realm of the Polar Bear

12 octobre 2019

Nowhere has experienced global warming like Svalbard, midway between Norway and the North Pole. Readings by a joint Franco-German research team show average temperatures have risen by 1.6 degrees in just ten years!

Épisode 184 - Red Flag on the Moon

14 octobre 2019

The Soviet Union's Secret Plan to Land Men on the Moon

Épisode 185 - The Silent Summer: Why Are Insects Dying?

16 octobre 2019

Insects are dying out and scientists and environmentalists are sounding the alarm. Our film team meets entomologists, farmers, scientists, chemical companies and politicians in a bid to lay bare the causes of insect mortality.

Épisode 186 - Goodbye Yellow Sea, Hello Black Forest

17 octobre 2019

Xu Qing is training as a geriatric nurse in the Black Forest. The 23 year old Chinese woman encounters people in the last stages of their lives, a stern boss and endless sausage sandwiches. The film follows her through three eventful years.

Épisode 187 - The Brahms Code - Part 2

18 octobre 2019

Épisode 188 - The Tyrannosaurus of Tambach-Dietharz

19 octobre 2019

More well-preserved dinosaur fossils have been found in Thüringen than anywhere else in the world. Almost every skeleton find has become a global sensation. And the archaeologists keep digging. They may already have discovered a new species.

Épisode 189 - The Volcano that Changed the World

22 octobre 2019

When the Tambora volcano erupted in Indonesia some 200 years ago, around 100,000 people perished. But the disaster was not over. The eruption’s ash cloud would cause crop failures, epidemics and civil disturbances across the northern hemisphere.

Épisode 190 - Ocean Grabbing

25 octobre 2019

Millions of people worldwide live from fishing. But the livelihoods of small fishermen are under threat - from power plants in India, tourism development in Sri Lanka, nature conservation in Costa Rica, and the global rise of ocean grabbing.

Épisode 191 - Living in Dignity - Ajna Fights for Bosnia's "Children of Shame"

26 octobre 2019

During the war in Yugoslavia, thousands of Bosnian women were raped and many became pregnant as a result. But their children are even now not recognized as war victims. The NGO "Forgotten Children of War" aims to change that.

Épisode 192 - Women's Football in Kabul

31 octobre 2019

A former Afghan national soccer player is fighting to ensure that girls can also play sports. Madina Azizi’s work has attracted both praise and fame, as well as a lot of hostility. Not everyone welcomes her commitment to female self-determination.

Épisode 193 - The Night the Wall Came Down - Schabowski's Note, Part 1

1 novembre 2019

November 9th, 1989, the day of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, was probably among the strangest in German history. No one had the intention, no one gave the order and no one was to blame - and yet, the day the Wall fell everyone was somehow involved.

Épisode 194 - Our Germany - Part 3: Freedom

4 novembre 2019

"Unity and justice and freedom" are both the first words of the German national anthem and three core values that characterize our country. But how have they developed over the course of German post-war history?

Épisode 195 - Luxury: Behind the Mirror

5 novembre 2019

This investigative documentary looks behind the shiny facade of luxury fashion. Shot with a hidden camera, it shows the brutal conditions in Chinese fur farms and how migrants are exploited in Italian tanneries.

Épisode 196 - The Berlin Wall, Our Family and Us

6 novembre 2019

What was life like in East Germany? How does the division of Germany still affect it even now? Thirty years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, there are still tangible differences between East and West. How do the younger generations see them?

Épisode 197 - The Synagogue with the Golden Dome

7 novembre 2019

A film about the eventful history of the New Synagogue in Berlin. It was damaged in the pogrom night of 1938 and by bombing during the war. Now animations and photographs make it possible to experience the building’s former beauty.

Épisode 198 - The Night of the Fall of the Wall

8 novembre 2019

Berliners from both East and West tell us about the night of November 9th, 1989, and how they were drawn into the whirlpool of historical events without knowing whether this evening would end well or badly for them.

Épisode 199 - Snapshots of Mexico

12 novembre 2019

Mexico through the lens of photographers: a complex and diverse country full of tragedy and magic, defined by tensions between North and South, city and country, desert and jungle, Latin America and the USA.

Épisode 200 - Women of ISIS

13 novembre 2019

For a long time it was believed that women were enslaved by the so-called "Islamic State." But that's only half the truth. Many women also voluntarily joined ISIS and tortured and killed without scruple - wives, mothers, sisters, daughters.

Épisode 201 - The Audi File

15 novembre 2019

Carmaker Audi’s falsification of diesel emissions testing is one of the biggest economic scandals in German history. This film uses internal documents to show how the manipulations began and the role corporate culture played in them.

Épisode 202 - The power of play

19 novembre 2019

Man has a natural play instinct. Dogs and cats - even spiders -also play. Researchers have found that playing increases the chances of survival in animals. The more delicate the game, the better it is for our motor and mental skills.

Épisode 203 - The nuclear weapons cartel

20 novembre 2019

In August 2019, both Russia and the United States declared they were pulling out of the treaty banning intermediate-range nuclear missiles. The 1987 INF treaty has collapsed. Is a new nuclear arms race on the horizon?

Épisode 204 - Drokpa - Nomads of Tibet

22 novembre 2019

The lives of Tibet's Dropka nomads revolve around their yaks, which provide them with of food, fuel and a livelihood for their families. But the breakneck pace of social and political change in China is threatening their traditional way of life with extinction.

Épisode 205 - All for a Good Cause - Sustainable Banking

23 novembre 2019

Banks committed to sustainably investing every cent in ecological projects should be environmentally friendly and meet accepted social standards. But what exactly does "sustainability" actually mean? And can you make money with it?

Épisode 206 - Poverty in the USA

26 novembre 2019

Homelessness, hunger and shame: poverty is rampant in the richest country in the world. Over 40 million people in the United States live below the poverty line, twice as many as it was fifty years ago. It can happen very quickly.

Épisode 207 - The Rival Princes of the Gulf

27 novembre 2019

A generational change has taken place in the three most important monarchies along the Persian Gulf. The new rulers in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar have dangerously shifted the political balance in this highly militarized Region.

Épisode 208 - Colombia - The Long Road to Peace

29 novembre 2019

Is Colombia really at peace? Even three years after the peace treaty, there is no clear answer. The documentary charts the ongoing conflict between the FARC guerillas and government, which is still fueled by war and social inequality.

Épisode 209 - Integration with Goat’s Cheese

1 décembre 2019

A political activist forced to flee Ethiopia has built a new life for herself in northern Italy, where she’s founded a successful business producing and selling goat’s cheese. The move has helped increase numbers among an increasingly rare breed of the animals, which are allowed to graze on abandoned communal pastures.

Épisode 210 - LSD is Back

3 décembre 2019

Some say LSD produces hallucinations and lowers inhibitions. Others believe it makes people more capable, efficient and creative. In Silicon Valley, many even say LSD can be a tool for self-improvement.

Épisode 211 - Charcoal: An Environmental Disaster

4 décembre 2019

Huge areas of tropical rainforest are being destroyed to make charcoal for barbecues. The global deforestation is leading to growing problems. Nigeria and the DRC Congo - two of Europe’s main charcoal suppliers - are also affected.

Épisode 212 - Nightmare Without End - Thalidomide is Still with Us

4 décembre 2019

Thalidomide - known as Contergan in Germany - is still being used as a drug. This, even after the medication caused thousands of birth defects six decades ago.

Épisode 213 - Germany: The Diminishing Coalition

8 décembre 2019

Germany’s current coalition was born out of necessity and has been beset by crisis. In March 2018, the Social Democrats reluctantly agreed to govern again with Angela Merkel’s conservatives after Merkel’s other options evaporated.

Épisode 214 - Putin’s Witnesses - Part 1

13 décembre 2019

This documentary looks at the rise of Vladimir Putin using video material never shown before. (93) The two-part film begins its examination with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the year 2000.

Épisode 215 - Advent Carols

14 décembre 2019

Caroling in the Hafenschuppen -- a port warehouse -- is a highlight of Advent in Hamburg. Around 450 signers meet there each year for a major concert of Christmas carols.

Épisode 216 - Children of Jihad: Ticking Time Bombs?

15 décembre 2019

The Islamic State used children as soldiers and slaves willing to kill. Officially, the Islamic State is considered defeated, but its propaganda videos are still circulating on the Internet. They depict the merciless way the Islamic State treated children.

Épisode 217 - Art, Craft and Ingenuity

17 décembre 2019

Restorers of modern artworks have to deal with the strangest materials.Christian Scheidemann has worked on everything from sculptures made from eggshells to a work made from elephant excrement at his studio in Los Angeles.

Épisode 218 - Breathless - The Hidden Threat of Asbestos

18 décembre 2019

Asbestos is a known carcinogen. Nevertheless, industries in India and other developing countries continue to work with the deadly fibers.

Épisode 219 - Tightrope act in Dresden - Helmut Kohl's Speech and German Reunification

18 décembre 2019

Six weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Helmut Kohl went to Dresden. The enthusiastic reception he received there became a demonstration for a rapid German reunification. The speech Kohl gave there was the most difficult and probably most important speech of his life.

Épisode 220 - Putin’s Witnesses, Part 2

19 décembre 2019

Épisode 221 - 1979 - The Big Bang that created today's world (1)

23 décembre 2019

1979 was a year that still shapes our world even today. That was when three fundamental forces - the collapse of communism, neoliberalism, and politicized and radicalized religion, fused into a single potent force.

Épisode 222 - Neuschwanstein - From fairy tale to cash cow

26 décembre 2019

Neuschwanstein is an icon, a brand and ultimately a myth; its dreamlike image reproduced countless times. Romance for some, but big business for others. Neuschwanstein - blessing or curse?

Épisode 223 - Surviving on the Moon

27 décembre 2019

Fifty years after the first Moon landing, researchers are working at full speed on the next lunar mission. Their aim is to build a habitable research station on the Moon. What is the current state of play in international lunar research?

Épisode 224 - Charlie and the Humans - The Future of Artificial Intelligence

28 décembre 2019

Artificial intelligence and intelligent robots already exist. But what decisions can technology make on our behalf? How far can it go? AI is still in its infancy.

Épisode 225 - Silent Night: A Song for the World

24 décembre 2019

Épisode 226 - Josephine Baker - Icon of Liberation

31 décembre 2019

Josephine Baker, a fighter against racism, the first black superstar. The documentary shows Josephine Baker's path from vaudeville dancer to world-famous singer, actress and fighter against racial segregation.

Épisode 227 - Love - more than a feeling

25 décembre 2019

What is love? Love is more than a feeling: it is a driving force that can influence both brain and body. Recent scientific studies show how much love can really change people's lives. Love is not only a topic in art, but also in science. Few other emotions can trump human reason like love. Love is an instinct like eating and drinking - primitive but vital. It is not romance but above all biology that brings two people together: we can identify the right partner for us by their scent, just as animals do. Recent research shows that the sense of smell, especially in women, has a significant influence on the choice of partner. Love can make wounds heal faster, lower your pulse rate and blood pressure and reduce anxiety and stress. But it can also make you sick and even kill you: "Broken Heart Syndrome” can be as dangerous as a heart attack. Love isn’t just about sex, but sex nurtures love between two people. Every touch causes the brain to release oxytocin, a hormone that triggers feelings of care and affection. And the love hormone isn’t just behind the passion of the newly smitten, but also behind the bond between parents and children and the affection for a pet. In fact, it makes social coexistence possible in the first place - for humans as well as for rats or ants. Love is above all a matter of biochemistry and scientists may one day even create a love pill in the laboratory. This science documentary shows in an entertaining way what love is, what it does to people - and how it stays alive.

Épisode 1 - Mega Yachts: The Latest Craze for Billionaires

1 janvier 2020

The largest private yacht in the world is the 180 meter-long Azzam, owned by the Emir of Abu Dhabi. Arab sheikhs, Russian oligarchs and American billionaires are battling to own the most luxurious and most expensive ship.

Épisode 2 - Foot Down for Eternity: Mercedes Old-Timers Around the World

1 janvier 2020

Épisode 3 - Lebanon - A country held hostage

2 janvier 2020

In Lebanon, Hezbollah now controls broad areas of political and social life. It has become a state within a state. How can the "Party of God" be confronted?

Épisode 4 - Africa Rising, Part 1

3 janvier 2020

As the cultural sector is becoming more diverse, all eyes are on African pop culture. Its stars are gaining international attention. But culture from Africa has long influenced artists in the West. A look at current trends and their historical roots.

Épisode 5 - The truth about lying

6 janvier 2020

People lie - usually several times a day. Lying is considered immoral, but we've been built for it. And we are not alone. Dishonesty is an integral part of the social world, and numerous animal species are also skilled deceivers.

Épisode 6 - Farming Policies for Sale?

9 janvier 2020

What kind of agriculture do we really want? How sustainable, regional, animal-friendly and expensive can it be? These and other pressing issues are part of a debate about radical agricultural reform of policy currently going on in Brussels.

Épisode 7 - 1979 - The Big Bang that created today's world (2)

9 janvier 2020

1979 was a year that shapes our world even today. That was when three fundamental forces - the collapse of communism, neoliberalism, and politicized and radicalized religion, fused into a single potent force.

Épisode 8 - Africa Rising, Part 2

10 janvier 2020

Épisode 9 - Bohemian Switzerland by Rail

11 janvier 2020

A train journey through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains between Germany and the Czech Republic. Peculiar rock formations and the river Elbe shape this beautiful region. Since the mid 19th century, a railway line has been meandering through its valleys.

Épisode 10 - Battle of Social Networks

13 janvier 2020

Social networks have become battlefields for truth and power. They provide their users with great freedom. But they are also being utilized to manipulate people, and sway public opinion by means of "fake news."

Épisode 11 - Violinist Gidon Kremer - Finding his own way

16 janvier 2020

Musician, orchestra founder, artistic activist and intellectual: Violinist Gidon Kremer is one of the most exciting artists of our age. This film follows Kremer on tour around the world for a year and looks back on important stages in his life.

Épisode 12 - Pioneers of the skies

17 janvier 2020

The first successful transatlantic flight in 1919 was a milestone for mankind. This film tells the stories of the people who dared to undertake the dangerous journey. Discover the records and setbacks in this exciting chapter of aviation history.

Épisode 13 - Displaced: Oil and Ruin - The Venezuelan Exodus

17 janvier 2020

Venezuela is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Hunger is widespread and there is a severe shortage of medicines. The UN estimates that more than four million people have now fled what was once South America's richest nation.

Épisode 14 - Sudan - A TV show for start-ups

18 janvier 2020

Youth unemployment cuts deep in Sudan. But a hit TV show has inspired young entrepreneurs. Start-ups compete in the show - and the format has done more than achieve high ratings in the struggling country.

Épisode 15 - Displaced - The Exodus of Ghana's farmers

22 janvier 2020

What do tomatoes have to do with mass migration? Tomatoes are a poker chip in global trade policies. Subsidized products from the EU, China and elsewhere are sold at dumping prices, destroying markets and livelihoods in Africa in the process.

Épisode 16 - Germany’s Problem with Plastic

23 janvier 2020

Germany is the European champion when it comes to generating packaging waste - despite its longstanding system to separate trash. And the figures for plastic waste are nearly ach sotwice what they were 15 years ago.

Épisode 17 - Victim of Auschwitz Twin Experiments

26 janvier 2020

Eva Mozes Kor was experimented on as one of Dr. Josef Mengele's twins at Auschwitz. After decades of anguish, she decided to forgive the Nazis - and came to be one of the best-known and most-active Holocaust survivors in the world.

Épisode 18 - Hoping for a Better Life

28 janvier 2020

Thirty million Europeans emigrated to the USA in the 19th Century to realize their American dream. But the continent was settled at the expense of its original inhabitants.

Épisode 19 - Displaced - Drought and Floods

29 janvier 2020

More people around the world are fleeing from climate change than from war. If human-induced climate change continues at the current rate, the World Bank warns that by 2050 there could be as many as 180 million climate refugees.

Épisode 20 - Blood Trade - Health vs. Dollars

30 janvier 2020

Human blood plasma is an important raw material of the global pharmaceuticals industry. In recent years, it’s also become a global market worth billions, fed mostly by the US.

Épisode 21 - Goodbye Yellow Sea, Hello Black Forest

31 janvier 2020

Xu Qing is training as a geriatric nurse in the Black Forest. The 23 year old Chinese woman encounters people in the last stages of their lives, a stern boss and endless sausage sandwiches. The film follows her through three eventful years.

Épisode 22 - Flying over the Atlantic - transatlantic flights

18 janvier 2020

The first successful transatlantic flight in 1919 was a milestone for mankind. This film tells the stories of the people who dared to undertake the dangerous journey. Discover the records and setbacks in this exciting chapter of aviation history. Ever since the invention of aircraft, pilots have dreamed of flying across the Atlantic non-stop. Daring men and women risked their lives in pursuit of this goal. Then, just 100 years ago, the first transatlantic flight succeeded. The story began in 1918. The British Newspaper ‘Daily Mail’ announced a 10,000 pound prize for the "aviator who shall first cross the Atlantic in an aeroplane in flight from any point in the US, Canada or Newfoundland to any point in Great Britain or Ireland in 72 continuous hours." In 1919, four teams would attempt the crossing from Newfoundland. They were all unemployed fighter pilots. Only two succeeded — John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown. On 15 June 1919, the two men wrote aviation history when they landed in Ireland in a modified bi-plane bomber. But their glory was short-lived. In the 1920s, several other attempts and records followed. Perhaps the most famous was made in 1928 by the two Germans Hermann Köhl and Ehrenfried Freiherr Günther von Hünefeld, and the Irishman James Fitzmaurice. The three men were scheduled to land in New York, and thousands gathered to watch their arrival. But flight conditions were treacherous. Köhl would later describe dramatic scenes when the engine stuttered, storms and fog, hunger and cold, and fear of being lost forever. In the end, the team missed their destination in New York. But they managed an emergency landing on Greenly Island. With that, they had successfully touched down on North American soil, making them the first to complete an east-west non-stop transatlantic flight. The film relays personal stories of courage and determination, from heroes and pioneers who changed the face of travel forever.

Épisode 23 - Former IS Fighters in the Philippines

1 février 2020

Muslim separatists in the Philippines took control of the city of Marawi and held it for five months in 2017. The army of the mainly Christian country fought hard to oust them. Now, former Islamic State fighters are recanting.

Épisode 24 - The Science of Avalanches

4 février 2020

It's difficult to forecast avalanches and impossible to stop them. This documentary follows scientists, snow profilers and trainers as they assess the risk of avalanches in the Alps.

Épisode 25 - Ghana: Business on the go

5 février 2020

Ghana is the second largest cocoa producer in the world. Still, many Ghanaians have yet to taste chocolate: The precious commodity is largely for export. The cocoa farmers in this resource-rich country also usually see little of the profit.

Épisode 26 - The Red Children - Childhood under Mao

6 février 2020

Hundreds of foreigners were involved in Mao's Cultural Revolution. Their children were raised as young communists. But as the class struggle in China escalated, the "Great Helmsman" started to question their unwavering loyalty to the "New China."

Épisode 27 - The Sound of Freedom, Part 1

7 février 2020

Two hundred years of the music of freedom, hope and protest: This two-part documentary tells the story of songs that have become iconic - from the "Marseillaise" to "Bella Ciao" and "I Will Survive."

Épisode 28 - Italy’s Little Criminals - Saving Kids from the Mafia

8 février 2020

Youth gangs are committing more and more brutal assaults in Italian cities. Known as "baby gangs,” the groups rob people on the streets, deal drugs, and beat up the homeless. Many end up in the Mafia.

Épisode 29 - Looted Art in the Third Reich - The Saulmann Case

9 février 2020

The Nazis systematically plundered Jewish art collections in Germany. This documentary looks at selected cases to how art dealers profited from the persecution of Jewish collectors after 1933.

Épisode 30 - Germany's Role in NATO and the World

12 février 2020

The world has become more insecure and a new arms race seems imminent. Disarmament treaties are lapsing and existing alliances crumbling. Will Germany be able to meet the challenges?

Épisode 31 - The Dresden Legend - The Firestorm’s Long Shadow

13 février 2020

More than half-a-million people were killed in Allied air raids during the Second World War. The missions targeted more than 100 German cities - but none of them have achieved such tragic fame as Dresden.

Épisode 32 - Sound of Freedom, Part 2

14 février 2020

Épisode 33 - Atatürk: The Father of Modern Turkey

17 février 2020

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was a revolutionary and the founder of modern Turkey. A brilliant military strategist, a womanizer and a popular educator who changed the face of Turkey, he was one of the most fascinating personalities of his time.

Épisode 34 - I Demand Justice!

19 février 2020

Ekhlas is a Yazidi. She was once a prisoner of Islamic State (IS) in northern Iraq. Today, she’s hitting back. This documentary tells the story of a young woman who managed to escape to Germany and is now fighting against terror.

Épisode 35 - Soyalism - The World Food Business

19 février 2020

Industrial agriculture is increasingly dominating the world market. It’s forcing small farmers to quit and taking over vast swathes of land. This documentary shows how destructive the lucrative agribusiness is.

Épisode 36 - Northern Lights - Life in Winter

21 février 2020

Most northern Europeans like winter, even when the mercury falls below minus 40 degrees Celsius. But in the polar regions of Norway, Finland and Sweden even running daily errands in snow and storms can be quite an adventure.

Épisode 37 - In the Wrong Body - Teen Girl to Teen Boy

22 février 2020

Born a girl, René realized at puberty that he wanted to live as a boy. People who cannot identify with their innate gender are known as transgender. Our film follows René during his transition to his new self.

Épisode 38 - Lead in the Blood - The Fatal Consequences of South America's Commodities Boom

23 février 2020

Huge quantities of raw materials are needed for mobile phones, copper pipes or wind turbines. Things that we Europeans naturally use are produced in South America under the harshest conditions. It's a filthy business.

Épisode 39 - Richie, Rubbish and Hard-Earned Cash: Surviving Kenya's Landfills

24 février 2020

Épisode 40 - After the Ice - What will Happen to the Arctic?

25 février 2020

Climate change in the Arctic is fueling not only fear, but also hope. Sea levels will rise and flood many regions. But the melting ice will also expose new land with reserves of oil, gas and minerals. New sea routes are also emerging.

Épisode 41 - Never Enough

25 février 2020

Social media are influencing the way women feel about their own bodies. Young women in particular are constantly being confronted with pictures of beautiful female bodies online - images which have almost always been digitally enhanced.

Épisode 42 - The Shah and the Ayatollah

27 février 2020

Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was ousted during a revolution led by the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979. The Shah’s fall marked the end of more than 2500 years of the monarchy in Iran and the formerly western-oriented state became an Islamic republic.

Épisode 43 - Have Fun in Pyongyang

28 février 2020

Are people in North Korea allowed to laugh, dance and marry? This documentary provides unique insights on everyday life in the East Asian country, which most people associate with dictatorship, military parades and nuclear missile testing.

Épisode 44 - Better Brain Health - We Are What We Eat

1 mars 2020

Chocolate reduces stress. Fish stimulates the brain. Is there any truth to such popular beliefs? The findings of researchers around the world say yes: It appears we really are what we eat.

Épisode 45 - The Woman with the Bloodhounds

3 mars 2020

Swiss vet Marlene Zähner trains dogs to fight poaching in the Congo. The game population in the Virunga National Park has already been decimated by up to 95 percent. Gorillas in particular are facing extinction.

Épisode 46 - Leonora - How a Father lost his Daughter to Islamic State

4 mars 2020

A father fights to save his daughter who has run off to join the terror organization Islamic State. For four long years Maik Messing doesn’t know if she will survive the ordeal. And for those same four years he was joined by a camera Team.

Épisode 47 - [m]otherhood

6 mars 2020

Many women make a conscious decision not to have children. What are the reasons behind their choice - and what reactions does it prompt? The film [m]otherhood investigates these questions and examines the maternal myth inherent in all cultures.

Épisode 48 - Marvel - Empire of Superheroes

9 mars 2020

Today, Marvel is one of the world’s best-known players in the comic industry. Spider Man and X-Man are just two of its popular superheroes. Thirty years ago, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. How did Marvel make it back to the top?

Épisode 49 - Can Electric Cars Save the Climate?

12 mars 2020

"Emission free" electric cars are being vaunted as the solution to climate change. They have the potential to earn billions for German carmakers , yet are they really so environmentally-friendly?

Épisode 50 - Europe's Future - The Young Heroes

11 mars 2020

For young people in Europe, the Second World War is safely in the past. But peace and the shared values of European unification are now under threat. Young Europeans are fighting to make sure that history does not repeat itself.

Épisode 51 - Aid in Allah's Name

13 mars 2020

Islamic charities are highly committed to helping Muslims in need. Their missions aim to relieve the plight of victims of war, poverty and hunger around the world. But is there a political component to their work?

Épisode 52 - The Tyrannosaurus of Tambach-Dietharz

14 mars 2020

More well-preserved dinosaur fossils have been found in Thüringen than anywhere else in the world. Almost every skeleton find has become a global sensation. And the archaeologists keep digging. They may already have discovered a new species.

Épisode 53 - Slavery Routes - A Short History of Human Trafficking: 1375-1620: For All the Gold of the World

18 mars 2020

Épisode 54 - Myanmar and the Rohingya - Murder by Design?

19 mars 2020

More than 700 thousand Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh. Their villages were torched, civilians attacked, raped and massacred. A pattern of systematic persecution that the UN says is genocide.

Épisode 55 - World War Two - The Final Months

19 mars 2020

Spring 1945: The Second World War was in its final phase. The Nazis were still pursuing their delusional goal of ultimate victory, unscrupulously sending the youngest of conscripts to the front. But the end of the war was already in sight.

Épisode 56 - When the Rain Stops Falling

20 mars 2020

The growing scarcity of water and rain on earth is a grave danger to humans and nature. Climate change is altering the precipitation cycle. Groundwater levels are falling. If humans don’t change course, water shortage could end life as we know it.

Épisode 57 - Big Money - Big Fraud: The Story of a German Conman

21 mars 2020

It was one of the biggest white-collar scams in German history. In the 1990s, Manfred Schmider and his company FlowTex took investors for more than two billion euros. Today, the conman himself can’t believe how easy it was to get away with a major fraud.

Épisode 58 - Operation Kony - A US Crusade in Africa

24 mars 2020

Can a video trigger a war in Africa? This documentary investigates a controversial 2012 charity film that went viral, and asks whether the video and US-led hunt for Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony served as a cover for US military operations in Africa.

Épisode 59 - Putin's Pride – Cossasks and the Church

26 mars 2020

Russia – a global power, confident and strong. That’s the image projected by President Vladimir Putin. Decades after the Soviet Union’s collapse, Putin is relying on Russian traditions and values from the tsarist past to kindle patriotism.

Épisode 60 - Mugabe - Death of a Dictator

16 avril 2020

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was ousted in 2017. One of the most brutal dictatorships in modern times, its legacy was economic devastation, famine, corruption and mass murder.

Épisode 61 - A Poisoned Legacy - The Bhopal Disaster

28 mars 2020

The world’s worst industrial disaster continues to claim new generations of victims. The 1984 leak at a chemical plant in the Indian city of Bhopal released a cloud of deadly gas that killed thousands. The site remains toxic to this day.

Épisode 62 - Renegade in a Cassock - Father Ángel and His Open Church

12 avril 2020

Many Spaniards perceive the Catholic Church as old-fashioned. A priest in Madrid is trying to change that by leading a modern, inclusive congregation ready to receive anyone 24 hours a day.

Épisode 63 - Riding the Rails Across Mongolia

17 avril 2020

Épisode 64 - Guilt-free Brew - Fair Trade, Sustainable Coffee

18 avril 2020

Germans love coffee, and the country doesn't really wake up without it. But is it sustainably produced and fairly traded? Not really. This documentary investigates efforts to improve the situation.

Épisode 65 - Global Thermostat - Ways to Cool the World

22 avril 2020

Scientists are testing new technologies they hope could counteract the effects of climate change. But how could that work on a global scale? And - if it is possible at all - what are the dangers?

Épisode 66 - COVID-19, The Asian Way: A Message of Hope

23 avril 2020

Épisode 67 - The Battle for Land - Settlers in Chile

24 avril 2020

A land dispute between European immigrants and the indigenous people of Chile has turned deadly. Hardly a day passes in the Chilean province of Araucanía without an attack by indigenous people on settlers.

Épisode 68 - Stolen Children - The Kidnapping Campaign of Nazi Germany

28 avril 2020

On orders from Heinrich Himmler, the Nazis abducted children from Poland for forced Germanization. Hermann Lüdeking, Jozef Sowa and Alodia Witaszek have never met, but they shared the same fate.

Épisode 69 - The Death of Adolf Hitler - The History of a State Secret

29 avril 2020

As the Red Army closed in on Berlin on April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his bunker. But legends about the Nazi dictator's lived on. Was his body ever found? Did he manage to escape?

Épisode 70 - The Battle of Hürtgen Forest

30 avril 2020

Thousands of soldiers were killed in the last battles of World War II. US troops who fought in the Hürtgen Forest nicknamed it the "Death Factory." This documentary features original film from US archives that bring the battle back to life.

Épisode 71 - Afro.Germany

2 mai 2020

Where are you from? Afro-German journalist Jana Pareigis has heard that question since her early childhood. In fact, black people have been living in Germany for 400 years. Pareigis travels through the country to speak with other black Germans.

Épisode 72 - Jewish life in Poland

5 mai 2020

The Nazis murdered 90 percent of Poland's Jews in the death camps. Seventy-five years after the end of World War Two, life is returning to the Jewish community in Poland.

Épisode 73 - Stammheim: The Red Army Faction on Trial

12 mai 2020

Épisode 74 - Printing Out the World

16 mai 2020

Three-dimensional printing promises new opportunities for more sustainable and local production. But does 3D printing make everything better? This film shows how innovation can change the world of goods.

Épisode 75 - Corona Diaries

18 mai 2020

People from all over the world have been describing the drastic impact of the corona pandemic: The empty streets outside their homes, their fears and daily routines, the news, the regulations, the newly discovered sense of community as well as the small moments of hope.

Épisode 76 - The Loneliness Epidemic

19 mai 2020

Everyone is lonely at times. But now we know chronic loneliness can make you sick. Not only adults are affected, but increasingly young people as well. The reasons for loneliness are as diverse as the feeling itself.

Épisode 77 - Zero Tolerance - The Philippines: In the sights of IS

20 mai 2020

Is the so-called "Islamic State" aiming to use the Philippines as its bridgehead in Asia? IS took control of the predominantly Muslim city of Marawi in 2017, and it took the Filipino army five months to take it back.

Épisode 78 - Zero Tolerance: Indonesia - Diversity under Threat

27 mai 2020

For a long time Indonesia was considered a model state for diversity and tolerance. There have been increasing indications that radical Muslims are gaining more influence in the most populous Muslim country in the world.

Épisode 79 - GREED - A Fatal Desire (1)

28 mai 2020

"People like to have a lot of stuff because it gives them the feeling of living forever," says social psychologist Sheldon Solomon, who believes today's materialism and consumerism will have disastrous consequences. How much is enough?

Épisode 80 - Getting Out of a Jam - Rethinking Traffic

30 mai 2020

There are more and more cars and trucks on German streets. Cars are used for most journeys people take. But there are also ways to cut traffic - such as by changing the way you get around

Épisode 81 - Rebuilding Mosul

2 juin 2020

After nine months of battle, Mosul was liberated from the so-called Islamic State in July 2017. It was here in Iraq’s second largest city that the militant group proclaimed its caliphate in 2014.

Épisode 82 - Beethoven - The sound of nature

4 juin 2020

2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth. Symphony No. 6 saw the composer set his romantic perception of nature to music. The ‘Pastorale’ is the starting point for the worldwide Beethoven Pastoral Project.

Épisode 83 - 66 Meters - Rising Sea Levels

5 juin 2020

How high will the oceans rise due to climate change? The projections are the subject of dispute, with scientists continually correcting their estimates upward. Is this just panic-mongering or are these scenarios within the realm of possibility?

Épisode 84 - GSG 9 - Germany’s counterterrorism unit

11 juin 2020

The GSG 9 is the German police’s elite tactical unit. It’s their job to take on dangerous terrorists and criminal mafias in the country. But who are the officers who make up the force? An exclusive look behind the scenes of Germany’s top police squad.

Épisode 85 - Beyond the Music - The Barenboim-Said Academy

12 juin 2020

The Barenboim-Said Academy brings together young musicians from around the Middle East. Daniel Barenboim wants the experiment to be a protected place for intercultural dialogue between Jews, Muslims and Christians, away from war and daily hardship.

Épisode 86 - The Cleaners - Social media’s shadow industry, Part 2

15 juin 2020

Manila is home to a gigantic shadow industry of digital cleaning. It employs tens of thousands of people working 10-hour shifts for the big Silicon Valley corporations, deleting offensive photos and videos from social media sites.

Épisode 87 - Wartime Rape - The Unspoken Weapon

17 juin 2020

Sexual violence and mass rape have long been used as a weapon of war. It is not only the victims and survivors who suffer trauma - an entire generation of men, women and children are affected. All too often, the perpetrators remain unpunished.

Épisode 88 - The Russians - Part 1

18 juin 2020

A very private trip through Russia - a world power with a shrinking population, a myriad of ethnic minorities, and vast distances.

Épisode 89 - The Mennonites

23 juin 2020

Like the Amish in the US, the Mennonite Christian community shuns the modern world. Most Mennonites live in secluded, self-sufficient colonies. We get a rare glimpse into the life of a devout and isolated community.

Épisode 90 - The Russians - Part 2

25 juin 2020

Épisode 91 - Democracy of the Gullible: The Internet Paradox

30 juin 2020

Épisode 92 - ONIBO: Coming of Age in the Peruvian Amazon

1 juillet 2020

Épisode 93 - Morocco’s Endangered Oases - Climate Change in the Desert

2 juillet 2020

Climate change is leaving its mark on Morocco’s oases, too. Sandstorms are becoming more and more frequent, groundwater levels are sinking and palm trees are shrivelling up and dying. An age-old way of life is in danger.

Épisode 94 - The Black Tears of the Sea - The Legacy of Wrecks

7 juillet 2020

Épisode 95 - The Secret of Mona Lisa

8 juillet 2020

Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is probably the world’s most famous painting. But whose portrait actually is it? There are two clues to the identity of the mysterious young woman, but they are mutually exclusive. Can the riddle ever be solved?

Épisode 96 - Waterworld

9 juillet 2020

Épisode 97 - Postcards from Pyongyang: Traveling Through North Korea

10 juillet 2020

Épisode 98 - The Truth about Lying

14 juillet 2020

People lie - usually several times a day. Lying is considered immoral, but we've been built for it. And we are not alone. Dishonesty is an integral part of the social world, and numerous animal species are also skilled deceivers.

Épisode 99 - The Friendly Islamists?

15 juillet 2020

Épisode 100 - Deadly Greed: The Ivory Trade

16 juillet 2020

Épisode 101 - Fly Rocket Fly - The Rocket Dreams of Lutz Kayser

17 juillet 2020

Épisode 102 - Opera: A Tough Business

18 juillet 2020

Épisode 103 - The Faroes - Solitary Islands and Lonely Hearts

19 juillet 2020

Around 50 thousand people live on the Faroe Islands. But too many of them are men. Faroese women go abroad to study. Many don’t return. Men stay behind to live off the sea. Now the islands are enjoying a growing influx of women from the Philippines.

Épisode 104 - The Pope and Hitler: Opening the Secret Files on Pius XII

10 novembre 2020

The Vatican opened once-secret records on Pope Pius XII on March 2020. This gave researchers a brand new insight into the Catholic Church during the Nazi era. What did the Pope know about the Holocaust?

Épisode 105 - The Third Reich in the Dock: The First Nuremburg Trial

12 novembre 2020

The Nuremberg trials started 75 years ago and marked a milestone in the establishment of international law. The images of high-ranking Nazis in the dock are seared into our collective memory. The Nuremberg trials were a series of military tribunals staged by the Allies after World War Two. The first and best-known trial ended in October 1946 with the sentencing to death of 12 high-ranking Nazis. Adolf Hitler’s right-hand man, Hermann Göring, Germany’s foreign minister during the Nazi regime, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Armaments Minister and chief architect Albert Speer, anti-Semitic demagogue Julius Streicher and high-ranking SS officer Ernst Kaltenbrunner were among those in the dock. The court met for the first time in Nuremberg in November 1945 and was in session for 218 days. Flash-Galerie Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse By making the Nazi elite answer for their crimes in this hugely complex trial, the Allies ushered in the era of modern international law. Using photos and archive film material, the documentary reconstructs what went on in the court room, as well as revealing what went on behind the scenes.

Épisode 106 - The Untold Story of Otto Warmbier

26 novembre 2020

US student Otto Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years in a North Korean labor camp in 2016. Warmbier was released the following year, but he died of brain damage shortly after his return to the United States. Was he really the victim of torture?

Épisode 107 - Plagues and Pestilence: How Pandemics Change the World

29 novembre 2020

COVID-19 is far from the first pandemic to wreak havoc in the world. A long line of infectious diseases have devastated and in some cases destroyed entire societies. Almost all of them started in animals and made the jump to humans.

Épisode 1 - Antarctica: A message from another planet

1 janvier 2021

The world's major powers agree: the resources of Antarctica should be exploited peacefully. They have promised to promote peace and scientific research in Antarctica, and to protect its environment. But is this spirit real, or just a lot of talk?

Épisode 2 - Blowguns vs Bulldozers - The Last Nomads of Sarawak

6 janvier 2021

Peng Megut is one of the last forest nomads who still carry a blowgun as they roam the jungle. Peng and a number of men from his tribe are defending their community against a palm-oil plantation that they believe has trespassed on their land. Until just a few years ago, this region was home to one of the oldest primeval forests in the world. It covered an area that was half the size of Germany. Then timber companies started clear-cutting trees, and destroyed 90-percent of the forest. Forty tribes and ethnic groups, including the Penan, live in what's left. The Penan have resisted adopting a "modern" lifestyle longer than any other indigenous tribe in Borneo. They call their home "Tong Tana" -- which means both "forest" and "world." The woodland is a central component of the Penan's identity. It is the final resting place of their ancestors, and represents the heart of their spirituality, culture, and history. The tribe's existence is sustainable, and the people live in harmony with nature. They hunt for food -- and the forest supplies all their other needs, as well. But since the mid-20th century, the lives of the Penan have changed radically. They still live in the jungle, but most of them have now moved into villages.

Épisode 3 - What did the Big Bang sound like?

3 février 2021

A milestone in physics: In 2015, scientists proved the existence of gravitational waves. These waves travel billions of light-years through space, eventually reaching Earth and bringing us insights that were previously unattainable.

Épisode 4 - The Forest Rescuers

22 avril 2021

Two-and-a-half centuries ago, most of Europe's woodlands were healthy. But those days are long gone. Across the continent, this habitat that stores water, restores the atmosphere, and hosts countless species of flora and fauna is now threatened. The documentary tells the story of people committed to preserving the last pockets of primeval forest and woodland in Europe. It follows a group that tends Lübeck's city forest and works with researchers to examine how woods fare when left to themselves. The journey moves on to Lapland, where the indigenous Sami people are fighting to stop the paper industry from clear-cutting. The reindeer herders need the forest because their livestock eat the lichen that grows on the trees. The challenge they face is great, as the booming mail-order business drives up demand for wood used to make cardboard packaging. From there it's off to the Massif Central, where a German-French couple is fighting to improve a forest economy plagued by clear-cutting and monoculture. Together with 130 others they have bought up woodlands and are managing them ecologically. Yet wood is valuable and often prompts greed. In Eastern Europe, corruption and violence have led to the murder of six foresters in Romania in the last year alone. What is being done to stop such crime?

Épisode 5 - Who were the neanderthals?

23 janvier 2021

Long before Homo sapiens populated the earth, the Neanderthals lived in Eurasia. Now, paleoanthropologists in England and France are using new archeological methods to shed light on some previously unexplained Neanderthal mysteries. In an age clouded by the mists of time, the first early humans colonized the Eurasian continent. They settled on land that had only recently been covered by glaciers. This species, called Neanderthals, died out about 30,000 years ago -- but at one time, they formed the largest group in an area that stretched from northern France to the Belgian coast and from the Channel Islands to southern England. During the last Ice Age, the North Sea was frozen over -- and the English Channel was a small river that could easily be crossed on foot. The Neanderthals lived in close harmony with their perpetually changing environment. They had everything they needed to survive: the meat of prey animals, edible wild plants, water and wood for cooking and heating. How did these early humans develop over almost 300,000 years? What were their lives like before they became extinct? Our documentary is based on the latest research. We investigate various populations of Neanderthals, and visit archaeological sites in northern France, southern England, and on the island of Jersey. Renowned researchers such as the British paleoanthropologist Chris Stringer and his French colleague Ludovic Slimak describe how the Neanderthals lived, and discuss their cognitive abilities. Was this species capable of structured thinking? Did they have cultures, languages, and societies? How intelligent were they, and what sort of adaptive strategies kept them alive for 300,000 years? How similar were they to modern-day humans?

Épisode 6 - The Global Fight Over Water

21 mars 2021

Épisode 7 - New York City Rich and Poor - The Inequality Crisis

7 janvier 2021

Even before COVID-19, New York was already defined by a gap between the rich and poor. Yet during the pandemic, wealth has become a determinant of survival.

Épisode 8 - Displaced: Tomatoes and Greed - The Exodus of Ghana's Farmers

21 janvier 2021

What do tomatoes have to do with mass migration? Tomatoes are a poker chip in global trade policies. Subsidized products from the EU, China and elsewhere are sold at dumping prices, destroying markets and livelihoods in Africa in the process.

Épisode 9 - Moria: EU's failed refugee policy

28 janvier 2021

The Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos has become a symbol of the failure of EU Policy. Dramatic images of a fire at the camp in September 2020 have put pressure on the EU Commission to draft a new refugee agreement.

Épisode 10 - Profit or Life? - The Power of the Pharmaceutical Companies

2 février 2021

How much is a human life worth? An innovative cancer therapy promises to save lives. But it is extremely expensive. Will the insurance companies pay for it? What is the manufacturer's return on investment? And do lobbyists drive up prices?

Épisode 11 - The Value of Biodiversity - Ethiopia

13 février 2021

The massive disappearance of plant and animal species is a worldwide problem. In the Bale Mountains in Ethiopia, scientists are fighting for the survival of a unique ecosystem with incredible biodiversity.

Épisode 12 - China's Gateway to Europe - The New Silk Road, Part 2

19 février 2021

Épisode 13 - Helping rape survivors in the DRC

3 mars 2021

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been described as the ‘rape capital of the world.’ Gynecologist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege has been fighting for years to help rape survivors. German doctor Gisela Schneider goes to visit him.

Épisode 14 - Coronavirus: How the pandemic is changing globalization

16 mars 2021

Around the world, pandemic-related lockdowns have hit our globalized economy hard. Supply-chains have been disrupted, industries crippled. The Coronavirus has laid bare the risks of global interconnectedness. Is the crisis the beginning of the end of globalization?

Épisode 15 - Society Torn Apart - The Consequences of Injustice

23 mars 2021

Structural injustice creates division and threatens peace. But how do we know whether our social order is just? Challenging such notions is the key to social mobility.

Épisode 16 - Maldives - Fighting Back the Tides of Trash

27 mars 2021

Thilafushi, an island of floating rubbish island in the Maldives, grows by a square meter a day. But diving instructor Shaahina Ali is trying to slow that growth by recycling and using floating barriers to hold back the rising seas.

Épisode 17 - When food becomes scarce

10 avril 2021

Agriculture will have to change drastically in the future if it is to meet global demand. Food production will become increasingly difficult in the face of growing challenges like rapid population growth, climate change and soil exhaustion.

Épisode 18 - Fine-tuning the Climate

13 avril 2021

Engineers and scientists are trying to intervene in the Earth’s geochemical cycles. Because it appears efforts to cut CO2 won’t suffice to avoid irreversible climate change. But does geoengineering offer a real solution? Or is it just human hubris?

Épisode 19 - Electricity to Go - Batteries for a Low Carbon Future

20 avril 2021

Everyone needs portable power for smart phones, robot lawnmowers, kitchen scales and e-bikes. So it's no wonder that the 2019 Nobel Prize for Chemistry went to the inventor of rechargeable, lithium-ion batteries.

Épisode 20 - High-speed Internet from Outer Space

27 avril 2021

The entire globe can be provided with affordable high-speed Internet from satellites in space. These newly developed mini-satellites in a low-earth orbit as well as powerful antennas and signal processing chips make this possible.

Épisode 21 - They called them "The children of shame"

10 avril 2021

After World War I, relationships between French occupation troops and German women were banned. But they happened anyway, and liaisons involving black soldiers produced a number of mixed-race children. Many were later persecuted by the Nazis.

Épisode 22 - Germany's car industry: Powered by politics?

6 mai 2021

The German automotive industry has long played a key role in the country's prosperity. It employs hundreds of thousands and enjoys cozy relationships with politicians. But the COVID-19 crisis threw a wrench in the works. What’s next?

Épisode 23 - Can green investment change the world?

8 mai 2021

A new generation of investors wants to force businesses to become environmentally-friendly. Even climate conservationists know that money talks, but can green investments really save the world?

Épisode 24 - The Mystery of Anesthesia

11 mai 2021

It’s a horrifying scenario: Being operated on under general anesthesia - and you are still awake! Around ten million operations are performed under general anesthesia in Germany each year. But what exactly happens in the brain is still a mystery.

Épisode 25 - Rough Ride - The cruelty of animal transports

13 mai 2021

Every year, thousands of cattle are exported to countries outside the EU. It’s often a harrowing ordeal. Activists from the Animal Welfare Foundation argue that conditions in these transports breach European law.

Épisode 26 - Extremism and Violence - What Children Share Online

14 mai 2021

Violent, antisemitic and pornographic content is being increasingly shared by children. It’s a growing problem in schools, but hardly anyone is willing to talk openly about it. What can be done to protect children and teenagers?

Épisode 27 - Martin guitars: 200 years of excellence

21 mai 2021

Countless music stars have used Martin guitars to play their way to fame. These legendary instruments originated in the town of Markneukirchen in Germany's Vogtland region in the early 1800s, and they are still enormously popular today.

Épisode 28 - A deadly legacy - Chemical weapons in Germany

25 mai 2021

Tabun, sarin, phosgene and mustard gas are chemical warfare agents invented to kill. They were carelessly disposed of after Germany lost two world wars. Still buried or underwater in many places, they have become a public-health time bomb.

Épisode 29 - Good News from the Blue Planet

29 mai 2021

When it comes to water, it’s hard not to think of catastrophes: drought, overfishing, water wars. But on closer examination, there’s some surprisingly good news out there in the world of water.

Épisode 30 - Lone wolf terrorism: How outsiders become assassins

31 mai 2021

On October 9, 2019, neo-Nazi Stephan Balliet set out on a killing spree. His target was the Jewish community in Halle in eastern Germany. A well-locked synagogue door prevented dozens of murders on the holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur.

Épisode 31 - Southern Japan by rail

3 juin 2021

Kyushu is said to be the wellspring of Japanese civilization. Yet few tourists visit the southernmost of Japan's main islands. This documentary contrasts modern Japanese cities with traditional customs in the countryside.

Épisode 32 - Future Wars - and How to Prevent Them

11 juin 2021

The world is entering a new era of warfare, with cyber and autonomous weapons taking center stage. These technologies are making militaries faster, smarter, more efficient. But if unchecked, they threaten to destabilize the world.

Épisode 33 - Deadly Bacteria - When antibiotics are outsmarted

12 juin 2021

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest medical challenges of our time. Among the causes are industrial livestock farming, poor hygiene in hospitals, and the misuse of antibiotics.

Épisode 34 - Cool & Clever - Chilling cities out

19 juin 2021

Heat waves are hitting the world’s cities harder and harder. Concrete-lined, narrow streets turn the urban jungle into a bake oven. This documentary visits those trying to cool cities down as global warming intensifies.

Épisode 35 - Jiyan -The forgotten victims of IS

23 juin 2021

Najlaa Matto is a Yazidi. As a young woman living in Iraq, she was abducted and enslaved by IS fighters. After she was freed, Najlaa went back to her home village and met other former slaves who told her about the ordeals they’d suffered.

Épisode 36 - Country living for beginners - Italy tackles rural exodus

26 juin 2021

More Italians are migrating to big cities, and every year around 200,000 leave to go abroad. Entire villages now stand empty. So small towns are providing incentives for incomers - like rent-free homes in Campania or one euro house prices in Sicily.

Épisode 37 - The Humboldt Forum - A palace for Berlin and the world?

30 juin 2021

A very German story has ended with the completion of the Humboldt Forum in a replica of Berlin’s former Royal Palace. The site - where the Kaiser once resided and the Palace of the Republic of Communist East Germany once stood - sparked controversy from the start.

Épisode 38 - China's Gateway to Europe - The New Silk Road, Part 1

1 juillet 2021

The "New Silk Road" is an enormous Chinese international development project. It's a trade network that involves Asia, Africa, and Europe -- and more than 70 countries are already involved. It may turn the old world order upside down.

Épisode 39 - Jewish in Europe - Part 1

11 juillet 2021

What is life like for Jews in Europe today? What are their stories? How do they combine traditional and modern life? And how do they deal with marginalization and threats?

Épisode 40 - Jewish in Europe - Part 2

11 juillet 2021

Épisode 41 - Stolen - Blood antiquities

13 juillet 2021

Antiquities stolen in the Middle East have resurfaced in art markets all over the world. Police have joined archaeologists in a global effort to stop criminals trafficking these priceless artefacts.

Épisode 42 - The marble quarries of Carrara

17 juillet 2021

Italy’s Carrara marble quarries are a source of controversy, pitting nature against economic gain. Environmentalists warn of overexploitation, while others defend the jobs these Tuscan quarries provide.

Épisode 43 - Countdown during Lockdown - The Rocky Road to Tokyo

18 juillet 2021

Postponed by a year. Plagued by existential rumors. The Tokyo Olympics have had a rocky road, thus far. But what’s it like for the athletes? This film looks at how Olympic hopefuls experience Olympic-sized uncertainties, under the already strained circumstances of a global pandemic.

Épisode 44 - A passion for helping - Young Albanians defy Poverty

24 juillet 2021

Arbër Hajdari has helped thousands of Albanian families escape poverty. Five years ago he set up the humanitarian organization Fundjavë Ndryshe to fight hardship in Albania. Now, around 12,000 volunteers work for the group.

Épisode 45 - Made in France: Gaza in the cross hairs

26 juillet 2021

A French manufacturer of weapons components has been charged with complicity in war crimes. It is a trial that could set an important precedent, and might change the way arms manufacturers do business.

Épisode 46 - Good virus, bad virus

29 juillet 2021

Viruses can be fatal, but some viruses can in fact be life-sustaining. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has killed large numbers of people during the current pandemic. But humans wouldn’t exist without viruses. How can they benefit us?

Épisode 47 - The bridge of minor miracles: Everyday life in Nairobi

31 juillet 2021

Part of the main artery of Kenya's capital, Nairobi, this bridge is many things to many people. Vegetables, a new bed, a plate of cheap soup - even a new hairstyle: You can get all that, and more, on the bridge. But now, it is slated for demolition.

Épisode 48 - DocFilm - Flash Floods in Europe - The Traumatic Aftermath

5 août 2021

TV crews were quick to visit the areas in western Europe devastated by flooding in July. As they talked to victims and helpers, the shocking scale of the tragedy became clear to viewers. At least 170 people lost their lives.

Épisode 49 - Israel: Choosing prison over the military

10 août 2021

Like all Israeli youth, Atalya was expected to become a soldier. Unlike most, she questioned the practices of her country's military, and was determined to challenge this rite of passage. She refused to do military duty and was imprisoned.

Épisode 50 - The Stasi and the Berlin Wall

11 août 2021

For one group, at least, the erection of the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961 was a stroke of luck. Over the following decades, the Wall would be the lifeblood of the East German secret police, known as the Stasi. By the time the Wall fell, in 1989, thousands of Stasi agents were employed with a single goal.

Épisode 51 - The Expanding Desert - Climate Change in Romania

14 août 2021

Sand is overrunning Oltenia, a historical region in southern Romania. It’s getting hotter and drier, with sandstorms now reaching all the way to Bucharest. As they try to prevent the worst, environmentalists are turning to reforestation.

Épisode 52 - Dark secrets in German museums

21 août 2021

For centuries, Europe lusted after exotic treasures from all over the world. Millions of objects were stored away by German museums during the colonial era. That’s left a cultural vacuum in former colonial countries.

Épisode 53 - Child Trafficking - The Gangs Who Trade in People

21 août 2021

For years, Vietnamese children and teenagers have been disappearing in Germany. Those responsible are unscrupulous human traffickers whose networks span continents.

Épisode 54 - Greed – A fatal desire (2)

25 août 2021

Some call it a useful dowry of evolution, others a fault in the human genetic make-up: The old mortal sin Greed seems to be more ubiquitous than ever. Why cannot people ever get enough, where is this self-indulgence leading - and are there any ways out of this vicious circle of gratification?

Épisode 55 - More Sense, Less Greed - Rethinking Capitalism

28 août 2021

More and more entrepreneurs are thinking beyond their own personal wealth. In what is known as the "Purpose Movement," company bosses aim to put profits to good use, while rethinking the idea of corporate ownership.

Épisode 56 - The Warsaw Ghetto - Memories of horror

1 septembre 2021

A Polish businessman risked his life to film everyday life in the Warsaw Ghetto. These harrowing 8 mm movies were stored for decades in archives, and are shown publicly for the first time in this documentary.

Épisode 57 - From enemies to friends

2 septembre 2021

The battle line in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict runs between the border towns of Sderot and Gaza. Nothing but a wall and a few hundred meters separate these neighboring communities, yet their residents almost never meet.

Épisode 58 - 9/11 - The unheeded warning

10 septembre 2021

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 sent the world into a state of shock. Yet some had been loudly and publicly warning of the dangers posed by terrorism. Ahmad Shah Massoud, an Afghan Mujahideen commander, was among them.

Épisode 59 - The children of 9/11 - Growing up in the shadow of terror

10 septembre 2021

The attacks of September 11, 2001, changed the lives of many children and young people dramatically. But they are committed to overcoming their harrowing experiences -- despite the shadow the Twin Towers cast over their lives.

Épisode 60 - Rainforest radio - The women broadcasters fighting exploitation

11 septembre 2021

In the fight to save their homeland, three brave Ecuadorian women are taking to the airwaves. Their small radio station has become a bastion in the struggle against exploitation of the rainforest.

Épisode 61 - Impatient, dissatisfied, divided? Germans at the end of Merkel's grand coalition

14 septembre 2021

After 16 years of Angela Merkel's leadership, the country feels tired. Many believe the grand coalition dragged its feet on reforms and failed to resolve social conflicts. Fears of a schism in society are growing.

Épisode 62 - Child slavery in Myanmar

16 septembre 2021

Child labor is common in Myanmar. Impoverished families are often faced with the hard choice of exploiting or abandoning their children. Some underage workers are even adopted by their employers, leaving them exposed to physical and emotional abuse.

Épisode 63 - Angela Merkel - Navigating a world in crisis

17 septembre 2021

Angela Merkel has been Germany’s Chancellor for 16 years. In that time, she has steered the country through countless international crises, frequently crossing swords with other world leaders.

Épisode 64 - Hunting in the Arctic Circle

18 septembre 2021

Who owns the land of the reindeer? The indigenous Sámi people, or all Swedes? The country’s Supreme Court has ruled that the Sámi have sole rights to fish and hunt small game. Now, a long-smoldering conflict is threatening to escalate.

Épisode 65 - Side-effects of screen exposure

21 septembre 2021

Smartphones, computers, gaming consoles or digital tablets are now givens in our daily lives. The electronic intrusion is causing controversy and collective hysteria. Are we damaging our brains with all these screens?

Épisode 66 - Undercover on an election campaign

22 septembre 2021

Just how unscrupulous are international PR agencies that work on election campaigns? Using a fake identity, investigative journalist Peter Kreysler infiltrates their inner workings.

Épisode 67 - Dying for gold - The Philippines' illegal treasure mines

23 septembre 2021

In the mines of Paracale, workers search for gold using the world's most dangerous methods. Diving into flooded underground caves, they constantly risk their lives. The business is illegal. But for many, it is the only way they can earn money.

Épisode 68 - Poisoned land? - The rural rise of Parkinson's

23 septembre 2021

Around the world, more and more people are developing Parkinson's disease. Many of those affected have chosen a supposedly healthy life among orchards or vineyards in the countryside. Is the disease related to the use of pesticides?

Épisode 69 - Look and act - Prevent violence against women

24 septembre 2021

One in three women in Germany has experienced violence in the form of rage, threats or blows. Yet few talk about it, even though cases of domestic violence have increased during the coronavirus pandemic.

Épisode 70 - Oil promises - Ghana’s dreams of black gold

1 octobre 2021

When oil was discovered in Ghana in 2007, the country began to dream big. It dreamed that the ‘black gold’ would bring economic upswing and long-awaited prosperity to its nation. But what happens when dreams and globalization meet?

Épisode 71 - The Brandenburg Gate - History of a Symbol

2 octobre 2021

More than just a landmark in Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate is a national symbol. Like no other building, it stands for Germany’s division and reunification. But while everyone recognizes the Brandenburg Gate, hardly anyone knows much about it.

Épisode 72 - Great apes - Our closest animal relatives

7 octobre 2021

What can animals’ emotions tell us about ourselves? This documentary takes us on a fascinating journey into the lives of the great apes.

Épisode 73 - Play, score, learn - How games help in everyday life

9 octobre 2021

More than just pastimes, games have long played a role in shaping the world. Today, "gamification" is more prominent than ever, as creative people develop games to help heal the sick, prevent industrial accidents and enable kids to do well in school.

Épisode 74 - Pandora's Box - Taboo menstruation

11 octobre 2021

In many places, menstruation is still taboo, and attitudes towards it have a social and political impact on gender equality. Pandora's Box is produced and directed by a primarily female crew. It takes us on a global journey, including India, Kenya, the UK and North America, to explore the subjugation of people who menstruate.

Épisode 75 - Syndrome K - The imaginary disease that saved lives

12 octobre 2021

"Syndrome K" might be the only deadly disease that ever saved lives. Despite the fact that it never really existed. This film tells the story of three courageous Roman Catholic doctors who saved Jewish lives at a hospital in Rome by means of a convincing lie.

Épisode 76 - Mafia colony East Germany - German unity’s blind spot

13 octobre 2021

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the former East opened up - and the Italian Mafia moved in. In the decades since, they have built up a criminal network in the former East Germany. This investigative documentary traces their origins back 30 years.

Épisode 77 - Starting Strong - What Makes a Child Smart?

14 octobre 2021

The first five years of a child’s life are crucial. If early childhood education is neglected, problems can arise that may never be overcome, leading to consequences for the individual and society as a whole.

Épisode 78 - Be afraid - The science of fear

15 octobre 2021

Why are anxiety disorders on the rise? Is there a pill for fear? Fear can cause trembling, a racing heart, sweating, and stress. It's essential for our survival, but it can also make us sick.

Épisode 79 - Afrobeats - Nigeria's Groove Moves the World

16 octobre 2021

Niniola, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido: In dance clubs around the world, musicians from Africa are stars. And no wonder - Afrobeats, which pairs West African musical elements with hip-hop, dancehall or house music, is great to dance to.

Épisode 80 - China - Surveillance State or Way of the Future?

17 octobre 2021

China is building a huge digital surveillance system. The state collects massive amounts of data from willing citizens: the benefits are practical, and people who play by the rules are rewarded.

Épisode 81 - Dance or die - Dancing against terrorism

19 octobre 2021

"They said they would shoot me in the leg so I couldn’t dance anymore." The brutal threat Syrian dancer Ahmad Joudeh received from the terrorist organization "Islamic State" forced him to flee his home in Damascus.

Épisode 82 - Transylvania - The insular world of the Gábor

20 octobre 2021

For 500 years, Transylvania’s Gábor people have held onto their values and rituals. This film explores the insular world of the Gábor Roma, and asks whether they can maintain their traditional lives in a globalized world.

Épisode 83 - Can books save the world?

23 octobre 2021

Épisode 84 - The Billion-Euro Heist - A state prosecutor hunts the tax mafia

26 octobre 2021

Insiders say it’s like something out of a thriller movie. The players in the "Cum-Ex" tax scandal are powerful bankers, executives, top-tier lawyers, and even, perhaps, German politicians...along with the state prosecutor who’s on their trail.

Épisode 85 - Goods to Paradise - Island life in the Torres Strait

27 octobre 2021

It’s a remote paradise between Australia and Papua New Guinea. Only a few thousand people live on the islands in the Torres Strait. They depend on a supply ship that sails to their isolated archipelago once a week.

Épisode 86 - Frozen Requiem - The Sound of Dying Ice

1 novembre 2021

Ice is melting around the world, with drastic consequences for humanity. One way scientists can work out just how fast it’s melting is by listening. The disappearing ice has its own sound.

Épisode 87 - India's Nomads - The Forgotten World of the Gadia Lohar

2 novembre 2021

The Gadia Lohar were once the respected blacksmiths who forged weapons for India's kings. Despite their former fame, today the nomads are among the poorest of the country's poor and ostracized by much of Indian society.

Épisode 88 - Four Girls, Three Continents, One Mission - Part 1

3 novembre 2021

'Girls for Future' follows four girls as they fight for a better future. Aged between 11 and 14 years, they are all directly affected by environmental destruction - from air pollution to water shortage - and its consequences.

Épisode 89 - In the crosshairs of the state - Assault on civil society

5 novembre 2021

A wave of authoritarianism is churning from East to West and assailing civil society. Autocrats are threatening democracy, while their regimes portray NGOs as Trojan horses for foreign interference.

Épisode 90 - Four Girls, Three Continents, One Mission - Part 2: Girls for Future

10 novembre 2021

‘Girls for Future’ follows four girls as they fight for a better future. Aged between 11 and 14 years, they are all directly affected by environmental destruction - from air pollution to water shortage - and its consequences.

Épisode 91 - Chastity rules - Dictating virginity

11 novembre 2021

In many parts of the world, questions surrounding virginity have seemed to be on the verge of disappearing. But despite the sexual revolution, the idea of preserving virginity has seen a resurgence of late.

Épisode 92 - The Other Man - F.W. de Klerk and the End of Apartheid

11 novembre 2021

South Africa’s former president Frederik Willem de Klerk has died at the age of 85. As it’s last white minority leader he steered his country towards the end of apartheid - for which De Klerk and Nelson Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Épisode 94 - Island of the White Antelope - Abu Dhabi’s natural oasis

16 novembre 2021

The Arabian oryx is a beautiful, almost luminously white antelope. But, after being over-hunted by humans in the 20th century, it only narrowly escaped extinction. Today, on the desert island of Sir Bani Yas, the endangered animals find refuge.

Épisode 95 - Where women are in charge: India - The Khasis

16 novembre 2021

The Khasis are one of the few matrilineal societies in the world. Children receive their mother’s name, and husbands move into their wife’s home. But what is the Khasis’ stance towards gender equality?

Épisode 96 - Abused and forcibly assimilated - Canada’s indigenous peoples

17 novembre 2021

Back then it was called assimilation. Now, it's recognized as cultural genocide. For generations, Indigenous families in Canada were forced to send their children to residential schools where their culture and language were eroded.

Épisode 97 - Nepal - Snowland children

19 novembre 2021

After ten years away from their families, three Nepalese teenagers return to their mountain village. They were sent to a boarding school in Kathmandu at the age of four. Now they must learn to reconnect with their families and tradition.

Épisode 98 - Motorcycle woman - A young pakistani breaks the mold

20 novembre 2021

Zenith Irfan doesn’t think twice about cruising through her homeland of Pakistan on her motorcycle. But is Pakistani society at large willing to grant women that kind of freedom?

Épisode 99 - Hard Landing: Airbus in Crisis

9 novembre 2021

Airbus has been plunged into crisis by the COVID pandemic. Last year, Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury said that the company was in danger of collapse.

Épisode 100 - Big Pharma - Gaming the System

23 novembre 2021

Épisode 101 - Soils at their limit - Chemical threats to bees and farmland

24 novembre 2021

Modern agriculture is designed to produce high yields. But it also depletes the soil. How do over-fertilization and pesticides impact the environment and humans? Are we poisoning our world and driving species to extinction?

Épisode 102 - Young, female and palestinian - Striving for independence

25 novembre 2021

This film documents the lives of young Palestinian women in Palestine and Israel. They live in contexts dominated by men, surrounded by outdated gender roles. But step-by-step, these young women are shaping their own paths through life.

Épisode 103 - PUSH - For a Basic Right to Housing

26 novembre 2021

In cities around the world, housing prices are skyrocketing while incomes aren’t keeping pace. Housing is a human right that is becoming increasingly evasive. A market gone wild is putting the squeeze on tenants.

Épisode 104 - Lithium - The New Gold Rush in the Andes

27 novembre 2021

High in the Andes mountains, mining companies are gearing up for the massive extraction of lithium -- the raw material of the future. Lithium batteries are used to power the electric vehicles that will play a key role in the new energy revolution.

Épisode 105 - Once upon a river - Cambodia’s Mekong crisis

29 novembre 2021

New hydropower dams on the Mekong River are leaving fishing and farming communities high and dry. The dams provide clean electricity, but they also cause massive damage to Cambodia's plant and animal worlds. Will climate change make matters worse?

Épisode 106 - Asteroids - A new El Dorado in space?

30 novembre 2021

Mining on asteroids sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but it could soon become a reality. Nations and powerful corporations already have plans for such ventures and are hard at work staking their claim to resources from space.

Épisode 107 - Dreamchaser - Overcoming Boundaries

1 décembre 2021

They are top athletes. But a single flight of stairs can be a challenge. This documentary follows two elite competitors as they embark on a journey to the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Épisode 108 - Slahi and his torturers - Life after Guantanamo

3 décembre 2021

This documentary follows a former inmate of Guantanamo Bay as he searches for his tormentors. Once charged as a terrorist and twice exonerated, he seeks revenge in the most unexpected way: through forgiveness.

Épisode 109 - Fear, Faith and Genius - It's Gothic!

5 décembre 2021

Death and the devil. Nudity and eroticism. Horror. With its daring subjects and blazing colors, the art of the Gothic period captivated viewers some 500 years ago, and still affects us deeply, today.

Épisode 110 - Legendary hotels: The Adlon in Berlin

7 décembre 2021

Berlin’s Hotel Adlon has been one of Germany’s most renowned hotels for more than 100 years. It’s seen many a famous face walk through its doors, including Albert Einstein, Charlie Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich. It’s a hotel steeped in German history.

Épisode 113 - Homo Sovieticus - A USSR of the mind

19 décembre 2021

Thirty years after the collapse of the USSR, the martial rhetoric and other trappings of the "strong men" of the totalitarian era are making a comeback. Why?

Épisode 114 - Saving the Temples on the Nile

7 décembre 2021

A timeless treasure, nearly lost forever. Without the UNESCO‘s unprecedented rescue operation, future generations might have only seen the stunning temples of Ramses II and Cleopatra in the pages of history books.

Épisode 115 - The True Story of Santa Claus

26 décembre 2021

Santa Claus is a global icon. But where did this friendly old man in a red suit who brings gifts for children actually come from? How could Santa become a central figure of our consumer society? Everyone knows Santa Claus, but few know much about his origins. This film changes that, by taking us back to the legend of Saint Nicholas of Myra, born ca. 270 AD in Lycia, in what is now Turkey. Said to be a miracle worker, after his death Saint Nicholas of Myra’s remains made their way to Italy and France. He became the patron saint of various European cities, as well as the protector of children. Legend has it that every year, on December 6, he paraded through the streets handing out candy and gifts to good children. In the Netherlands, he was called Sinter Klaas. Dutch immigrants eventually brought him with them, to America. In the 19th century, two poets and a cartoonist in New Amsterdam (later known as New York City) created the modern Santa Claus. These days, Santa Claus has made his wa

Épisode 116 - The Forgotten Temple of Banteay Chhmar

9 décembre 2021

Deep in the jungle of Cambodia lies a jewel from the Khmer Empire: the temple of Banteay Chhmar. Half devoured by plants and long forgotten by most people, the 800-year-old complex is being rediscovered, slowly.

Épisode 117 - Legendary Hotels: Le Bristol in Paris

10 juin 2021

Grand hotels are places full of history, triumph and tragedy. During the World War II, "Le Bristol" was one of the few Paris hotels the Nazis did not take over during the occupation. That saved the life of a Jewish architect who found refuge there.

Épisode 118 - Taiwan - A Laboratory for Democracy in the Shadow of China

13 décembre 2021

For China, it's a renegade province that must be brought into line. The Taiwanese, on the other hand, see themselves as a legitimate, independent, democratic state. For Taiwan, the stakes are high. After watching how Hong Kong was "brought into line" by China, Taiwan has been all the more determined to assert itself as a democracy. But it's not an easy path. As part of the Sunflower Movement in 2014, Taiwanese youth took to the streets to protest increased economic ties with China. Citizens have also been fighting for political transparency and more participation. Audrey Tang, Minister of State for Digital Affairs, wants to involve citizens as much as possible in the government's political decision-making. Meanwhile, the country is fighting fierce cyberattacks aimed at weakening its political institutions.

Épisode 22 - Our drinking water - Is the world drying up?

20 mars 2022

Only 0.3 percent of the Earth's total water supply is suitable for human consumption. Ominously, this precious resource is beginning to shrink. Natural water reservoirs are drying up due to climate change. Glaciologist Daniel Farinotti surveys melting glaciers in the Swiss Alps. If glaciers continue to melt at the current rate, he says, there will be no ice left by the end of the century. The disappearance of glacial meltwater would have fatal consequences. From the heights of the Swiss Alpine glaciers, the documentary travels down to the seafloor, off the coast of Malta. Here, the crew of the German expedition ship "Sonne" wants to track down mysterious freshwater deposits in the Mediterranean. Next up is Peru where, in a bid to counteract the threat of water shortages, work is underway on projects that use ancient Incan methods.

Épisode 40 - The power of the drugs mafia - Cocaine and the Netherlands

12 avril 2022

Organized crime in The Netherlands is flourishing in tandem with the cocaine trade. A key witness is shot dead, along with his lawyer. A journalist is murdered in downtown Amsterdam. The drugs mafia earns billions and deploys increasingly brutal tactics. The biggest trial in the history of The Netherlands has been going on since March 2021. In the dock at the Marengo trial: several leading members of the Mocro Mafia accused of murder. The cases highlight the extreme brutality of a criminal network that’s pushing the state to its limits. The reportage accompanies investigators going about their work at the port of Rotterdam, talks to defendants’ lawyers, meets former drugs couriers as well as the journalist Peter R. de Vries, who was later murdered. The story is one of corruption and violence.

Épisode 42 - Tea: New ideas for the world‘s second most popular drink

16 avril 2022

After water, tea is the most-consumed beverage in the world. The latest trend for this traditional drink? Sustainable tea, produced affordably and without the use of pesticides, in a climate-neutral way, under fair working conditions. What happened to the tea of our childhood? That’s the question Balts Tomas Kaziliunas and Hannes Saarpuu asked themselves four years ago. Before the fall of the Iron Curtain, Georgia supplied all of Eastern Europe with tea. And no wonder: the climate in that country is ideal for tea cultivation. Tomas and Hannes traveled to Georgia — and stayed. They leased an overgrown tea plantation. It had lain fallow for 30 years, because Georgian tea production collapsed along with the Soviet Union. Now, the two adventurers are building an ecological tea plantation. And anyone can become a "co-farmer" online. Aron Murro, Sven Bock and Leon Franken are also tea lovers. They’ve christened their start-up "KarmaKollektiv." The young founders want to produce tea and t

Épisode 43 - Iraq's lost generation

23 avril 2022

There are tens of thousands of "children of IS”, whose families pledged allegiance to the self-proclaimed caliphate. They’re now stigmatized, and their existence is not legally recognized in "Post-IS” Iraq. Without identification documents, they have no access to medical care, food aid, or education. This unprecedented investigation gives a voice to these children, the social outcasts of a new Iraq, whom only a handful of NGOs are trying to help. The filmmakers journey to war-torn areas around the Mosul area, Iraqi Kurdistan and Northeastern Syria, to meet a generation who endured the reign of the "Islamic State” and a violent war for liberation, and are now seeking a future as they balance resilience with a desire for revenge.

Épisode 44 - Can the global criminal network be destroyed?

24 avril 2022

Organized crime can hold sway over political and economic institutions. Illegal business is growing more profitable every day. Can something be done to take down this global criminal network?

Épisode 55 - The new Cold War - More nuclear weapons in Europe?

7 mai 2022

In 2018, filmmaker Andreas Orth interviewed military experts from France, Germany, Russia and the US. He looked at images of a new generation of nuclear weapons, and even filmed in once top-secret former nuclear missile installations. Four years on, in the wake of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, how do experts assess the situation? How great is the danger of nuclear weapons being used in the war against Ukraine? "The New Cold War – More Nuclear Weapons in Europe?" is a critical look at current nuclear armament and what it means for Europe.

Épisode 56 - Spies, informants and new enemies - Today’s intelligence agencies

8 mai 2022

Intelligence agencies are influencing governments and spying on countries with no regard for the law. And they are able to remain nearly invisible, in the process. Are they the new superpowers? The last time intelligence agencies commanded as much power as they do today was during the Cold War. Technological innovations mean that more sophisticated warfare is now a reality. It is not just about Russia and the USA anymore. We may be entering a new era of unrest.

Épisode 67 - An endless war: Iran, Israel and the USA (Part 1)

23 juin 2022

Since the Islamic Republic of Iran was founded in 1979, there has been a war between Iran, Israel and the US. The war has never been officially declared, and there has been no real reconciliation. Part One of this two-part documentary focuses on the origins of the conflict between Iran and Israel. It began when the Israelis invaded Lebanon to confront a new Lebanese Shiite force backed by Iran: Hezbollah.

Épisode 68 - An endless war: Iran, Israel and the USA (Part 2)

23 juin 2022

Since the Islamic Republic of Iran was founded in 1979, there has been a war between Iran, Israel and the US. The war has never been officially declared, and there has been no real reconciliation. Part Two of this two-part documentary focuses on the period after the first Gulf War and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. With US influence dominant in the Middle East, there was an opportunity to settle the conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors. When Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin entered into dialogue with the Palestinians, one motive for the rapprochement was to neutralize Iran's influence. The Islamic Republic’s leaders found themselves threatened, and responded by confronting Israel and the US, while secretly making preparations for the development of nuclear weapons.

Épisode 69 - Postwar persecution - The plight of West German Sinti and Roma

26 juillet 2022

Not until 1982 was the Nazi mass-murder of the Sinti and Roma people recognized as genocide. Using personal life stories, this film traces the history of Germany's largest national minority.

Épisode 70 - The Spanish Flu - An Invisible Enemy

6 septembre 2022

April 1918. As Europe plunged into WWI, an extremely virulent flu swept across every continent. Wrongly called ‘Spanish Flu,’ it raged for two years, causing the deaths of more than 50 million people before disappearing into oblivion.

Épisode 71 - Disappear - Cover your online tracks

13 décembre 2022

The personal data of Internet users is the new gold. Whether it’s cybercriminals, online giants or intelligence agencies - they all want to get their hands on it. That’s because control over this kind of information means power. But how can the private sphere be protected?

Épisode 1 - Toppling Soviet statues - How should history be remembered?

15 mai 2023

Amid outrage at Putin’s war in Ukraine, memorials commemorating the Red Army’s victory over fascism are being torn down across Eastern Europe. But don’t Soviet troops who helped defeat the Nazis in World War II deserve to be remembered?

Épisode 2 - Bangladesh: Between monsoon and dry season

9 juin 2023

Part of the great river Brahmaputra, the Jamuna river sees the emergence and disappearance of these ‘chars’ every year. The people who live here are known as the Chauras, and they have organized their lives around rise and fall of the waters.

Épisode 3 - The Beautiful Nefertiti - Who Owns Her?

12 juin 2023

The bust of Queen Nefertiti is a big attraction in Berlin. But on the Nile, she’s sorely missed. The matter of ownership seems to be clear, formally at least. But since 1924, both Egypt and France have been demanding the return of the artwork.

Épisode 4 - The climate crisis: Can smart ideas save the planet?

13 juin 2023

Attempts are being made to reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere with technical solutions. For example, new carbon capture technology that can extract CO2 from air and water, even if the amount currently captured is minimal and not enough to prevent the climate crisis and its consequences. Still, there is no shortage of ideas. Adding basalt rock dust to agricultural fields not only binds carbon dioxide but keeps the soil fertile. Biochar, made from organic waste, has a similar effect. Some ideas are bolder: A protective screen of particles in the upper layers of the atmosphere could filter sunlight, as seen with the eruption of the Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines in 1991. The millions of tons of sulfur dioxide spewed into the stratosphere cooled the earth significantly. Theoretically, aircraft could be used to deliver the particles. But experts warn that the consequences for humans and the weather would be felt worldwide and could never be fully controlled.

Épisode 5 - From Nigeria to Morocco - In search of a better life in Europe

18 juin 2023

When he was 18 years old, Ike Nnaebue left his home nation Nigeria for Europe. But the dangers forced him to give up in Mauretania. Now, he’s now back on the same migration route. This time, as a filmmaker.

Épisode 6 - India’s prostitution villages

19 juin 2023

Sex work is a way of life for thousands of women in marginalized communities in certain parts of rural India. For many, it is the only way to make money - also due to the Indian caste system and centuries-old prejudices which make it difficult for the families to escape poverty. But winds of change are blowing.

Épisode 7 - Recycling e-waste - Good for business and the environment

20 juin 2023

One way to tackle e-waste is to repair devices rather than throw them out. More companies are doing just that, from recycling solar modules to renting out second-hand smartphones. Their goal is to reduce e-waste and protect the environment.

Épisode 8 - How private companies are aiming for the stars

23 juin 2023

Billionaires are setting their sights on outer space. Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos are all sending rockets, people and technology to the stars. Other entrepreneurs around the world also want to join this new contest. Who’ll win the race?

Épisode 9 - Death and grief - The stories of a companion for the dying

25 juin 2023

Johanna Klug, 27, works as a companion for the dying. Dealing with death has had a positive influence on her life. The film accompanies her as she moves between her work and her everyday life as a fun-loving young adult in Berlin. Johanna Klug is in the middle of her doctoral thesis on "Patient autonomy in terminally ill children" and has just published her second non-fiction book. At the age of 20, she began spending time with people in the final months of their lives. "Since then, the topics of dying, death and mourning have never left me," says Johanna. "It was the need for direct, sincere and genuine encounters with people." She finds this intensity in her hospice work, where she spends time with, among others, an old woman and a young woman with a heart condition. She also finds it during outings with a girl who is mourning her deceased sister, as well as when she goes out partying with her friends.

Épisode 10 - Rohingya women fight to be heard

26 juin 2023

What does it mean to live as a Rohingya woman in the world's largest refugee camp in Bangladesh? In a country that doesn't want you. In a community that oppresses you. In a camp where abductions are commonplace. They are stateless, forbidden to work. They do not attend regular schools and may only leave the camp with special permission. Frustration, unaddressed trauma and the steadily increasing threat from militant groups are making the situation of Rohingya women in refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, almost unbearable. In contrast to the men, they have few opportunities. Getting an education, moving around the camp and even going to the toilets pose a safety risk. But some women are still seizing the opportunity for education that is offered to them in the camp — despite the resistance they face in this male-dominated society. A report by Birgitta Schülke, Naomi Conrad and Arafatul Islam.

Épisode 11 - Mozambique’s gas wealth - Insurgents shut down huge energy project

27 juin 2023

Mozambique could be one of the world’s largest energy suppliers. Huge natural gas reserves are located off the country’s northern coast. But they are not being exploited because of a brutal insurgency involving Islamist militants. When giant natural gas fields were discovered off Mozambique’s coast, Western investors came in droves. French company TotalEnergies was among those to secure a lucrative license. In 2019, it pledged to invest 20 billion US dollars by 2024. The first gas deliveries were to begin in 2024. But the French energy giant later suspended work on the project and withdrew all its workers. Because since 2021, jihadist militants have wielded control over large parts of the northern province of Cabo Delgado. They call themselves Ahlu Sunna Wal Jammah after the main Sunni branch of Islam. More than a million people have fled their homes.

Épisode 12 - The world’s most dangerous arms dealer

29 juin 2023

He’s a key figure in the clandestine wranglings of two superpowers: the United States and China. The FBI announced a five-million-dollar bounty for information leading to his arrest. Intelligence agencies and investigators have been trying for decades to stop him in his tracks: the arms dealer Karl Lee. The documentary follows Karl Lee’s trail across four continents, from Washington and New York to Tel Aviv, from Europe to Teheran, Beijing and Karl Lee’s factory in northeastern China. The prize-winning investigative journalists Philipp Grüll, Frederik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer provide unique insights into the world of spy agencies and diplomacy. At the same time, the film is a lesson in the powerlessness of the West and the rise of China - as well as an unflinching appraisal of the new world order.

Épisode 13 - Junk food, sugar and additives - The dark side of the food industry

30 juin 2023

40% of the global population is overweight or obese. Highly processed industrial foodstuffs are largely to blame. But food companies continue to focus on products that are addictive. Sugar is one of the strongest "drugs” and can get consumers really hooked. Food giants know this only too well. That’s why they use sugar, fats and flavor enhancers to encourage people to buy their products and boost their profits. The result: more and more people around the world are overweight or obese. Illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease are becoming more prevalent. What can be done to change or even put a stop to the food industry’s strategies?

Épisode 14 - The Wagner Group in Libya - Who’s pulling the strings?

3 juillet 2023

Russian mercenaries are fighting worldwide in crisis-torn regions like Syria, Ukraine and Libya. They’re part of the private military company known as the "Wagner Group". But what is the Wagner Group - and who is pulling the strings? In Libya, it’s thought that Wagner mercenaries have been actively involved in armed engagements since 2019, in the service of General Khalifa Haftar. Wagner operatives are also blamed for numerous war crimes. But often, there are no witnesses to their activities. UN observers say thousands of Wagner fighters are currently deployed to conflict zones outside Russia. Two BBC journalists established contact with two former operatives and interviewed them about their time with the paramilitary organization. In the documentary, they report on the mercenary group’s operations and what motivates members to join in the first place.

Épisode 15 - Wildfires - How can forests be saved in the climate crisis?

4 juillet 2023

The wildfires that scorched Europe in 2022 burned more land area than since records began. Many fire brigades and fire protection services are fine-tuning their responses in line with the new threat. Tobias Hallas is an experienced paramedic from the German city of Karlsruhe, currently serving as a volunteer forest firefighter. He’s a member of @fire, a German NGO specializing in disaster management. The association was originally founded to support deployments in southern Europe during the hot summer months. But now, its knowhow is also coming in useful in Germany.

Épisode 16 - How EU sanctions against Russia are failing

5 juillet 2023

There is evidence that dual-use items that can also be used for military purposes are reaching Russia – from microelectronics, to replacement parts for related industries, to cars and weapons. How can this be happening in spite of sanctions? Where are the loopholes? To find out, DW reporter Miodrag Soric went to Georgia, a Western-oriented country that officially supports the imposed sanctions. Georgia is also a close neighbor of Russia, with all the economic ties and geopolitical dependencies that that implies. Allegedly, large amounts of exports continue to go to Russia via countries such as Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia. How do they get there? How can this be stopped? Miodrag Soric searches for clues.

Épisode 17 - Rich and poor - Inequality in Namibia

7 juillet 2023

When it comes to the chasm between rich and poor, few nations on Earth can compare with Namibia. Seventy percent of the country’s territory is owned by just six percent of the population. The wounds inflicted during the German colonial era still run deep.

Épisode 18 - Climate change and water scarcity in Benin

9 juillet 2023

Boubé is a nomad. He belongs to a Beninese pastoralist tribe called the Fulani. Due to climate change, there is a great shortage of water on their seasonal migration through West Africa. As a result, conflicts with the local farmers occur again and again. In the hills of central Benin, the dry season is getting tougher every year. The Fulani herders living there have to travel further and further, in ever-larger groups in order to be able to provide for their cattle herds. Boubé, a young man in his 30s who comes from a long line of Fulani herders accustomed to migratory herding, knows that with each season that passes, tensions between local farmers and nomadic herders run increasingly high. After all, water shortages caused global warming are also impacting farmers. They’re reluctant to share their water sources with the Fulani herdsmen. But this year, Boubé doesn't want to stand idly by and aims to mediate between the parties. He’s well aware that the conflict between herders and fa

Épisode 19 - Catalan independence

11 juillet 2023

Many Catalans have long called for an independent Catalonia. The dispute over the region’s future divides not only Spanish but also Catalan society. In October 2017, the Catalan regional government called a referendum on an independent Catalonia. Spanish authorities deployed police in a bid to stop the vote. In the end, the result was unrepresentative, and Catalan politicians and activists were tried in court or fled abroad.

Épisode 20 - Pakistan’s female comedians challenge the male-dominated world of comedy

12 juillet 2023

Comedy in Pakistan has always been a male-dominated space. Men are allowed to crack jokes, show off, or be crude. Enter female comedians. They get cast as mothers, daughters or mothers-in-law – rather than playing individuals, women are limited to caricatures. Amtul wants to change this, which is why she has joined the Khawatoons group. “Khawatoons” is a play on the Urdu word for women, “khawateen”, and “cartoons”. In the group, all the roles are played by women, who carefully test the boundaries of what can be said in Pakistan’s comedy clubs. The performers feel that challenging topics, including sexual violence, abortion and gender relations, have their place in comedy. A report by Vanessa Juercke.

Épisode 21 - Climate change - Averting catastrophe

13 juillet 2023

In the last 30 years, CO2 emissions have increased by 60 percent worldwide. The most pressing problem facing our civilization is global warming. What solutions could there be? This documentary accompanies activists in their efforts to combat climate change.

Épisode 22 - Peru's fight for its isolated communities

15 juillet 2023

The Mashco Piro people live in near-total isolation in a reserve in the Peruvian Amazon. A river separates these indigenous people from the outside world. Now, a team of anthropologists and members of other native groups are working protect to Mashco Piro from gold miners and the drug mafia.

Épisode 23 - Agender: Not a man, not a woman

16 juillet 2023

"At last I feel at home in my body!" These are Robin’s first words after the mastectomy, a complex operation to remove female breasts. "A total liberation," says Robin, who is clearly over the moon. Not that the flat chest now means Robin is a man, for Robin is "agender”. "I’ve decided I’d rather be seen as a man instead of a woman, but I don’t have a gender, there’s no neutral, no third, I simply have no gender,” says Robin. That’s why Robin is choosing not to use pronouns: "he”, "his” or "him” are all out of the question. Robin’s childhood and youth was punctuated with the realization: I’m not like the others. But for a long time, Robin didn’t know what to do. The breakthrough came at the age of 22. For the first time, Robin met young people identifying as trans or non-binary at a queer gathering. And Robin knew straightaway: I’m like them.

Épisode 24 - Joseph Alexander: A Holocaust survivor's story of resilience

17 juillet 2023

Joseph Alexander was the only person in his family to survive the Holocaust. His parents and siblings were murdered by the Nazis. At the age of 100, Joe works tirelessly to keep their memory alive and ensure the atrocities are not forgotten.

Épisode 25 - Returning colonial looted art to its countries of origin

18 juillet 2023

Colonial looted art is finally being returned to its countries of origin. But new problems lie ahead, as former colonies now fear the return of looted art may take the place of a comprehensive reparation for colonial crimes.

Épisode 26 - Poverty in Britain - Why are millions of Brits so broke?

20 juillet 2023

Britain has a historically low unemployment rate of 3.6%. Yet poverty levels are breaking all records. It’s a paradoxical situation: almost 15 million Britons are considered poor these days, although there’s almost full employment. The reason: inflation and high energy costs. Galloping inflation and a dramatic spike in energy costs in recent months are forcing millions of Britons into poverty. Wages fluctuate in an "uberized” working world of precarious employment conditions. Over the past 10 years, beginning with David Cameron, the government has scaled back its support to vulnerable members of society. The result: reduced life expectancy. Disadvantaged Britons are dying 10 years sooner than their wealthier compatriots - victims of what’s become known as the "shit life syndrome” - a life marked by poor living conditions, disease and addiction.

Épisode 27 - The volcano eruption on La Palma

21 juillet 2023

On 19 September 2021, the earth opened up on the Atlantic island of La Palma. What followed was the longest volcanic eruption in the island’s history - and an impressive demonstration of Nature’s destructive power. Spawned by fire: On 19 September 2021, the earth opened up on the Atlantic island of La Palma. What followed was the longest volcanic eruption in the island’s history - and a rare opportunity for scientists to watch evolution at work. For almost three months, the volcano high on the island’s Cumbre Vieja ridge gushed gigantic chunks of pyroclastic material, lava and ash. At times, several lava flows moved downslope at a speed of 120 meters per hour. Anything in their way was destroyed and buried under a layer of lava up to 60 meters thick. The documentary charts the scientific work carried out on the volcano from the first day of the eruption.

Épisode 28 - Money isn’t everything - A new definition of wealth

23 juillet 2023

Most investing is aimed at generating as much profit as possible. But that’s slowly changing. Some people are now working on a new definition of wealth. The idea: earn money and put it to good use. But how? The Kenyan company BURN is developing a resource-friendly oven for the country’s rural populace. Large areas of forest are often cut down to meet the huge demand for firewood. The new oven aims to change that. The company needs capital if it is to expand. This capital is organized by Olga Dickmann, through what’s known as crowdinvesting: instead of putting their money into anonymous funds, investors can choose this model to specifically promote sustainable, environmentally-friendly projects. And those investments don’t necessarily have to be big. Small sums from many backers facilitate larger investments. Funders receive their investment back at a later date with interest.

Épisode 29 - A growing concern: Teenage pregnancy in Brazil

24 juillet 2023

Still a teen but already a mom to several kids: Every year in Brazil, almost 500,000 girls under 20 give birth – more than in most other countries. Vitória became a mother at the age of 15. Now at 17, she’s pregnant with her second child. She lives with her boyfriend Eduardo in a favela in the north of Rio de Janeiro. Money is tight and their apartment is small. There are drug deals happening right outside their front door. Heavily armed dealers stand on every corner. It's a very different world from the Rio of Sugarloaf Mountain and picturesque beaches. But Vitória and Eduardo want to make it work. Social workers and doctors at the Dara Institute are helping guide them along the difficult path. A report by Bianca Kopsch.

Épisode 30 - Israel at 75 - A nation in domestic crisis

25 juillet 2023

The state of Israel is in political turmoil as it marks its 75th anniversary. While there is still no end in sight to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, Israeli society itself is more divided than ever before.

Épisode 31 - How Heidelberg University became entangled in China's quantum strategy

26 juillet 2023

DW's investigative team and the German investigative newsroom CORRECTIV have delved into the history of a remarkable scientific partnership that has spanned two decades. This partnership revolves around the fascinating field of quantum physics, which has the potential to impact human rights and alter the balance of power between China and the US. At the center of this collaboration is the venerable Heidelberg University, along with its honorary professor Pan Jian-Wei, who was recognized as one of the world's 100 most influential people by the renowned US news magazine, Time, in 2018. Since 2003, there has been a continuous exchange of knowledge between Germany's oldest university and Professor Pan in the field of quantum research. However, experts have cautioned about the potential military applications of quantum technology. Our research has led us deep into the realm where academic freedom collides with national security interests.

Épisode 32 - Nasrin Sotoudeh - Protecting human rights in Iran

29 juillet 2023

Nasrin Sotoudeh has been fighting for children, women and the persecuted in Iran for nearly four decades. The lawyer and human rights activist risks her freedom again and again. Her commitment has made her a symbol of resistance and hope. 38 years and 148 lashes. Even in the face of barbaric punishments, Nasrin Sotoudeh continues her peaceful struggle. A covert camera accompanies her on her mission, showing viewers new sides of Iran. Nasrin has long been compared to other great human rights activists such as Nelson Mandela. Nasrin's 21-year-old daughter Mehraveh has also joined her mother's fight. With Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, Nasrin founded the Center for the Protection of Human Rights in Iran in 2006. In 2010, she was arrested for defending demonstrators from an opposition movement. A year later, she was sentenced to 11 years in prison. After worldwide protests and appeals to the Iranian government, she was released early in 2013. But since 2018, the winner of the Sakh.

Épisode 33 - Latvia’s forbidden songs

31 juillet 2023

Songs are integral to Latvian identity. They helped preserve Latvian heritage during Soviet times. Every five years, there is a big choir festival. There's no chance Armands Priedols and Alina Igosheva will miss the festival this time. Armands is a lifelong dancer and farmer and Alina Igosheva is a passionate singer and teacher. But with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the mood in Latvia is tense. The Latvians have only been independent since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now they once again fear their big neighbor to the east. What does Armands think of the situation – or Alina, who once lived in Russia before immigrating to Latvia years ago? Juri Rescheto went on the road with them both.

Épisode 34 - Water shortage in Germany - New ideas for long-term security

1 août 2023

People and countries worldwide are facing more droughts, more heat and growing water shortages. Even in Germany a sufficient supply of water cannot be taken for granted everywhere. The hope now is to secure that supply with new - and old - ideas. The situation in Germany is not comparable to that in many hotter countries, but even here the search for clean water is becoming a growing challenge. Some regions have had an acutely dry last few years, and groundwater levels have plummeted. The causes are not just more drought periods but also soil sealing - and higher pollutant levels in the water have also become a problem. The search for solutions has many facets. Günther Westenhoff has spent years using his divining rod to track down water sources for drilling companies. Increasing aridity means they have to bore deeper and deeper. While he cannot explain how his divining rod works, he shows us that it produces results.

Épisode 35 - Investigating trash mismanagement: Are EU funds wasted in Romania?

5 août 2023

Romania's struggle with bad waste management and illegal dumps has been a long-standing issue. Cluj County, once home to the notorious illegal garbage dump, Pata Rât, became a focal point of the waste crisis. With investments of hundreds of millions of Euros, the European Union sought to tackle the issue by mandating the closure of harmful landfills and the introduction of European waste standards. It took authorities 12 years to close and rehabilitate the old landfill in Pata Rât and to open a new waste management center. But how much has really changed? DW reporter Gönna Ketels delves deep into the details of EU-funded projects, as she confronts the grim realities of waste management in Romania and an intricate web of responsibilities. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Épisode 36 - Migrants in Niger

7 août 2023

Niger is a principal transit country for migrants. Now, the journey has become harder. That has less to do with the recent military putsch and more with laws enacted some years ago. A report completed before the military coup. In the desert of northern Niger, thousands of people are struggling to survive. They’ve been deported from Algeria, some even tortured there. Now, they’re trying to make their way to the larger oasis town of Agadez, which has been turned into a bottleneck on the road to Europe.

Épisode 37 - Myanmar - How the Chin are fighting the Junta

8 août 2023

After the military coup in Myanmar in 2021, the Chin ethnic minority took up arms. The Chin people are fighting to defend their territory, their identity, and their democratic principles against the junta. In the mountains in the remote west of Myanmar, a bitter war is raging. The Chin, a primarily Christian minority, still control most of the area after putting up a fierce resistance against the Myanmar military. The resistance fighters train in the mountains along the Indian border. Hundreds of young people gave up their jobs or studies to join the battle. Although they’re equipped with little more than light weapons, they’re determined to stand their ground. But the civilian population is paying a high price for the war. Thousands of villagers have been bombed by the junta, their homes destroyed. Many have been forced to flee. Nevertheless, the Chin remain committed to the fight to overthrow the military regime.

Épisode 38 - Will humans love AI robots?

10 août 2023

Artificial Intelligence makes art, knows more than many humans and works faster than they do. But will people accept AI-controlled social robots working in the service industry or entertaining those in need of care? What does a robot need to have to be accepted as a social partner by a human being? Does it need a face? Should the machine understand -- or even show -- emotions? The psychologist, neurologist and philosopher Agnieszka Wykowska, currently researching at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, says: "We tend to humanize everything. We even see faces in car hoods. This is further reinforced whenever a robot demonstrates humanlike behavior.”

Épisode 39 - What do you know about Taiwan?

11 août 2023

Taiwan is a place of incredible variety. The tiny island’s natural beauty is a concentration of some of Asia’s most spectacular features. To the east, there are sheer cliffs with mountain peaks, plateaus and hot springs. To the south, you’ll find sandy beaches, coral reefs and lagoons. Although the Taiwanese live in a high-tech world, they are still firmly anchored by ancient traditions. During the course of his life, Lin Liang-tai has created many elaborately adorned wooden boats. But they’re not built to last, as they’re destined for Taiwan’s legendary Wang Ye Festival. As part of the temple ceremony to honor the goddess of the sea, a 10-meter boat is blessed, loaded with offerings and pulled through the village down to the beach. There, it’s set alight, burning any evil spirits that might be lurking about the place.

Épisode 40 - An expensive global climate experiment

13 août 2023

Peatlands are very often the setting for chilling folklore. But they serve an important function - for the climate and biodiversity. They’re capable of absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon dioxide, thereby helping to mitigate the climate crisis. Nevertheless, bogs are still being destroyed all over the world. In Finland, peatlands are being drained to extract peat and generate energy. With dramatic consequences: less than half of all the country’s bogs are still intact. Tero Mustonen is a climatologist. He founded the organization Snowchange, to protect and save peatlands. Together with members of his village, Snowchange sued the energy company responsible for the destruction of the Linnunsuo wetland. Mustonen’s organization is now engaged in the worldwide fight to salvage and rewild biotopes.

Épisode 41 - Ukraine: Wounded soldier returns to war

14 août 2023

Yehor Oliynik is one of many Ukrainian soldiers defending Ukraine from Russian attacks. But his story is different – despite having lost a leg while fighting, he wants to go back to war using a prosthesis. Not everyone agrees. Yehor Oliynik and his comrades are checking a Russian position they have just taken. Yehor steps on a mine which explodes and then rips off his leg. He is treated for months and even receives an unusual offer from a foundation which guarantees that he receives a high-quality prosthesis in Norway. There, he has time for a few weeks to look back on his life as a soldier. Despite his closest relatives asking him to stop fighting, Yehor is determined to return to the front as soon as possible. A report by Max Zander.

Épisode 42 - Empowerment through football - The transformative impact of sport

15 août 2023

In some religions and cultures, young women playing football is practically unthinkable. The Scoring Girls project shows how the sport is helping young women in Germany and Iraq to overcome anxieties. Hanover-born Tuğba Tekkal, daughter of Kurdish-Yazidi immigrants, defied all the odds to become a professional footballer in the Bundesliga. Now a coach, she founded the Scoring Girls project to offer girls and young women the opportunity to boost their self-esteem. The sport and its team-oriented nature can have therapeutic benefits for the budding sportswomen - many of whom have experienced racism in their everyday lives or faced the trauma of being a refugee. Maisa and Maisun had to flee Iraq with their parents to escape the horrors of Islamic State rule. In Germany, the Scoring Girls project gave the two sisters a long-forgotten feeling of freedom. Fears of discrimination and losing their culture prompt some parents to ban football for their daughters - but a growing number of young

Épisode 43 - Mothers in the boardroom - Combining children and career

16 août 2023

Kids or a career - these days, mothers shouldn’t have to choose between the two. For women living in countries with access to education and training, combining both is a completely natural thing. But working mothers are still coming up against obstacles. In this film, 10 women provide insights into their lives as company bosses - and mothers. They’re CEOs, heads of department, founders - all in senior positions. Not that this makes it easy for them to take maternity leave or decide to have a child in a world still dominated by men. There’s always the risk that they will lose their position, and finding a temporary replacement isn’t always straightforward. But anyone who can take care of 150 employees and two to five children can surely rise to the challenge - right?

Épisode 44 - Moldova: In the shadow of Putin’s war

17 août 2023

The people of Moldova have been living in fear since the Russian attack on the Ukraine. Their nation could be next on Moscow’s list. Russian politicians and propagandists issue outright threats, even including the prospect of an invasion. It’s a danger also recognized by Maia Sandu, the country’s pro-European President: "We’re seeing military activities close to the borders of the Republic of Moldova. This is a dramatic situation for our neighbors. For us, it’s extremely threatening." The concern is justified. Since 1992, Moscow has controlled the breakaway region of Transnistria in eastern Moldova and stationed troops there. The situation in Moldova was recently exacerbated when Vladimir Putin revoked a decree guaranteeing the nation’s sovereignty. The Moldovan government stepped down on 10 February; three days later, Maia Sandu announced the emergence of specific Russian plans to destabilize Moldova, including acts of sabotage and violence including attacks on government offices a

Épisode 45 - The race for artificial intelligence - Can Europe compete?

18 août 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries and society - and a global race has taken off for who will create the most cutting-edge technology. The outcome could reshape the global balance of powers. At the moment, the United States and China stand as the leading contenders. Europe, meanwhile, finds itself lagging behind. But the continent is eager to catch up, and it has a plan: Officials hope that a strong emphasis on transparency and fairness in AI development will set European AI apart and provide an edge in the years to come. However, the question remains: Can these European initiatives compete with the vast resources that Big Tech companies pour into AI research? And will the EU's ethics-first approach to AI become a competitive advantage in the global race for AI - or will it set Europe even further

Épisode 46 - On the trail of a gigantic Nazi raid

20 août 2023

The systematic looting of art owned by Jewish families has never been fully investigated. Descendants of families forced to leave Nazi Germany are still searching for their property - often in vain.

Épisode 47 - Scholars claim Alexander bronze in Greece restitution deal to be a fake

21 août 2023

When a long-lost bronze of Alexander the Great suddenly turns up in Greece, experts are suspicious. This DW documentary follows archaeologist Stephan Lehmann as he follows the trail of the art forgers.

Épisode 48 - Ukraine: Occupied and recaptured

25 août 2023

The town of Kupyansk was one of the first places in Ukraine to fall to Russian invaders. Six months later it was recaptured by Ukraine. Left in the ruins of the town, residents are now grappling with questions of guilt and complicity.

Épisode 49 - Mediterranean mission - Civil sea rescue of refugees

28 août 2023

Rescue mission on the Mediterranean: Every year, thousands of people fleeing violence and hunger leave their homelands, only to perish in the Mediterranean. The crew of the rescue ship ‘Humanity 1’ is saving as many as they can.

Épisode 50 - Bullying in Spain's schools

29 août 2023

Children subjected to bullying often carry lifelong scars. Many go on to suffer from mental illness, and some are even driven to contemplate suicide. In Spain, the tragic case of Kira López has triggered a nationwide debate on bullying.