DW Documentaries

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?

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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?

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

'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.

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.

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.

‘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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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