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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. For almost a decade, he has been radically transforming the country — at a breathtaking pace. Where is the modernizer and despot steering the kingdom? Saudi Arabia is the world's leading exporter of crude oil. But Crown Prince MBS wants to prepare the country for the post-oil era. Two-thirds of the country's population is under 30 years old, and the crown prince is taking radical measures to turn the previously strictly conservative society on its head. The documentary shows how contradictory Mohammed bin Salman's ambitions for his "Vision 2030" are, as it takes a look behind the scenes of the transformation. On the one hand, there is the "Neom" project, which aims to create a futuristic new megacity in the desert. Tourism is to be expanded, major music and sporting events are to be brought to the country, and an extravagant lifestyle is being promoted. At the same time, an authoritarian s

Turkey's Sea of Marmara is on the brink of environmental collapse. Pollution, overfishing and climate change are depleting its oxygen. The crisis became visible when a thick layer of algal slime first began spreading across its waters in 2021. Necla Köseoğlu, from Rumelikavağı, is one of the last people still working in traditional small-scale fishing on Turkey's Sea of Marmara. She's also one of the few women in the business. She used to be able to live off what she made from fishing, but those days are gone. Fish stocks in the Turkish inland sea have declined dramatically. The ecosystem is at risk of collapse due to overfishing, urban and industrial waste, and shipping pollution. The Marmara Sea, whose shores are home to around 25 million people, is suffocating.

The Matterhorn is one of the world’s most famous mountains — and amongst the deadliest. Since it was first ascended in 1865, over 600 climbers have lost their lives on the peak. Despite modern infrastructure and global awareness of the risks, tragedy strikes the Matterhorn again and again. This film asks why so many climbers misjudge the risks. Death on the Matterhorn follows mountain guide and head of rescue operations, Anjan Truffer, up to Solvay Bivouac — one of the mountain's high-altitude huts. It shows how Edith Lehner, warden of the nearby Hörnli Hut, lives with the losses. The crew also accompanies climber Meli Rüfenacht on her first ascent of the Matterhorn — one year after she herself witnessed a fatal fall.

Carsten Breuer is Inspector General of the German Armed Forces, and thus the highest-ranking soldier in Germany. He says that Russia will be ready for a military conflict with the West in just a few years. The documentary follows Carsten Breuer on camera for nine months. Filmmakers accompany him to a meeting with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD), as well as on trips to southern Lebanon, Ukraine, and the USA. The result is a portrait of the German government's top military advisor that also provides deep insights into the German security apparatus. Where the military meets politics, Carsten Breuer is redefining the role of Inspector General. Unlike his predecessors, he seeks out the public eye to get his messages across. In detailed newspaper interviews, on talk shows, in conversations with citizens, he drives his points home: The Bundeswehr and society must get ready for war.

In June 2024, Joanna lost her 20-year-old son Philipos. He was beaten up by another young man, following his sister's high school graduation party. Two days later, he died. The alleged perpetrator, a 19-year-old Syrian, was arrested. A summer evening that ended in disaster. After his sister's high school graduation party, 20-year-old Philipos was brutally attacked in the German town of Bad Oeynhausen. As his mother Joanna was mourning her son, Philipos became headline news. Before long, his death was used to reignite the debate on Germany’s asylum policy. Both in the German parliament, and in the media.

More and more city dwellers are collecting food in the asphalt jungle. They harvest herbs by the roadside and grow wild vegetables in cracks in the concrete. For these modern foragers and hunters, the food is free, tasty and more varied than in the supermarket. Christian Amys is an urban foraging professional. He forages for fresh food in his hometown of Brighton. For him, the English coastal city is an urban Garden of Eden. Christian finds wild vegetables and herbs in places where most people would never expect to find food. The 42-year-old only spends a few pounds a week on food from the supermarket: "I want to be independent and don't like to rely on the supermarket. I like to forage on my doorstep because it's nice to know where my food comes from."

Greenland should become part of the United States — at least, that’s the opinion of US President Donald Trump. Talk of the US acquiring, or perhaps even seizing, the world's largest island with its vast mineral wealth has been causing concern not only among Greenlanders. Denmark is outraged, as Greenland — a former colony — is still a semi-autonomous territory of the Danish Realm. But for how long? Many Greenlanders want to take control of their own future. Nukannguaq Zeeb was born on the island and feels deeply connected to the island’s cultural traditions of hunting and fishing. He also coaches Greenland’s national soccer team, a sport introduced by Danish colonialists. He’s critical of Denmark’s ongoing influence. "To be honest, we are currently under Danish rule and not an independent country,” he says. Trump's neocolonial ambitions came as a shock to him.

When the sun goes down, India's megacity most intense side comes to light. Queer subculture, everyday slum life and spiritual celebrity culture - Mumbai nightlife could hardly be more diverse. Anything is possible, here! Mumbai: India's financial, commercial and entertainment center. This is the New York of South Asia, according to many of its inhabitants. Here, they say, anything is possible and hard work pays off. Like New York City, Mumbai is a melting pot of different cultures and lifestyles - and a city that never sleeps. Between red carpets and slums, this documentary shows a city full of contrasts.

Cities, floating on the ocean. It sounds like science fiction, but could soon become reality. Researchers are developing concepts for life on water - on a grand scale. Initial tests are promising. Is success a genuine possibility? Over half of humanity lives near the coast. But in many places, flooding is a constant threat, forcing entire populations to search for new habitats. Paradoxically, these could be located directly on the water. Cities, floating on the ocean. It sounds like science fiction, but could soon become reality. International research has long been developing concepts for life on water. Now, new designs — from temporary huts to affordable student dormitories to smart high-tech villas — seem to hold promise. Could huge numbers of people soon be living in "floating cities”?

Anil Jadhav is an Indian farmer. He had always dreamed of having a large family. But as droughts in his homeland increase, his income — and marriage prospects — are dwindling. While the ecological and economic impacts of climate change are frequently reported on, the social aspects often remain in the shadows. Many Indian farmers can no longer find a partner because they cannot earn enough to support a family. In regions where water was once abundant, chronic drought now prevails. Out of despair, Anil Jadhav has turned to Deepak Jadhav, a matchmaker who specializes in finding arranging marriages for farmers who have fallen into hardship as a result of climate change. This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.

Aboard the research vessel Meteor, scientists venture into the vast Atlantic. Five weeks in tight quarters push the team beyond its limits. Their mission: to study unknown species and habitats at the bottom of the sea. It's 3 a.m. in the middle of the Atlantic, and Meteor is surrounded by darkness. But the 58 men and women on board are wide awake. All eyes are on the ship's crane as it hauls a "box corer" - a mechanical sample collector - from a depth of five kilometers. The heavy seas cause it to slam against the ship's hull. The immense pressure levels involved in deep-sea research require heavy-duty equipment, with parts made of steel and even titanium. But when the crew finally manage to get the sample box back on deck, they find it's empty: containing only water and no seabed sediment. After the immediate disappointment, they soon set about preparing the next attempt before sunrise, because time - and money - are of the essence on this five-week expedition.

The Amish still live as they did in the 17th century: without electricity, phones or cars. While many continue to resist the temptations of the modern world, others are breaking away from the group. For the Amish community in the USA, only the word of the Lord counts. They follow biblical principles to the letter, and believe in traditional gender roles. But younger members of the Christian communit in particular are questioning the extreme rules that guide their lives. Amish life places Christian faith above all else, rejects technological progress and sees a woman's place as being in the home. How long can this world view hold out?

More than ever, digital platforms are being used for manipulation and blackmail. This documentary goes behind the scenes of a cruel online world, and shows just how close the danger is. When an opportunity for love or big money beckons online, it can be hard to say no -- or even question what is happening. But in the case of online scams, the dream relationship turns into a nightmare of merciless blackmail and lost savings. This documentary follows both victims and former perpetrators of online scams. A young man from the German city of Hanover thinks he may have found love with a charming Asian woman he chats with online. But behind the seductive profile are scammers who use intimate photos of him to extort money.

What impact does good muscle tone have on our health? Studies show that muscle training can slow down the ageing process, prevent metabolic disorders and even inhibit cancer cells. The muscular system is the largest system in our body, accounting for around 30 to 40 percent of our body weight. Healthy and well-trained muscles give us the strength we need for an active life. But muscles can do much more than just set our bodies in motion: regular muscle training has a positive impact on our overall health. This is because muscles work in a similar way to an endocrine organ: when activated, muscles release messenger substances called myokines, which directly influence our central organs such as the brain, liver, heart and intestines. If we lose muscle mass, these organs can become diseased, or metabolic disorders like diabetes can develop. Fit muscles, on the other hand, can reduce the risk of brain diseases like dementia or Alzheimer's, and decelerate the ageing process.

Here, death is ever-present. In hospices, carers and volunteers provide end-of-life support to people who are seriously ill and dying. Their goal is for people to be able to experiences their final weeks and days with dignity, as free from fear as possible. Paul Buchholz has been working at a hospice in Rostock, a city in northern Germany, for 15 years. With kindness and respect, he tries to make his guests' last weeks or days as carefree and pleasant as possible. Ralf Löwenhagen has worked in agriculture for most of his life. He never went to the doctor, never complained, always worked hard. Now he has pancreatic cancer and is receiving palliative care. During therapy sessions in the garden, or when nurse Paul Buchholz pushes him outside on the terrace, his mood visibly improves.

After the authoritarian regime fell in 2024, Bangladesh is facing an important social and political decision. Which direction will it take? It was an uprising that made international waves: In August 2024, Sheikh Hasina's authoritarian government fell after massive Gen Z protests swept across Bangladesh. It was the end of an era – and for many, the beginning of hope for democracy. Now new elections are coming up. But the mood in the country has become more tense, and political Islam is gaining in strength. Women and minorities are coming under increasing pressure, and many see cultural freedom as being under threat. With the upcoming elections, the country is struggling with the crucial question: What comes next? Is Bangladesh heading for even deeper polarization – or is the long-awaited transition to democracy finally on the horizon?

A filmmaker’s firsthand experience of the US attacks on Venezuela. Her country is at the center of geopolitics—but ordinary people are powerless. A view from Caracas, caught between hope and resignation. In December 2025, the death of her stepfather Nelson brought documentary filmmaker Anabel Rodríguez Ríos home to Venezuela, to mourn with her mother. The country is economically devastated, and the public healthcare system is in crisis. Medical treatment might have helped save her stepfather’s life. But it was too expensive. Meanwhile, in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela, the US is stationing warships. US President Donald Trump threatened Venezuela’s deposed leader Nicolás Maduro with war, accusing him of "narco-terrorism.” In September 2025, the United States begins ordering strikes on Venezuelan boats without an international legal mandate; the claim is that these are boats belong to drug traffickers. More than 100 people have been killed in these strikes so far.

Women around the world are working to break down outdated structures and empower one another. Initiatives in Germany and Ecuador are calling for equal rights in the workplace, self-determination, and financial independence for women. One of the women working for change is surgeon Katja Schlosser. The former head physician at Agaplesion Hospital in Giessen is working with her association "Die Chirurginnen” (The Female Surgeons) to ensure that female colleagues can continue to practice their profession even during pregnancy. In some clinics, pregnant women are still banned from operating rooms - often due to restrictive interpretations of the Maternity Protection Act. This can put female surgeons at a disadvantage compared to their male colleagues. That’s why Katja Schlosser is calling for an equal say in decision-making processes, as well as equal career opportunities for women.

On 3 February 2026, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was shot dead by four unknown gunmen in Zintan, Libya. This documentary was produced in 2023 and has not been updated for this reupload. It traces the turbulent life of the second son of the former Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi. In 2021, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi unexpectedly announced that he would run for the presidency in Libya. Statements from relatives and political actors paint a portrait of an unpredictable and fiercely determined man. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s presidential bid is a major challenge for Libya. The second son of the Libyan dictator Muammar Al Gaddafi has been convicted several times in Libya and is being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

A technical masterpiece -- and a big responsibility. The Kiel Canal in Germany is the busiest artificial waterway in the world. But keeping it operational is expensive. The infrastructure of the Kiel Canal is a much-discussed topic. As is the case in Germany with roads, bridges and railway tracks, cost-cutting measures are also impacting waterways. Yet the canal offers decisive advantages for freight transport: every shipping container transported here replaces a long lorry journey. This saves fuel and improves the freight’s carbon footprint. Every year, 25,000 to 30,000 ships pass through the artificial waterway that runs between the port cities of Kiel and Brunsbüttel, connecting the Baltic Sea with the North Sea. But the Kiel Canal, which opened in 1895 and is almost 100 kilometers long, requires constant monitoring and maintenance.

Thousands of people from Africa attempt to reach Europe via the Mediterranean. The EU is disrupting these migration routes and outsourcing its border control responsibilities to countries in the Sahara and Sahel regions. Christian and David try not to fall off the back of the pick-up. The vehicle is being driven at breakneck speed through the desert by smugglers. Like hundreds of thousands of people before them, the two Nigerians are traveling from West Africa to the Libyan Mediterranean coast. They’re hoping to reach Europe and the promise of a better life.

What does dying feel like? What is it like to stand on the threshold of death — and turn back? Three young women talk about their near-death experiences and how these moments changed their lives. "I used to be extremely afraid of death. But ever since my near-death experience, that's no longer the case," says model Chanel Silberberg, who became famous through the German reality TV show "Germany's Next Topmodel." She nearly died at the age of 11 from complications related to a chronic illness. The experience fundamentally shaped her.

For many single parents, everyday life can be a challenge. But a number of projects offer assistance and encouragement. Affordable housing, social networking, and childcare services are designed to ease the burden. Single parents in Europe can increasingly rely on help and support from people, associations, and institutions to help them balance raising children with work, financial issues, and mental overload. "A secure, affordable living situation - that's such a key issue in the lives of single parents,” says Sarah Zeller. A few years ago, she found herself confronting this issue when, along with another friend and her child, she decided to set up a shared apartment for the two single parent families. But they searched in vain for an affordable apartment with enough space.

The danger is everywhere. An invisible poison — lead — has been destroying lives in Zambia for decades. Headaches, fatigue, stomach pain, memory loss — for many people in Kabwe, Zambia, all that is part of daily life. Children suffer the most. Lead damages their developing brains, slows learning and leaves scars that last a lifetime. The cause is no mystery: An old lead mine. The United Nations ranks Kabwe among the most polluted places on Earth. Around 200,000 people are affected. Nearly every child has dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. We met mothers like Jane, whose 6-year-old daughter Elizabeth struggles to keep up at school because of lead poisoning. Former workers, too: Like Mathias, who spent decades working without protections in the mine and now speaks of a toxic legacy no one wants to clean up.

Sixty years ago, Europe's first seawater desalination plant was built in the Canary Islands. This technology for producing fresh water was a blessing for the islands. Now, it could prove to be a curse for the ecosystem. This water treatment system is essential for life in the area - but is it compatible with the principles of sustainable development? Due to limited freshwater resources and rising demand, the first seawater desalination plant in Europe was built in the Canary Islands. It is often touted as a perfect solution. Today, the Canary Islands have the highest number of desalinations plants in the world, relative to the islands’ size and population. The fresh water obtained in this way is indispensable for human life on the volcanic islands, but - since it appears to be available in abundance - it also encourages unbridled economic development, such as mass tourism and the intensive monoculture of bananas for export.

China is pushing into European markets - and striving for ever greater military power. This has already had an impact on the internal and external security of Western countries. How dependent is Germany on China? Fancy some iced tea? It'll be delivered by drone. A tree falls onto the road? The driverless taxi swerves out of the way. The rapid development of artificial intelligence and automation in the megacity of Shenzhen shows how high-tech China is integrating innovation into everyday life. Digitalization is everywhere, in a country where administrative procedures are carried out via mobile phone. But the example of Shenzhen also shows that western countries are in danger of being left behind by China in key technologies such as AI, robotics and electric cars. Behind all this advancement lies a great deal of state planning - as well as possible attempts to exert influence.

For a cow to produce milk, she must give birth to a calf. Female calves later become dairy cows themselves, while male calves are surplus to the dairy industry’s requirements. They’re packed into trucks and suffer in transit on their way to fattening facilities. Cows must calve once a year to produce milk. However, male calves are unwanted, considered waste products of the dairy industry. They’re often sent to fattening farms, mostly outside the EU. A farmer, a scientist and a butcher want to change this. Instead of sending the animals to factory farms where they’re fattened with soy or corn, the bull calves are sent to the pastures and alpine meadows of the Alps. Along with a small group of farmers, restaurateurs and retailers, dairy farmer Marcel Renz is trying to change the dairy system in southern Germany. He wants to improve animal welfare, shorten transport distances and produce good quality meat that customers are willing to pay a little more for.

What happens when your eyesight begins to fail? Michael has glaucoma and has lost most of his eyesight. He’s had to reorder his whole life. For the longest time, Michael Lins didn’t notice anything was wrong. Then, one day in the bathroom, he’s surprised to find that what he thought was a bit of foam in the corner of his eye won’t go away. The doctor’s diagnosis is devastating: glaucoma in both eyes. The eye disease known as glaucoma is one of the leading causes for blindness, affecting an estimated 80 million people worldwide. Some call it the “silent thief” of sight, because it often causes irreparable damage before vision loss occurs. Those affected, like Michael, often only notice the disease once it’s too late. When Michael first learned he was losing his vision, he also lost his will to carry on. Then, he joined a professional rehabilitation program for people who are blind or visually impaired. There, he learned how to navigate his new life.

Armed gangs control much of Haiti, including the vast majority of the capital Port-au-Prince. According to UN reports, the associated violence left almost 6,000 people dead in 2025 alone and over 1.4 million displaced. Criminal gangs have formed a coalition called "Viv Ansanm" ("Living Together") to consolidate their grip on Port-au-Prince. They finance themselves through kidnappings and extortion rackets, while frequently engaging in gun battles with the police. State institutions function only to a limited degree. Schools and healthcare facilities remain closed or are repeatedly targeted in attacks. Humanitarian aid reaches many neighborhoods only under considerable security risks.

In 2008, the United States launched "Project Cassandra". The aim was to uncover how Hezbollah uses drug trafficking and money laundering to finance its military and terrorist activities. The three-part series tells the story of the project. By 2008, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had gathered sufficient evidence to show that Hezbollah had transformed from a military and political organization into an international crime syndicate. They were making billions from drug and arms trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities. "Project Cassandra" was the ambitious, top-secret project designed to stop them.

In 2008, the United States launched "Project Cassandra." The aim was to uncover how Hezbollah uses drug trafficking and money laundering to finance its military and terrorist activities. The three-part series tells the story of the project. This three-part series tells the story of "Project Cassandra" through the testimony of DEA agents and others who were directly involved. It is a story that helps explain the history and rise of Hezbollah and brings a complex geopolitical story to a wider audience.

In 2008, the United States launched "Project Cassandra". The aim was to uncover how Hezbollah uses drug trafficking and money laundering to finance its military and terrorist activities. The 3-part series tells the story of the project. France has been the country of choice for Hezbollah fighters seeking asylum since 2010. France offers several benefits, including the possibility of integrating into a large Lebanese community and freedom of movement on European territory. Paris became a center for laundering money from the cocaine trade. The D.E.A., the American Drug Enforcement Agency, alerted the French police. Together they opened a new chapter of Operation Cassandra, named "Operation Cedar," after the tree that symbolizes Lebanon.

Earth influences all life on our planet. The same is true in reverse: Animals, plants, and inanimate matter also shape habitats. But humans are currently changing this dynamic cycle. The documentary shows the evolutionary history of our planet, in which the history of humankind represents only a brief moment. Rocks existed on our planet long before the oceans, forests, plants, and even air came into being. From the very beginning, the earth itself was the foundation of creation. The documentary looks at how inanimate matter created life, shaped landscapes, and gave rise to civilizations.

Sabine, Clais and Orm were children when their fathers were murdered. The killings, carried out by the far-left German terrorist group the Rote Armee Fraktion ("Red Army Faction”), or RAF, brought an abrupt, violent end to their childhoods. In this film, they share how terrorism changed their lives forever. May 2025 marked 50 years since the first criminal trial of RAF terrorists began in Germany. The group’s most prominent victims, like Hanns Martin Schleyer and Alfred Herrhausen, are still remembered today. But the names of other, lesser-known victims have all but been forgotten: police officers, drivers, government employees, a diplomat. Some of these victims had children, who were 12, 13 or even just two years old when they lost a parent. The murders robbed them of their childhood and inflicted deep emotional scars that are still felt, to this day.

Artificial insemination has been a possibility for decades, yet some aspects of it are still being debated — including in Europe. Not least of those is whether there should be a limit on how many times a donor can give sperm. Hanna got pregnant while without a partner — through a sperm donor. Not only is that allowed in Sweden, the government sponsors it. She became pregnant on her fifth attempt. Other European countries prohibit artificial insemination for single people, others offer less financial aid. The legal situation across Europe is a patchwork of approaches. Leontine's father was an anonymous sperm donor. She wanted to learn more about him, and discovered that she has at least 27 half-siblings scattered across the continent. In Sweden, some believe there should be a limit to how often a person can donate sperm. There is no consensus on that in the rest of the EU.

Invasive species threaten flora and fauna and can destroy ecological balance. However, combating these dangerous invaders is costly and requires unusual measures. The EU list of invasive species includes 42 animal and 46 plant species. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has identified these unwanted intruders as one of six "climate killers," because they can throw entire ecosystems out of balance. According to research reports, invasive species cause around €400 billion worth of damage worldwide every year - from crop losses and the decline of native species to expensive control measures.

If you dominate EV battery manufacturing, you dominate electromobility. China is building one gigafactory after another, while Europe struggles with political uncertainty, lack of know-how, and large-scale projects that end up delayed or cancelled. This is the story of an industry that’s shaping the future. The EV battery is the core of electromobility. Europe had pinned its hopes on Swedish battery developer and manufacturer Northvolt. But it failed spectacularly.

Islamist terrorism continues to claim numerous victims worldwide. Extremist networks are financed in part by donations from Germany. But investigations often prove to be difficult. Money from Germany repeatedly finds its way into structures that support Islamist terror. This occurs via bank transfers, donation associations, online payment services, and even cryptocurrencies. Many small amounts can add up to large sums. Such cash flows often go unnoticed because investigations in Germany - unlike in some other countries - often fail due to legal hurdles. The documentary follows the money trail from Germany to Syria. It tells the story of a young German woman who returns home after a time spent with the Islamic State terror group. She provides insights into how money is collected, transferred, and used. The film reconstructs how money is collected via middlemen in Germany and Austria - including funding for Hamas.

Octopus is considered a delicacy - grilled, boiled, or fried. But rising demand has consequences, and in several regions of Europe, this intelligent cephalopod is already considered overfished. Stocks are shrinking dramatically, especially in the Mediterranean. In Greece, illegal traps are often used for fishing. Together with the coast guard, the environmental organization Sea Shepherd has removed thousands of these traps from the seabed - part of a mission against environmental crime. The film crew embarks on an investigative journey along the coasts of Europe and Africa. In Galicia, northwestern Spain, there are several large fish processing plants that cut up octopuses, freeze them, and prepare them for the international market. Fishing is subject to strict regulations because natural stocks are shrinking rapidly. To meet the high demand, factories are increasingly resorting to imports from African waters.

Slovakia stands at a crossroads between western and eastern Europe - and not just in geographical terms. Amidst growing social and political divisions in the country, Prime Minister Robert Fico is using his power to amplify tensions and stir up fear. Once a mainstream Social Democrat, Robert Fico has reinvented himself as a leftwing nationalist - repeatedly attacking the media while pursuing friendly relations with Moscow and stalling EU sanctions against Russia. With confidence in the government and public institutions steadily eroding, many young people are leaving the country - while others take to the streets to fight for democratic values and strengthening Slovakia's ties to the EU.

Approximately 58,000 people are currently incarcerated in German prisons. Over half of them reoffend after their release. These statistics raise doubts about the prison system. Is something fundamentally wrong with German prisons? To understand what prison does to people, journalist Frank Seibert voluntarily goes to jail. For a few hours, a cell door closes behind him. Isolation and the sudden loss of control change everything, he says after his "release". What good does imprisonment do? Lawyer and former prison governor Thomas Galli says: nothing! He would release 90 per cent of people behind bars on parole. Prison means social exclusion. But it is also expensive, costing the state some €200 per prisoner, per day. In total, this means the system costs taxpayers over €10 million - every single day. Thomas Galli would rather see that money invested in social work and therapy for offenders.

Gothic architecture emerged in France in the 12th century. This architectural style revolutionized church construction, creating cathedrals that soared skywards. But where did the knowledge and technology for building these monuments come from? Light floods the interiors of Gothic cathedrals, which have colorful windows instead of solid walls. All told, the windows of Chartres Cathedral in France would cover an area larger than a football pitch. Another impressive example is St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Austria, the federal capital's iconic landmark.

It was 2015 when Nour Elhouda Al Ahmad Alhammash and her family arrived in eastern Germany. After fleeing Syria, the then nine-year-old was enrolled in the first grade at a school in the village of Golzow, Brandenburg. In the summer of 2015, Nour Elhouda Al Ahmad Alhammash, the child of a refugee family from Damascus, started school in the village of Golzow. The mayor of Golzow wanted to save the village's primary school from closure, but there weren't enough enrolments. He saw the integration of refugee families as an opportunity for the village. But local people were unsure. Nour was a fast learner, quickly picking up the German language and skipping two grades. In 2019, she moved up to secondary school. In 2025, she took her secondary school leaving exams, or "Abitur.” Her goal: to study medicine. Nour now lives with her family in Frankfurt (Oder), where her father works as a tiler. The family has welcomed another child and has no plans to return to Syria for now.

Ransomware poses an existential threat to businesses. It's a form of cybercrime that's a highly professional industry. The criminals operate like a business - by infiltrating systems, encrypting data, and extorting money. Those who refuse to pay, face operational shutdown, loss of data, and bankruptcy. Many criminal groups have a division of labor that's similar to that of companies, with teams of developers, negotiators, 'customer support,' and clear deadlines. This documentary shows how almost any company can be targeted and how quickly an attack can threaten the very survival of the business. In the spring of 2025, Philipp Bosshard’s company was hit. It wasn't just the IT system that went down, the entire company ground to a halt. The future of the business and the jobs of its 200 employees were at stake. The hackers set a deadline: Bosshard had twelve days to decide whether to pay the ransom or see if he could somehow find another solution.

‘Stolpersteine’, or ‘stumbling stones’ placed in the pavement commemorate the victims of Nazism. The squares are made of brass and measure 10cm x 10cm. More than 100,000 of these memorial plaques have been laid in over 30 countries. It’s the largest decentralized memorial in the world. The project, launched in the 1990s by German artist Gunter Demnig, continues to grow. This documentary tells some of the personal stories behind the stones. Most of the inscriptions on the stumbling stones begin with the words: "Here lived". This is followed by a name and the key dates of a life. Gunter Demnig laid the first ‘Stolpersteine’ in Germany to commemorate the deportation and murder of the Sinti and Roma. This has resulted in a memorial to all victims of National Socialism - supported by the commitment of citizens, who research the history of those who used to live in their neighborhood. Many enquiries now come from all over the world.

2024 was a record year for Norwegian tourism, with almost 38.6 million overnight stays. The country’s cuisine, culture, and unique destinations entice visitors. But tourism brings its own problems. At a campsite in Stavanger, Per Arne Haarr is often forced to turn away tourists during the high season. Because reservations can’t be made in advance, Robert, Yvonne, and their son Paul have arrived extra early. They hope to secure a spot at this campground in central Stavanger. The family from Germany is on its second visit to Norway and hoping to explore the south of the country. It quickly becomes apparent that since their last visit, things have gotten much more crowded here. Those who like hustle and bustle will get their money's worth along the Fargegaten pedestrian street, in the center of Stavanger. Then there’s the harbor promenade - and, of course, the cruise ships. Up to three of these can moor here at the same time, bringing thousands of tourists to the city every day.

Constant stimuli, digital distractions - how can we stay focused these days? Does talent, training, or technology help? Neuroscientists and mental coaches show how concentration works in the brain. In an increasingly demanding world, we seem to be able to concentrate less and less. How does our brain manage to focus, even when we’re constantly exposed to distractions? This documentary accompanies a top athlete, an air traffic controller trainee, and an e-sports professional on their journeys in search of maximum focus. Swimming world champion Angelina Köhler has to be fully focused for a certain number of seconds to win a race. How does she prepare for this? According to Angie Köhler, the mind is crucial: "The sequences we train in swimming are so precise and technical that if you're not focused, you can't perform them quickly. If you can't concentrate properly, you lose."

India's widows suffer from exclusion and stigmatization. For decades, they have been fighting for more rights, with the help of NGOs. For the first time, widows are allowed to celebrate the festival of colors at the Gopinath Temple - a breakthrough. India is a country where ancient traditions are still alive. One of them is Holi - the festival of colors. But the country's widows are excluded from it. Most of them live in poverty, stigmatized as outcasts. In Vrindavan, things are different. Here, widows find refuge in the ashrams. At the Gopinath Temple, they are allowed to celebrate the festival of colors for the first time. Munni, Heema, and Chavi live in different widows' ashrams in Vrindavan. They all came to this holy city to find refuge from the humiliation and exclusion practiced by their families and their social environments.

Investigative reporters are always on the hunt for exclusive information. But when the secret service serves as a source, can it also exploit journalists as agents? How can journalists become agents? To answer this question, the report accompanies Lars Petersen, head of investigative reporting at Business Insider, an online platform for business news. He explains how the exchange of information works, and when a line may be crossed. The film also looks back at a major journalism scandal in Germany: in 2005, it became public knowledge that the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) had systematically monitored journalists in the 1990s. In some cases over long periods of time; and particularly those who had reported critically on the agency.

In many German cities, bicycle couriers deliver burgers, pizza, and other food to people's homes. Thousands of these riders come from India, lured by the promise of studying in Germany, and have incurred heavy debts. "We're not animals!” complains Shiwani S. after a hard day at the Berlin labor court. The bicycle courier, who is in late pregnancy, has been waiting for a year and a half for several months' wages to be paid. "Why don't Germans do these jobs at Lieferando, Wolt, or Uber Eats?” agrees Samee U. "Ask yourselves that!” The documentary explores this question and uncovers a system of exploitation that is becoming increasingly widespread in German cities: thousands of young Indians come to the country for worthless degrees at expensive private universities. They are lured here by agencies and heavily in debt, as a result.

Colors make our homes more beautiful. They make our clothes more stylish. And colors are indispensable for art. But what looks beautiful can also be toxic: Many colors contain substances like mercury, lead, or chromium. The production of colors pollutes soil and water. Toxins can get onto our skin via our clothing. Textile dyeing has a particularly devastating impact in Asia. In countries like Bangladesh, China, and India, wastewater is often discharged into rivers without being filtered. "Basically, the textile industry dumps all its waste into the river,” says biologist Jim Ajioka. Along with his colleague Orr Yarkoni, Jim Ajioka has founded a start-up in Cambridge, England. Their aim is to revolutionize the textile market. "Our vision is to completely eliminate the use of toxic chemicals,” he says. To achieve this, the visionaries are relying on biological processes and microbes that can dye fabrics.

These images were never supposed to be seen. Amid the war in Iran, two men secretly film their day-to-day lives. These smuggled recordings reveal the struggle they face between internal repression and external attacks. The 30-minute film, "Embattled in Iran — Diary From a Warzone," features never-before-seen footage of daily life in Iran during US-Israeli bombardments. In January 2026, the Iranian regime brutally cracked down on mass protests nationwide. After weeks of threats, the US and Israel started a war against Iran on 28 February. In those early weeks of the war, two men in different parts of the country began to film: one in the capital, Tehran, and the other in Baluchestan, in the southeastern part of Iran on the border to Pakistan. Using their cell phones, they document their lives without showing their faces, acutely aware of the extraordinary risks involved every time they press record.

A year spent as a volunteer in Berlin. For Angeli from Cameroon, this is the first big trip of his life. How does voluntary service in another country shape a young person? Anyone in Germany can apply for what’s known as the ‘Federal Voluntary Service’. It’s a program enabling Germans to volunteer anywhere in the world. Foreigners can also come to Germany. In 2019, the young Cameroonian Robincrusoe Angeli comes to Berlin as part of the same program. With a small monthly allowance, Angeli does his best to get by. He works with the Grüne Liga, an environmental movement. But it's not always easy, in a city like Berlin. Making friends is difficult, and he’s plagued by homesickness. The documentary sensitively examines how voluntary service affects Angeli. What is he learning about Germany, and what are Germans learning from him? This is a film about falling down and getting back up, good intentions, and how we interact with one another.

Knockout drops: colorless, tasteless and extremely dangerous. They’ve been around for decades and are used to incapacitate people in order to rob, rape and even kill them. "Spiking" is adding a sedative substance to people's food and drink without their knowledge or consent. The victim is rendered completely helpless and often suffers memory blackout - and crimes go unreported. "I didn't know why, but I knew something bad had happened," says Kate, recalling the night she was "knocked out". The following day, she realized she had been raped. Lawyer Jochen Link from the German organization Weißer Ring, which supports victims of crime, warns that the extent of the problem is being underestimated. Time and again, victims report blackouts even though they have consumed very little alcohol. The range of substances used is wide - from party drugs to sedatives and sleeping pills. Many victims feel ashamed or afraid that they won't be taken seriously.

Where does Oumuamua, the mysterious interstellar flying object discovered in 2017, come from? Astronomer Robert Weryk spotted it with the help of the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii. But what is Oumuamua? A comet? An artificial object? Many questions and myths surrounded this "thing from another world”. Since it was too fast to be attracted by the gravitational pull of the sun, it was clear that it came from another star system. But what exactly was Oumuamua, which means "a messenger from afar arriving first," in Hawaiian? An asteroid? A comet? A fragment of an exoplanet, that is, a planet outside our solar system? Or even an active space probe, as Avi Loeb, director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has speculated?

Knockout drops: colorless, tasteless and extremely dangerous. They’ve been around for decades and are used to incapacitate people in order to rob, rape and even kill them. "Spiking" is adding a sedative substance to people's food and drink without their knowledge or consent. The victim is rendered completely helpless and often suffers memory blackout - and crimes go unreported. "I didn't know why, but I knew something bad had happened," says Kate, recalling the night she was "knocked out". The following day, she realized she had been raped. Lawyer Jochen Link from the German organization Weißer Ring, which supports victims of crime, warns that the extent of the problem is being underestimated. Time and again, victims report blackouts even though they have consumed very little alcohol. The range of substances used is wide - from party drugs to sedatives and sleeping pills. Many victims feel ashamed or afraid that they won't be taken seriously.

A church that "migrates” to a new location kilometers away. A key event in the relocation of the northern Swedish city of Kiruna. As iron ore mining encroaches on its territory, large parts of the city are being forced to make way. Many buildings are being demolished, and the city center now consists largely of new construction. Leaving many residents of Kiruna unhappy. For several years now, Stefan Holmblad Johansson has been preparing for the day the church must leave its longtime home. He’s responsible for the relocation of the house of worship at the mining company LKAB. But he also has a personal connection to the church, like many people here in Kiruna. A few years ago, the Swedes voted the church the most beautiful building in the whole country. Its relocation was staged as a media-friendly folk festival. But for many people, the move is no cause for celebration. Lina Brännström grew up near the old city center.

From Hitler memes to swastikas and "Sieg heil" salutes: online gamers can encounter all manner of Nazi content. Most platforms are subject to regulation - but far-right ideology is nonetheless able to spread in associated forums. Originally just a form of entertainment, the gaming world is now part of mainstream society - comprising spaces that become stages for extremist political agitation. Security authorities have seen a rise in far-right activity in these online communities, while non-government groups warn of a growing risk of radicalization. The gaming industry has undergone major changes in recent years. Developers are incorporating greater diversity into both characters and narrative perspectives: from female soldiers and Black main protagonists to queer love stories. At the same time, the gaming community has itself also become more diverse.

For centuries, Dutch prosperity has been based on global trade. But this has always had a dark side. Drugs, like opium and cocaine, are traded too. | Watch Part 2: • Europe's drug mafia (2/2) - The weakness o... The first part of this documentary shows how the Netherlands became the European hub for narcotics. As early as the 17th century, Dutch colonialism laid the foundation for a lucrative drug trade. Opium from Indonesia financed the rise of the trading empire. This was followed by the cultivation of coca plants on Java - which formed the basis for Amsterdam's early cocaine production. Even when international bans officially ended the trade during World War I, the system survived, underground. In the interwar period, an illegal market emerged and continues to have an impact today. After the Second World War, drug trafficking initially seemed to be a thing of the past.

In Rotterdam, local street gangs join forces with Colombians to build their empire. Driven by raging demand, the cocaine trade has triggered an unprecedented wave of violence. The second part of this documentary begins in Europe, in the 2000s. It traces the rise of major criminals who came to the Netherlands as immigrants. These include Gwenette Martha and Ridouan Taghi, who became the main contacts for South American cocaine dealers. To defend the bosses' interests, their organization practiced unprecedented violence. Murders of lawyers and journalists, acts of retaliation with military weapons, and threats against the royal family shook the country. Some surviving drug dealers ended up in Dubai, the trading paradise of the Middle East. From here, they continued their business via encrypted communication platforms.

Nations once considered beacons of democracy are under attack. Many countries around the world are moving toward authoritarianism and jeopardizing once staunchly protected democratic values. Among them: the USA. The new DW documentary series, "Democracy Under Attack," is an urgent look into the heart of these conflicts. It puts a spotlight on countries where democratic values have long been taken for granted. In an ever-increasingly fractured world, how resilient are today's democracies? Making sense of these questions is Turkish investigative journalist Can Dündar, who has lived in exile in Germany since 2016. In the DW Documentary original series, "Guardians of Truth," he brought stories from Mexico, Belarus, and his home country, Turkey. He met people who, like him, faced the brutal consequences of corrupt institutions and the suppression of a free press.

The best way to appreciate Wrocław is from tram line No. 1. It has been rolling through the city for 140 years - passing rubble, after the war, and past renovated facades, modern apartment blocks and the grassy banks of the River Oder, today. This film accompanies tram driver Tatjana Granowska on her daily journey through Wrocław, and features talks with people along tram line No. 1 - students, artists and other residents of this city on the Oder. They talk about their everyday lives and how this city in the heart of Europe is changing. Tatjana Granowska worked in a travel agency for many years, helping others to discover the world. When that ended, the native Kazakh decided to make a fresh start and became a tram driver. Today, she steers the tram through the city -- and can’t imagine a better job. Kamil Zaremba lost everything in the 1997 floods. Today, he lives on a houseboat on the Oder River. While many in the city fear the next big flood, he feels safe on the water.

Loneliness is often underestimated - especially among young people. The documentary follows four young people: Ellen, Gordon, Lilli and Vanelynn, who feel isolated for very different reasons. Ellen moves to Freiburg as a student and doesn't know many people there yet. Another person affected is 19-year-old Lilli, who often feels alone in Cottbus in Brandenburg with her left-wing values. Then there’s influencer Vanelynn from Düsseldorf. Although she’s constantly online, she misses having real-life contacts. The last protagonist is Gordon from Stuttgart, who lives with depression. The four of them speak about their struggles and hopes, which the film records with openness and sensitivity.

For more than 40 years, German churches have been offering refugees church asylum. But this is not a legal right. And the practice is increasingly being called into question by German authorities. As the country’s previously welcoming refugee policy undergoes major change, the state's tolerance for church asylum is waning. Anja is someone who has felt this shift. A pastor in a free church, she grants church asylum to people in her congregation who are threatened with deportation. How does she handle the difficult balancing act between extending charity, and obedience to the law? The state of Bremen is considered a stronghold of church asylum: of almost 2,400 cases nationwide, 200 were registered here in 2024. Ironically, it was here in this liberal Hanseatic city that a scandal erupted during Advent last year: the Bremen Migration Office instructed police officers to remove a 25-year-old Somali man from church asylum for deportation to Finland, his first point of entry into the EU.

Anyone walking through Berlin will come across people experiencing homelessness. Some have temporary shelter in emergency housing, while others sleep in doorways, on the streets, or on makeshift beds underneath bridges. Berlin has one of Germany’s largest unhoused populations. According to estimates, more than 50,000 people in the city lack permanent housing, and around 6,000 of them live permanently on the streets. The reasons for homelessness vary, from poverty, misfortune, and eviction, to debt, addiction, and criminality. Some try to make ends meet by selling what are known as street newspapers. Others have been living in the same public spaces for years, and are well-known in their neighborhoods, though not always well-liked. This documentary follows Bülent, Daniel and Manni, three men who grew up in Berlin and now find themselves without a home. Six days a week, Bülent sells newspapers outside a shopping center in the city's Moabit district.

What do young Chinese people dream of? What hopes and goals do they have? Do the grandchildren of the "rising generation” still believe in progress through work, and prosperity for all? Or do they have different values? In China, people rarely talk about their own dreams. There is the government’s "Chinese Dream,” of course: It promises prosperity to those who work hard and propel their country forward to the top of the world. But the boom is over, and China’s economy is stagnating. Many young people can’t find jobs. Many also no longer want to work as hard as their parents did. In two episodes "A Day with Paintboxers, Influencers, and Millionaires” and "A Night with Rock Stars, Rebels, and Princesses,” the filmmakers meet young people who are breaking with their parents’ hopes and dreams. The subjects let the filmmakers into their homes, and open their hearts. The filmmakers, in turn, don’t talk about the young people — instead, they let them tell their own stories.

A video diary from the frontline trenches: Ukrainian commander and cameraman Dmytro Dokunov can’t save his comrades. Can he free himself from the horror of the Russian attack on Ukraine? Dmytro Dokunov, known as Dok, is a tall, peace-loving man, fighting on the frontline against Russian invaders. His mobile phone camera is always on. Everyone in his unit is wracked by fear. There’s nothing heroic about this war. Dok is a pacifist. A vegetarian. He spent the last year before the war in a remote Ukrainian village, building an eco-community, meditating, gardening, and making art. A notice from the military office presented him with a dilemma: to join the army, and face a difficult moral choice, or to run away from mobilization. He decided to accept the challenge and fight for his homeland... Dok ended up in the army's most dangerous unit — the paratrooper reconnaissance unit.

Right-wing extremist parties are much less popular among women than men. In Germany, one women's organization aims to change that. It offers harmless lifestyle tips alongside xenophobic messaging. Lukreta is a group with close links to Germany's far-right AfD, combining ostensibly harmless lifestyle advice with far-right propaganda. The documentary's investigative team shows how much political influence the organization's members already wield and how well connected they are in Europe. The women's organization Lukreta may look innocent and traditional on the face of it but scratch a little deeper and you will find hardcore political propaganda alongside its trad wife and homespun look. The documentary shows how far-right narratives are intentionally interwoven with everyday tales.

What do young Chinese people dream of? What hopes and goals do they have? Do the grandchildren of the "rising generation” still believe in progress through work, and prosperity for all? Or do they have different values? In China, people rarely talk about their own dreams. There is the government’s "Chinese Dream,” of course: It promises prosperity to those who work hard and propel their country forward to the top of the world. But the boom is over, and China’s economy is stagnating. Many young people can’t find jobs. Many also no longer want to work as hard as their parents did. In two episodes "A Day with Paintboxers, Influencers, and Millionaires” and "A Night with Rock Stars, Rebels, and Princesses,” the filmmakers meet young people who are breaking with their parents’ hopes and dreams. The subjects let the filmmakers into their homes, and open their hearts. The filmmakers, in turn, don’t talk about the young people — instead, they let them tell their own stories.

The psychological distress experienced by children and adolescents who feel they have been born as the wrong gender is immense. It can even lead to suicide. But is gender reassignment at a young age the right decision? "Whatever created my body simply made a mistake in the production process,” explains Kira. The 17-year-old was born a boy. Five years ago, she came out to her parents: "I’m a girl.” After the initial shock, Kira’s parents wondered how they could help their child—because puberty was just around the corner, with facial hair growth and a changing voice. "We asked ourselves: But what if it’s just a phase?” recalls Kira’s mother. Should they agree to medical interventions—or wait and see and do nothing? Both can cause harm. A dilemma. Interventions involving hormone treatments and gender-affirming surgeries have side effects. That’s why children and parents should be certain that the trans identity is permanent before starting therapy.

In the event of war, would you take up arms for your country? Since military service reforms came into effect in January 2026, young Germans are once again faced with this question. That's because every 18-year-old German male is obliged to answer questions about serving in Germany’s military, the Bundeswehr, and must undergo a mandatory physical examination. The move is part of efforts to recruit more personnel. Elias has just turned 18. A few days after celebrating his birthday, he receives a letter requiring him to complete a questionnaire for the Bundeswehr, what’s known as a "declaration of readiness". While he does think a stronger military is important, he can't imagine serving in the army himself. Tom, on the other hand, hopes the military might offer him a career path. The 16-year-old already volunteers with the German Red Cross. At a careers fair, he explores career opportunities within the armed forces - from being a paramedic to becoming an officer.

Venice is a city unlike any other, so it's no surprise its cemetery is also unique. Located halfway between the city of Venice and the glassblowing island of Murano, Venetians find their final resting place on the cemetery island of San Michele. Since the early 19th century, not only native Venetians have been buried here, but also famous visitors such as Ezra Pound, Luigi Nono, Sergei Diaghilev, Igor Stravinsky, Joseph Brodsky, and Emilio Vedova. They have their graves there, in the city they loved. But the island is not just a place of death and silence. Every day, people come here to care for the cemetery. Visitors also arrive regularly, including members of the association "La laguna nel bicchiere” or "The Lagoon in a Glass.” The association's goal is to revive forgotten vineyards in Venice and on its islands. One of these is located in the novitiate garden of the former Camaldolese monastery on San Michele.

Rügen is one of Germany’s most popular travel destinations, and one of its most sensitive natural areas. As millions of visitors flock to the beaches and chalk cliffs here each year, nature conservation and tourism inevitably conflict. The documentary highlights the fragile balance between nature conservation and tourism —and the impact of this on animals, plants, and the local people. Rügen is home to some of Germany’s last remaining untouched coastal and forest landscapes. This unique natural environment is increasingly under threat. Problems include overcrowded beaches, illegal trails, RV campsites at the edge of the forest, nighttime drone flights, and dogs running loose in protected areas. The documentary follows rangers from the Southeast Rügen Biosphere Reserve in their daily struggle to enforce rules and protect habitats—often meeting resistance from visitors who confuse freedom with being allowed to do whatever they want.

It's World Cup season in Mexico - yet the spectacle can't hide a dark reality in the country. Over 100,000 people are still listed missing. It's believed many of them have been murdered. As a World Cup host city, Guadalajara is keen to show it’s modern and safe. Yet just a stone's throw from the stadiums lie the mass graves of murder victims. While authorities laud the festive atmosphere and the security measures, locals know these are focused only where the world is watching. Just out of view, daily life is still shaped by fears of kidnapping and enforced disappearances. This documentary follows a women's soccer coach, an activist and a father whose daughter was abducted. Ever since 2022, when armed men abducted Yessenia from her home, Miguel has been searching for his daughter. For years, alongside raising her young son, he's devoted everything he has to finding answers. Today, he is running out of strength and the financial resources to continue.

"We're just like New York," they say of their city, and usually add: "Only nicer!" Toronto is a melting pot of diverse cultures. Most of its residents have immigrated, at some point. The documentary features the Neon Riders of Toronto, decorating their bikes with colorful lights and heading out at night for a ride and a party. Then there’s 28-year-old Jill, who opts to spend the night catching raccoons instead of losing herself on a club dancefloor. Or Quinn, who upholds the traditions of his Indigenous ancestors through painted constellations. And the guys from the Latino band ‘6ix Pal Mundo’, who are creating a new soundtrack for the city. These are just a few of the many stories and moments in a film about a city that welcomes everyone, is beautiful but never pretentious, and doesn’t beg to be loved -- but is adored by its inhabitants. A place where entering the world’s largest underground pedestrian tunnel system can feel like taking a journey through several different continents.

In the 1990s, many Romanians left their homeland in search of work. They left behind deserted villages: children were raised by their grandparents, the elderly lived alone, and communities fell apart. Antoanela Andonescu — affectionately known to everyone as "Coca” — also left her homeland back then. She worked for decades in Italy as a geriatric nurse. "The harder I work, the sooner I can return,” she kept telling herself. But months turned into years. Her sisters followed her, and home faded into a memory. When Coca finally returns to her small hometown of Bicaz in eastern Romania, she brings her savings with her — and a new sense of responsibility. She establishes a nursing home for the elderly who were left behind during the great wave of emigration. Almost all the residents in her nursing home have children abroad: Former cement factory worker Vasile has lived here since his family moved to Western Europe.

Landmines can maim and kill civilians and are banned in many countries under the 1997 Ottawa Treaty. Yet on Europe’s northeastern border, these controversial weapons are making a comeback. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Finland, Poland, and the Baltic states are rearming and bringing banned anti-personnel landmines (APLs) back into their arsenals. While military and political leaders say they contribute to strategic deterrence, mine victims and deminers say they pose a serious long-term danger. The war in Ukraine has reshaped Europe’s security thinking and triggered a radical shift in Finland. According to Colonel Riku Mikkonen of the Finnish armed forces, the military considers APLs a cost effective tool for national defence and a pragmatic instrument of deterrence. But to Zoran Ješić, who lost a leg to a mine in the Bosnian war, these weapons continue to kill, maim and render entire regions uninhabitable even decades after conflicts have ended.

Women in Latin America are recruited with brutal methods, then enslaved in Europe. A survivor recounts how she was lured to Spain with the promise of a job, then forced into prostitution. A young woman from Latin America applies to a modeling agency in Spain. Flight, accommodation—everything is paid for. But when she arrives, her papers are taken away and she is forced into sex work, first in Spain, then in Germany. The reason given: she had to repay the travel expenses. Only the police can free her, during an undercover operation. Sebastian Eichler from the Mainz Criminal Investigation Department conducts his investigations as follows: He responds to online ads as a fake client, then reveals himself as a police officer during the appointed meetings. "It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” says Eichler, "to take action against the perpetrators, we need the women’s statements.” But often, the women remain silent out of fear.

In the southern Italian region of Calabria, in the municipality of Cittanova, hundreds of feral cattle are causing trouble. They’re eating crops and causing accidents. The problem is a relic of the great Mafia wars and a legacy of the ’Ndrangheta clan. Herds of ‘sacred cows’ cause serious road accidents, destroy fences and ruin farmers’ crops. And they’re often deliberately used as a means of intimidation. Few people dare to speak out in protest. Giuseppe "Peppe” Morabito, a councilor in Cittanova, has been campaigning for years against the presence of these animals and the authorities’ silence. After his daughter was involved in a serious car accident with a bull, he set up the "No Bull” citizens’ initiative. He tirelessly travels through the rugged terrain to document the movements of the herds and the damage they cause. His aim: to persuade the state to act. But resistance is dangerous, for the cows are a symbol of power.

Sexual desire often feels like a spontaneous, almost uncontrollable sensation. A thought, a touch, a voice — and suddenly, the body and mind react. But arousal is less random than many people think! Lara, a student in Munich, is undergoing sex therapy coaching. Together with Dania Schiftan, a psychotherapist and clinical sexologist based in Zurich, she is exploring the nature of her sexual arousal. One thing becomes clear: many people's sexual desire is heavily shaped by conditioning. When certain patterns are repeated over and over, neural pathways become entrenched, while others atrophy. New stimuli or unfamiliar situations then have a hard time triggering arousal. But arousal pathways like these can be rewired. The brain is neuroplastic and therefore malleable. Methods such as conscious breathing, movement and mindfulness can help us perceive our own bodies in a more nuanced way — and thus also control desire and arousal more effectively.

The European eel is threatened with extinction. But it is also a highly sought-after commodity on the global market. The trade in young eels is booming. And it’s increasingly controlled by organized crime. The film "Billion Dollar Babies — The Big Business of Eel Trafficking" tells the story of a multi-billion-dollar illegal trade, centered on one of nature’s most enigmatic creatures. Born in the Sargasso Sea near the Bermuda Triangle, the eel begins its journey of up to 5,000 kilometers to Europe — as a translucent ‘willow-leaf’ larva known as a glass eel. To this day, it remains unclear exactly how the European eel reproduces. Commercial breeding isn’t possible: every eel consumed comes from the wild. The documentary follows the trail of a global network of smugglers, middlemen and high-ranking triad bosses. The investigative journey takes viewers from European fishing grounds via Paris to Hong Kong and on to mainland China.

Forensic science is advancing rapidly. What began 100 years ago with fingerprint analysis has evolved into a high-tech discipline. Today, even the smallest traces of DNA can help investigators identify a suspected killer. For criminals, the walls are closing in. Crime scenes are now scanned with lasers and reconstructed virtually, allowing investigators to revisit every detail and reexamine how a crime may have unfolded. The same technology is increasingly being used on corpses, which can also be digitally scanned and analyzed. But artificial intelligence is creating new challenges for investigators. Criminals are using AI tools to manipulate video and audio recordings, producing highly realistic fake content. The software needed for such alterations is freely available online, raising serious concerns for criminal investigations and the integrity of evidence.

Until recently, the use of anabolic steroids was the privilege of elite athletes. But the use of performance-enhancing drugs among young men has now reached alarming proportions. A powerful documentary about a phenomenon that’s increasingly alarming: young men’s fixation on the perfect body, and their growing use of performance-enhancing substances to achieve it. What was once reserved for professional elite sports is now widespread among teenagers and young men with bodybuilding ambitions. The consequences are serious. The film radically challenges prevailing male beauty ideals and delves deep into the mechanisms of a global muscle-building industry. Conceived of as an investigative field study, the film reveals the social, psychological, and physical risks associated with the relentless pursuit of corporeal perfection.

The first major city in sub-Saharan Africa was founded in what is now Nigeria. Ilé-Ifè, the sacred city of the Yoruba, was a center of African civilization. Until its decline. When the German collector and African explorer Leo Frobenius became the first European to reach the city of Ilé-Ifè in south-western Nigeria in 1910, the realistic portrait art he encountered led him to believe he had stumbled upon traces of the lost continent of Atlantis. A golden age in the African rainforest? In the era of imperialism and colonialism, nobody in Europe was willing to believe it. Yet in recent years, several research teams have examined the city’s rise, its trade relations, the daily lives of its citizens and, ultimately, its decline in greater detail. Whilst a team led by the Frenchman Gérard Chouin is developing a chronology of the city based on its pottery and tiled floors, Nigerian archaeologist Babatunde Babalola takes us on a treasure hunt around a glass factory.

Why are the Finns the undisputed world champions when it comes to happiness? They have topped the United Nations’ "World Happiness Report” eight times in a row. Is it nature, saunas, tango, or karaoke that brings the Finns so much happiness? Can we learn to be happy? Or does happiness reside in our genes? At first glance, the results of the World Happiness Report don’t seem to fit the cold, dark North at all. Winters are harsh. Many Finns have an alcohol problem. Russia is a direct threat. The economy is stagnating. Yet the vast majority of Finns feel happy. Finnish actress Meri Koivisto sets out to discover what the formula for happiness in the far north could be.

Argentina is in turmoil, as President Milei reshapes the country with radical austerity measures. Subsidies are being cut, the state is shrinking, and reforms are dividing society. What does this mean for the people living there? The German journalist and travel writer Stephan Orth visited Argentina and travelled through the country couchsurfing. What he found was a divided country going through a tumultuous time: Since Javier Milei took office, Argentina has been experiencing a period of radical transformation. Subsidies are being cut, the public sector drastically downsized, labor rights weakened, and environmental protection laws rolled back — all in the name of a neoliberal shock therapy that has deeply shaken the country. But despite the crises, Argentinians have not lost their joie de vivre. Buenos Aires remains crazy about soccer, especially during the Superclásico rivalry between Boca Juniors and River Plate.

Just under 6 square meters for 600 euros a month. People moving to Berlin often find only overpriced, furnished short-term rooms available. It's all due to the city's housing shortage: Germany has rent cap laws, but they don't apply to temporary, furnished accommodation. Some landlords even take it a step further. With drywall partitions, they're dividing existing apartments into multiple tiny rooms. What was once a four-bedroom apartment now has eight people crammed into it. It's often younger people moving to Berlin who face the worst of it. Now, the boroughs of Neukölln and Pankow are tightening regulations on room rentals and expanding neighborhood protection measures to crack down on the business model. Along with tenant activists, newcomers are pushing back against high rents and sketchy rental practices. The fight is on for affordable housing and the chance to build a future in Berlin.

For almost 120 years, the "Circumetnea” narrow-gauge railway has been circling Europe’s highest volcano. The train travels through impressive lava landscapes and vegetation zones, as well as two nature parks, with the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mount Etna always in view. At the foot of Mount Etna, amidst black rocks and prickly pears, the narrow-gauge railway winds its way through rocky wastelands, wooded areas and lush green hills. Lava eruptions have meant the railway line has had to be rebuilt many times over the years, most recently in 1981. Mount Etna, standing at 3,352 meters, is Europe’s most active volcano. Most eruptions affect mainly the immediate vicinity of the crater; they rarely pose a threat to people or animals. However, violent eruptions do occur from time to time. Then, volcano spews clouds of ash and chunks of rock kilometers into the atmosphere, and lava flows make their way down into the valley.

Wine consumption is declining in Europe. This poses a threat to European wine-growing regions. Winemakers in Spain and Germany are seeking a way out of the crisis by producing alcohol-free wine. Many people want to live healthier lives. As a result, alcohol consumption in Europe has declined: by a good 20 percent, over the past 20 years. It’s a trend that also impacts wine: Experts warn that nearly a third of Germany’s vineyard acreage could disappear in the coming years. Particularly affected are the labor-intensive steep slopes. These slopes produce distinctive wines, shape the cultural landscape and attract tourists. Jürgen and Luca Dahms share their love of wine. Yet their perspectives also diverge. Father Jürgen, a winemaker, stands for classic, traditional wine enjoyment, while Luca, who works in the insurance industry, has found surprising success marketing alcohol-free wines. Both see an opportunity to preserve threatened vineyards by de-alcoholizing wines.

Morocco's legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes was welcomed by growers in the country. The promise of a better future, however, has yet to materialize for many small-scale farmers. Cannabis farmers in northern Morocco are under pressure from changing climate conditions, with water shortages intensifying the already fierce competition in the sector. In Azila, a village that depends entirely on the drug trade for its livelihood, farmers are allowed to cultivate cannabis but are not authorized to trade it. Here in the Rif Mountains, thousands of families rely on cannabis cultivation, but most live under precarious conditions. The most productive land, where the plants grow best, belongs to a handful of large operators who are increasingly taking control of the business. Anyone who continues to sell the crop illegally risks imprisonment. Many farmers support legalization because they hope it will enable them to live without a constant fear of prosecution.

The sensational abuse trial involving Gisèle Pelicot, as seen through her daughter’s eyes. A documentary about the harrowing reality of drug-induced sexual violence and the courage of the victims to speak out. Over a period of ten years, Gisèle Pelicot was systematically drugged by her then-husband in Mazan, in the south of France. On numerous occasions he invited men from the area to sexually assault her. Central to the film is the personal perspective of their daughter, Caroline Darian, who speaks at length for the first time about her mother’s story and her own experiences during the trial. Darian has become an important voice for victims in recent years. As a whistleblower, she draws attention to the hitherto overlooked role of substances in sexual violence - an aspect that is often neglected in criminal proceedings.

Neele Buchholz is an actress and dancer. She has Down syndrome and regularly encounters barriers in the entertainment industry. Even so, she is determined to work as an independent artist. Neele Buchholz has found success in her career. She has appeared in numerous television productions, feature films, and stage performances. At an early age, she decided not to work in one of Germany's sheltered workshops for people with disabilities — the path often expected of people with Down syndrome. "I said, 'No, I don’t want that because it’s boring,'" Neele recalls. Her parents strongly supported her decision to pursue a career in dance and acting. After nine years in a permanent position with a dance theater company in Bremen, she landed a role in a successful TV series. She then took the step into freelance work. However, she does face certain challenges at castings or when learning scripts. "I need time, but they always want things done quickly, quickly, quickly," Neele says.

Heart disease, ADHD, mental health: When it comes to medicine, men and women often need different treatments. Yet general medicine is based on the male body. The risk of dying after a heart attack is twice as high for women as for men. ADHD often goes undiagnosed in girls. For men, mental health issues are still often considered a taboo subject: The suicide rate among men is nearly three times higher than it is among women. Yet in medical education, drug research, and everyday clinical practice, the standard patient is still imagined as male. In Frankfurt am Main, doctors want to change that. Germany’s first university-affiliated Women’s Heart Center was established there. Research and teaching on cardiovascular diseases are focused on women, and personalized therapies and preventive screenings are offered specifically for them. ADHD, on the other hand, often goes undetected in girls—and thus untreated.

As Apple turns 50, this film tells the story of the tech company that revolutionized our world, along with its opportunities and downsides. Has this tool of liberation become an instrument of control? Founded 50 years ago, Apple grew from a counterculture movement into a global corporation. The film looks back at the breathtaking rise of headstrong visionary Steve Jobs, who never gave up on his dream despite fierce competition, his destructive perfectionism and even his ousting from his own company. Colleagues and companions shine light on the expertise behind Apple: designer Hartmut Esslinger created Apple's legendary 'Snow White' design language, and typographer Erik Spiekermann developed groundbreaking typefaces. People like Daniel Kottke, a former flat mate of Steve Jobs and one of the first Apple employees, share insights into the inner workings of the legendary team. Andy Cunningham, who was sacked by Jobs a total of five times, also weighs in.

Women who become doctors choose their profession to heal people. But in hospitals, they often become victims of sexual harassment. This film features case studies from Switzerland. From obscene jokes by powerful bosses in the operating room to sexual blackmail and assaults during training: in this film, female students, doctors, and surgeons recount what they have had to endure. In an environment still marked by a culture of silence, harassers are rarely punished by their superiors. Often, victims are reluctant to file a complaint for fear of jeopardizing their careers. Some take the risk and report the incidents to human resources, but these complaints are seldom followed up. Although hospitals claim to have a zero-tolerance policy, harassers rarely experience any negative consequences.

An integration experiment, in the heart of Germany: Refugees move into a vacant hotel, where they receive targeted support. The aim is for them to find work or a training placement, ultimately fostering a successful integration. An empty hotel in downtown Düsseldorf is ready for a new idea. Karin Jungjohann has one - and isn’t afraid to experiment. "What do people need most, no matter where they come from? A sense of hope for the future," said Karin Jungjohann, one of the founders of the Düsseldorf language school "Hispi". For years, she had observed how refugees in accommodation centers struggle to progress in their lives. At the same time, she was being approached by restaurateurs in Düsseldorf looking for people to fill jobs in the catering industry. This gave rise to the idea for a project designed to rethink the accommodation, support and integration of refugees: the House of Friends.

From hillbilly to the White House: JD Vance’s rise to become Trump’s vice president is seen by many as symbolic of a worrying trend in the US that’s further polarizing society. JD Vance’s story is the story of an America that has long felt overlooked. An America of the white working class, marked by economic decline, the opioid crisis and the aftermath of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. An America that fears losing even the little that it still holds on to, through migration and social upheaval. JD Vance has undergone a remarkable transformation: from a fierce critic of Donald Trump to a loyal supporter of the MAGA movement and, ultimately, Trump’s vice president. As far as his supporters are concerned, it is a career trajectory that gives him credibility. Critics, on the other hand, see in his politics a dynamic that could upset the political balance in the US and endanger democracy. Some already regard him as a potential contender for the presidency.

The digital book club BookTok got its start during the pandemic in 2020. Today, it is a big success, used primarily by young women who are fans of a particular literary genre - so-called "New Adult,” or romance novels for young adults. The new books have striking, glossy covers, their language is easy to follow, the stories are romantic, exciting and full of eroticism from a female perspective. But young women aren't just engaging in online discussions about their favorite books. Book blogger Jess 'miss.Nerdstagram' also meets her followers in person at events like the Book Ball at Namedy Castle in Germany. Author Kim Leopold from the German town of Rheine also frequently takes to the road to be close to her fans. She's an 'own voice' author writing about her own personal experience, in stories that satisfy the hunger for authentic narratives. Topics such as mental health, body positivity and ADHD are close to her heart.

No other sector in Germany employs as few women as the construction industry. The few female construction workers face many challenges—including sexism. This report follows four of them. Julia, Frieda, Sally and Anna. Four women who work as bricklayers, carpenters, and construction workers. All four women share a love for their profession—although it can be physically demanding. And all of them have experienced sexism. How do they stand their ground against the macho men on the building sites? And why are women like them still the exception in this line of work?

In 1992, three people died in an arson attack carried out by neo-Nazis in Mölln, northern Germany. They were relatives of İbrahim Arslan, who was seven years old at the time. The film follows the family as they come to terms with their trauma. Ibrahim survived the fire, but lost his sister, cousin and grandmother. In the wake of the Mölln attacks, the town received thousands of letters of solidarity. They were archived - and forgotten for almost three decades. Woven into İbrahim's moving quest to uncover the past and his encounters with three of the letter-writers, the rediscovered letters form a visual and emotional bridge between the past and the present. The film follows İbrahim and his siblings, painting a sensitive portrait of a trauma that continues to shape their lives to this day. For İbrahim, coming to terms with the past means one thing above all else: fighting racism and championing a culture of remembrance centered on the perspectives of those affected.

For over three years, Sudan has been caught up in a devastating civil war. Both the Sudanese Armed Forces and their opponents, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have been accused of committing war crimes in their struggle for power. It's the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Millions of Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes; hundreds of thousands have lost their lives. The RSF's capture of the city of El-Fasher in the Darfur region in October 2025 marked one of the bloodiest chapters in this ongoing conflict. In just a few weeks, the militias are believed to have massacred over 60-thousand residents. A few of the survivors that managed to flee tell their stories in this documentary. They recount the atrocities: rapes, murders, bombardments, hunger and the death march to the displacement camp. Sudan's civil war would likely have ended already if both sides weren't being backed by foreign powers.

The picturesque Bavarian Alps, beloved by mountaineers and hiking enthusiasts. But overconfidence or sudden weather changes can create emergencies. Then, mountain rescuers are the last hope. On the Blaueis ("blue ice") Glacier, a young mountaineer is in distress. Alone when a thick fog rolls in, he's unable to continue. A team from the Ramsau Mountain Rescue Service sets out immediately, but the fog becomes a problem for them as well. The mountain rescuers' keen sense of direction is put to the test: Two teams search from different directions for the man, who is likely already severely hypothermic. A hiker has fallen 40 meters in the Bavarian Alps. The air rescue team prepares to fly to the accident site using a helicopter. There's no information yet on the condition of the victim. But experience dictates that in a fall from this height, the rescuers should prepare for the worst. Both missions end well. But that is not always the case.

For some he's a hero. For others, he’s public enemy number one. Certainly, his revelations challenged US power. This film follows the WikiLeaks founder’s extraordinary life story. With the publication of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents in 2010, WikiLeaks ushered in a new information age. Suddenly, thanks to founder Julian Assange, state secrets were out in the open — and under scrutiny. For many journalists and activists, Assange was a pioneer who used new technologies to evade both censorship and reprisals. For others, he symbolized an openness that could bring both nation states and multinational corporations to their knees. For seven years, Assange sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. After that, he spent five years in a British high-security prison facing US charges of espionage carrying a potential sentence of 175 years. Following a deal with the US Department of Justice, he was finally released in the summer of 2024.