DW Documentaries

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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?

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.