Al Jazeera Documentaries

How a school with a rigorous curriculum for children as young as two makes a world of difference to Mexican students.

"The London Nautical School was founded in 1915 to train students in maritime skills. Today it's a modern, non-selective inner London state school for boys - with a very different approach to learning. At the start of the year, teachers pitch their courses to the students, who are given the power to choose what courses they want to study. This forces staff, students and parents to work closely together to evolve the content of the courses on offer. And it has created radically different courses, which are highly engaging and are placing students at the centre of the learning experience. This fresh approach to learning started in the school's English department. They wanted to push the British education system as far as they could - a system that is often perceived as prescriptive and restrictive for teachers. In this film, we follow some of the teachers putting together their syllabus for the year and students choosing their preferred course. We also talk to teachers, students and parents about the pedagogy in practice: What happens to the teachers if no students choose their course? And how has this approach affected the school's exam results?"

At TUMO, technology and art merge to provide teens with a competitive edge in a digital world.

In the 21st century, for many young people "finding a job" is just not an option. And in Uganda, with youth unemployment at around 66 percent, the highest rate in Africa, schools need to tailor their education to meet the different needs of society.

An inside look at how world leaders and the American public were duped into a war that cost thousands of lives. On the evening of 9/11, George W Bush made a vow to the American public - that he would defeat terrorism. Unknown to those listening in shock to the presidential address, the president and his advisers had already begun planning their trajectory into an invasion of Iraq. It was packaged as "holding responsible the states who support terrorism" by Richard Perle, a Pentagon adviser between 2001 and 2003.

Europe is at a crossroads. Populist far-right movements are challenging the very premise of an integrated European Union. Anti-immigration rhetoric is coalescing with anti-EU politics to challenge the liberal ideals of the European integrationist project. We chart the trajectory of that project from the ashes of World War II, in tandem with the story of the European far-right, exploring the shifts that have led to today’s critical juncture. We trace how far-right ideas have challenged and inflected mainstream politics, setting the political agenda on issues such as the EU and immigration. Combining a compelling narrative, in-depth interviews and informed discussion, The Big Picture sheds historical light and offers incisive analysis on the history and future of Europe.

Can innovative science education turn Thai students into agents of change and boost the country's economy?

Europe is at a crossroads. Populist far-right movements are challenging the very premise of an integrated European Union. Anti-immigration rhetoric is coalescing with anti-EU politics to challenge the liberal ideals of the European integrationist project. We chart the trajectory of that project from the ashes of World War II, in tandem with the story of the European far-right, exploring the shifts that have led to today’s critical juncture. We trace how far-right ideas have challenged and inflected mainstream politics, setting the political agenda on issues such as the EU and immigration. Combining a compelling narrative, in-depth interviews and informed discussion, The Big Picture sheds historical light and offers incisive analysis on the history and future of Europe.

Kenyan prison inmates learn how to read and write as well as gaining legal skills to represent themselves in court.

The story of Canada's residential school system and the indigenous survivors who bear witness to its abuses.

Mouawiya Syasneh was just 14 when he sprayed anti-government slogans on his school wall in Deraa, Syria. It was February 2011, and he could never have imagined that such a minor act would spark a full-blown civil war. More than half a million people have been killed in Syria since the start of the war. Mouawiya's home city has been ravaged by street fighting, shelling and barrel bombing. The war has left scars that may never heal. Now a young man, fighting on the frontline for the Free Syrian Army, Mouawiya admits that had he known what the consequences of his actions would be, he would never have taunted the country's president, Bashar al-Assad. His life has been transformed by that adolescent prank. He has lost friends and relatives, including his father. And Syria has been changed forever. The Boy Who Started the Syrian Civil War offers a glimpse into life in Deraa since the start of the conflict. We meet Syrians trying to lead normal lives amid the chaos as well as those who have taken up arms against Assad's forces.

The election of Donald Trump in November 2016 exposed a deep vein of distrust across the US, where millions have become disillusioned with a political and corporate elite out of touch with the sentiments of ordinary Americans. We explore the construction and mythology of the American Dream and uncover the reality of exclusion and denial. In this two-part series, we chart the history of post-Second World War America to uncover how race has dominated the political landscape and continues to shape American society. We reveal the nexus of political, corporate and institutional interests that created and now curtail a withering middle-class, pushing people into polarised camps, and now furthering disaffection with the traditional ‘establishment’.

The election of Donald Trump in November 2016 exposed a deep vein of distrust across the US, where millions have become disillusioned with a political and corporate elite out of touch with the sentiments of ordinary Americans. We explore the construction and mythology of the American Dream and uncover the reality of exclusion and denial. In this two-part series, we chart the history of post-Second World War America to uncover how race has dominated the political landscape and continues to shape American society. We reveal the nexus of political, corporate and institutional interests that created and now curtail a withering middle-class, pushing people into polarised camps, and now furthering disaffection with the traditional ‘establishment’.

"Croatian philosopher Srecko Horvat is going on a journey across Europe, searching for the connections between the crises he believes are tearing the continent apart. Unemployment, debt and an influx of refugees are often pointed to as the causes of a European identity crisis. But, Horvat asks, could they in fact be the results of it? He travels from Idomeni in Greece, where in 2015 refugees fleeing war and poverty entered Europe, to the dockyards of the Greek port of Pireaus, where workers' unions say they are fighting a new kind of privatisation, and from Romania, where people are fighting to protect their forests from international investment firms, to the City of London. Along the way, he argues that the real cause of Europe's identity crisis stems from the trauma of it colonising itself. ""I think Idomeni is the best metaphor for what's happening in Europe today,"" he reflects. ""It shows people, refugees who were fleeing from war, and wars such as Syria - but also Afghanistan and Iraq - became a problem. Why? Because we are at a train track and they were blocking the train track. ""So it became a problem for the corporations, for other countries, not only [for] Greece because this way was blocked. ""So on the one hand what you can see is refugees don't have the right to move freely, [while] on the other hand goods can move freely as far and as much as they want."" How, he asks, can this colonial process of dispossession be taking place on such a massive scale without becoming headline news? The answer, he explains, is that: ""This 21st century colonialism doesn't ride into town waving a national flag, it just seems to happen."" ""But it's actually the result of institutions and rules that are designed to be hidden."" It is those institutions and rules that Horvat hopes to expose in Europe's Forbidden Colony."

In this episode, Croatian philosopher Srecko Horvat explores how the anger and frustration of self-colonisation impacts the politics of Europe (2/2).

A look at the information wars waged by Israel and its supporters to win the hearts and minds of the American people.

We investigate the clandestine world of art and antiquities trafficking.

Hundreds of women's police stations have been set up across India to combat domestic abuse and sexual violence, following the Delhi rape case in December 2012. Parmila Dalal is second-in-command at the women's police station in Sonipat, in the northern state of Haryana. Every day she has to deal with the cases the public bring to her. She encounters family members at war over such contentious matters as caste, dowry payment and relations with abusive in-laws. India's Ladycops reveals how women's lives are changing in India today, and how they often struggle to reconcile the conflicting demands made upon them.

An unprecedented election takes place in Wukan after villagers protest land grabs by corrupt local officials. Jiancheng, 27, who was arrested during the uprising, now stands as a popular candidate for the election. Lin Zuluan, 68, is another former rebel leader who stands as the primary candidate for village chief. Jiancheng’s younger brother, Jianxing, is the citizen journalist who kept the world informed of the uprising and is now covering the election as it unfolds. We follow these characters through the days of this extraordinary vote to discover that nothing is straightforward when it comes to democracy. Even on voting day, Jiancheng has to deal with an unexpected event. From the vote to the first meeting of the newly elected village committee, watch the former rebel leaders become politicians as an extraordinary experiment with democracy in China begins.

Three months after the elections, village committee Chief Lin Zuluan makes headway with their plans to reclaim the land and new committee member, Jiancheng, is busy dealing with the mundane infrastructure problems of leaking pipes and rubbish disposal. Despite the promising start for the committee, things soon turn sour. Jianxing discovers a conspiracy against the newly elected chief, and the villagers are impatient for the return of their land. Six months after the election the committee members are losing faith in democracy. On the anniversary of the 2011 uprising the villagers descend upon their newly elected committee and hold a shambolic protest demanding their land back. Committee members try to defend their positions but the chief is left furious.

With the village divided after the latest protests, committee members Jiancheng and Suzhuan try valiantly to continue their work for the unhappy villagers. For one committee member, Zhuang Liehong, life as an official is not what he expected and, in a surprise move, he resigns from the village committee. The chief is struggling and refuses to accept visitors as he works from home. In an attempt to bring the village together the resigned committee member Zhuang Liehong and village chronicler Jianxing Zhang hold a memorial for Xue Jinbo who died in police custody during the uprising. The event is not sanctioned by the village committee and the divide in Wukan deepens.

The fourth episode starts with Chinese New Year celebrations and hopes for a fresh beginning in Wukan. It is not long before another committee member resigns in frustration. The Chief refuses to give up on the village and democracy when he discovers some extraordinary news about the borders of Wukan and the stolen land. One year after the election, the first piece of land is returned but when the villagers arrive to inspect the land their joy quickly turns to anger. Roadblocks, a police stand off and protests against the Village Committee bring the series and this first year of democracy in a Chinese village to a fiery end.

The fifth film in a five year-long look at democracy in China takes place during preparations for new polls as corruption scandals rock the village.

In the final episode of this six-part series, Wukan's fragile democracy takes an unexpected turn sparking protests and a crackdown by authorities.

A 17 year long campaign for justice. The trial of Chadian dictator, and former ally of the US and France, Hissene Habre, for crimes against humanity.

Exploring Germany's long term pursuit of Arab migrants as a demographic and economic strategy and how newly arrived immigrants are being received.

In response to President Vladimir Putin's policy of military involvement in Syria ISIL are organizing and training armed cells in Afghanistan to target Russia.

A look into the global economic system, focusing on the role of debt and Europe's debt crisis spiraling out of control. Debt drives financial markets, creates profit and generates an endless cycle of production and consumption. Many aspects of modern life revolve around credit. Our homes, cars, schools and government expenditures are financed by borrowing. Debt has become the engine of growth, the lifeblood of the economy. It is a machine that creates more and more debt, day after day. This debt machine has grown to epic proportions, and now seems to have spiralled out of control. Public debt, the debt held by governments, is soaring. The Eurozone is having a much harder time than other economies emerging from the crisis of spiraling debt. Why? How can the debt be repaid? And how can we ever get out of the spiral? This documentary takes viewers on a fascinating journey through the rugged landscape of economics and finance. Fast-paced and dynamic, it recounts the history of sovereign debt from the late Middle Ages to the present day and offers unexpected exit routes to safeguard the Eurozone from future crises.

The June 1967 Arab-Israeli war lasted only six days but left a lasting mark on the middle east, with consequences still felt today in the on-going conflict.

Mobile apps, sticker collections and anti-corruption tours, Romanians are using media and technology in creative ways in their fight against endemic corruption.

A hundred years since Britain's infamous declaration, its repercussions are still felt across the Middle East today. The Balfour Declaration was a public promise by the British government during World War One, announcing support for the establishment of "a national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. Palestine was still a part of the Ottoman Empire at the time, with a minority Jewish population.