From DW Documentary. Satnam Singh, a farmer from Punjab in northern India, is worried about his livelihood. New legislation is set to liberalize the sale of agricultural produce. Hundreds of thousands of farmers head for the capital in protest. Until recently, grain in India was traded in state-run wholesale markets with guaranteed minimum prices. Yet following new legislation farmers can…

From DW Documentary. It is 10 years since the Arab Spring shook the Arab world. In Egypt too, tens of thousands of women and men took to the streets to protest against the Mubarak regime, hoping to bring about political change. Yet shortly after the fall of Hosni Mubarak, women participating in public protests became…

From DW Documentary. It is 10 years since the Arab Spring shook the Arab world. In Egypt too, tens of thousands of women and men took to the streets to protest against the Mubarak regime, hoping to bring about political change. Yet shortly after the fall of Hosni Mubarak, women participating in public protests became…

From DW Documentary. Is Qatar trying to gain influence in Europe by funding a charity NGO? A whistleblower has provided two French journalists with thousands of secret documents that belong to the "Qatar Charity." How does the organization work, and what are its aims? It all started with a USB stick containing donor lists, e-mail…

From DW Documentary. 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…

From DW Documentary. Guatemala is one of the world’s poorest countries — and one of the most violent. Ultra-violent gangs, known as "maras," terrorize overcrowded low-income settlements through drug trafficking, prostitution, and racketeering. The police in Guatemala seem powerless to rein in these mafia-like youth gangs — so many people have turned to illegal militia…

From DW Documentary. 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. The rail journey begins in Fukuoka – a city with a metro population of 2.5 million – and ends at…

From DW Documentary. Asia’s largest psychiatric facility is home to 1700 female patients – or "ghosts". That’s how they’re commonly known in Karachi. Not all of them are mentally ill. Many were victims of violence, or simply rejected by their families. The Bilquis Edhi Centre in north Karachi is home to 1700 women. Asia’s largest…

From DW Documentary. Peter Boykin is a fervent supporter of outgoing U.S. President Trump. In Washington D.C., the protests against the election results turned violent. And Boykin was in the thick of it. He refuses to accept Trump’s loss. Peter Boykin is president of ‘Gays for Trump’ in Greensboro, North Carolina. The sitting Republican president…

From DW Documentary. Over the last two decades, thousands of young Moroccans have come to Europe illegally. These underage emigrants often end up on their own — and often discover that the reality of their new life is much more difficult than they’d ever imagined. The makers of this documentary got to know some of…

From DW Documentary. 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? Green investment rewards companies that use sustainable production practices and protect the environment. At the same time, companies that pollute or contribute to global warming…

From DW Documentary. Evangelical Christians often have a huge impact on American politics. Many of these people are socially conservative, consider themselves patriots, and believe that Americans have a constitutional right to own guns. This documentary explores the core beliefs of America’s fundamentalist Christians – including the concept of creation, as opposed to evolution. Our…

From DW Documentary. Enormous, unpredictable solar storms pose a serious threat to our power supplies and data networks. The US space agency NASA has launched a probe that’s designed to study the cause of these mysterious space storms. The sun supplies us with light and energy. But it also generates huge streams of solar plasma…

From DW Documentary. The number of coronavirus patients in intensive care is rising. Medics are trying to keep hospitals running normally. This moving documentary describes how patients and doctors in a southern German hospital work tirelessly to fight COVID-19. Barbara, a doctor, was one of the first Germans admitted to the hospital with COVID-19. She…

From DW Documentary. More and more people are fleeing Belarus and its authoritarian regime. Hundreds find refuge in neighboring EU member state Lithuania, where Natalia Kolegova has set up a network to provide assistance. Natalia Kolegova was born in Belarus but has lived in Lithuania for some twenty years, pursuing a career in real estate.…

From DW Documentary. 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. Around 100,000 French troops were sent to occupy Germany’s Rhineland region in 1920. About 20,000 of…

From DW Documentary. 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. Two trucks leave a collection point at Smolensk, Russia, near the Belarus border. It’s a freezing cold winter morning. Each…

From DW Documentary. 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. The pandemic hit New York in the spring, with almost 800 people dying from COVID-19 each day in April. The city has been uneasy since…

From DW Documentary. The Penan are one of the last indigenous hunter-gatherer tribes on earth. They are a semi-nomadic people who live in the rainforests of the Malaysian state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo — and their way of life is now threatened. Peng Megut is one of the last forest nomads who…

From DW Documentary. The Finnmarksløpet in Norway is the longest and toughest dogsled race in Europe. Among this year’s competitors are Ben Voigt from Germany and 20-year-old native Hanna Lyrek. It’s a race that is always full of surprises and setbacks. Participants face freezing temperatures, stormy weather and a lack of sleep. The Finnmarksløpet is…

From DW Documentary. For its opera season premiere, the Staatstheater Cottbus is staging "Carmen”, the tale of passion, jealousy and tragedy set to music by Georges Bizet. Rehearsals were held through November under strict precautions. But will it ever premiere? Conductor Mario Venzago and director Stephan Märki have never rehearsed like this before. How can…

From DW Documentary. Telecommunications giant Huawei is said to be one of the most powerful companies in China. But Huawei has been accused of systematic espionage, and some Western governments doubt whether the company is truly independent of the Chinese government. This documentary investigates concerns about Huawei and internet security. The company is a major…

From DW Documentary. 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? This documentary features interviews with researchers, activists, diplomats, and military personnel from…

From DW Documentary. In the United States, nearly 80 billion lottery tickets and scratch cards are sold every year. Overnight the winners find themselves in charge of an astronomical fortune and at the center of the limelight. David and Erica won 62 million US dollars, becoming the richest people in their county in a matter…

From DW Documentary. In March 2020, coronavirus infections began to soar around the world. But the World Health Organization was slow to react. It’s now accused of being a mouthpiece for China, and praising the transparency of the country’s government. Can the World Health Organization be salvaged? Diplomatic circles are increasingly skeptical. A new cold…

From DW Documentary. For the last 80 years there’s no place that Lyubov Morekhodova would rather be than on Lake Baikal in southern Siberia. The sprightly senior lives on the western shore of the world’s largest freshwater lake. Ice skating is Lyubov Morekhodova’s passion. When she straps on the steel blades she’s used for decades, she’s just as nimble as ever. Baba Lyuba – as she’s fondly called – looks after four dogs, five cows, two calves and four chickens. But whenever she’s not caring for them, she takes to the ice. Lake Baikal is often frozen over for six months of the year and the octogenarian believes skating on it is the secret to her longevity. The world’s deepest lake is her deity; she has more faith in its powers than in the miracles of Jesus, whose birth is currently being celebrated around the globe. ——————————————————————- DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and…

From DW Documentary. Two film crews explore the spectacular wilderness of the Arctic. The people who live there face dramatic changes. Part two takes viewers from East Greenland to Alaska. The region around the North Pole is one of the greatest and least-known wildernesses in the world – and it’s rapidly changing due to global…

From DW Documentary. The Arctic is one of the most fascinating regions on our planet, and one of the most threatened. Two film crews explore its spectacular wilderness in a two-part documentary. Part one takes viewers from Norway’s Svalbard archipelago to Siberia. The region around the North Pole is one of the greatest and least-known…

From DW Documentary. Neuschwanstein Castle is said to have inspired Walt Disney. This is the untold story of the Bavarian castle, which attracts 1.5 million visitors a year, and is also known as the ‘castle of the fairy tale king.’ Just over 150 years ago, in 1869, construction of Neuschwanstein Castle began in Bavaria, Germany.…

From DW Documentary. An old idea has been freshly brewed in Guatemala: the cooperative. With private funding from Europe, indigenous small-scale coffee farmers are defying the most adverse conditions in a country that’s been plagued by a bloody civil war. By forming a cooperative, small farmers in Guatemala have managed to become one of the…

From DW Documentary. A growing number of people who recover from COVID-19 are experiencing long-term health problems. This includes younger patients without pre-existing conditions who had only mild symptoms with the virus. How are doctors and patients responding? The COVID-19 disease is triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and can affect multiple organs. The symptoms of…

From DW Documentary. Issa Kassissieh loves to make children’s eyes light up. Every year during Advent, he slips into his Santa costume and transforms his house in Jerusalem’s Old City into a Christmas wonderland. But how does holiday cheer work in the coronavirus era? Not degree never prepared him for this kind of Christmas. Four…

From DW Documentary. We tend to trust our memories, but what we remember isn’t always exactly what happened. Research has shown that we can have false memories, and that our brains can alter the details of past events even after we have stored these in our memory. We like to think that our brains function…

From DW Documentary. Micaela Verón was just three when her mother Marita was abducted. She’s been missing ever since. Micaela’s childhood in Argentina was centered around the search for her. Now 19, she’s living alone for the first time — without police protection. When Marita Verón disappeared in 2002, her abduction turned into a political…

From DW Documentary. The Vatican opened once-secret records on Pope Pius XII on March 2020. This gave researchers a brand new insight into the Catholic Church during the Nazi era. What did the Pope know about the Holocaust? Pius XII, born Eugenio Pacelli, is one of the most controversial figures in recent church history. New…

From DW Documentary. 25 years after the mass murder at Srebrenica, Hasan Hasanović is fighting against denial of the genocide. As a nineteen-year-old, he survived the Muslim Bosniak death march through the woods of Srebrenica to Tuzla. His twin brother, his father and his uncle were all murdered in the massacres. Over 8,000 Bosniaks, mostly…

From DW Documentary. Eighteen Sicilian fishermen have been in Libyan custody since September 2020. Their offence: Fishing for coveted red prawns off the coast of Libya. Their desperate families fear that more is at stake than sovereign rights at sea. The Italian authorities remain silent, despite the fact that experts see Libya’s actions as a…

From DW Documentary. The Soviet deployment in Afghanistan triggered a 10-year conflict that changed the world. This film unveils the full story of this war, which marked the beginning of the fall of the USSR. In April 1978, Afghanistan’s President Mohammed Daoud Khan was overthrown and murdered in a coup d’état led by communist rebels.…