Sex, Drugs & Refugees / 2018
#Greece

Millions of Syrian refugees over the years have fled their country in search of safety. Many found themselves in dire need of money. 16-year old Hasan, for example, has to prostitute himself on the streets of Athens just to survive. Others resort to drug pedalling and petty theft. With no help from the outside, some consider abandoning their dream of living in Europe, while others see no option other than suicide.

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The Coca Trap / 2019
#Colombia

Colombia is the world’s largest producer of coca, the primary ingredient in cocaine. It’s a multi-billion-dollar industry, but rural coca growers don’t reap the rewards. For them, harvesting coca leaf is the only way to put food on the table.

In 2016, a historic peace deal between the government and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) pledged to provide rural farmers with legal alternative crops and subsidies. But these promises have failed to materialize. The crop substitution payments don’t reach farmers, while armed groups battle openly for control, and aerial fumigation destroys the environment and endangers peoples’ health.

Sandwiched between the government, armed groups, and poverty, Colombian farmers keep growing coca and come out to protest. In the meantime, the coca crop area in Columbia expanded in 2020.

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100% Cotton / 2015
#India

Over 600 farmers in Maharashtra state died from suicide in 2022. Unable to pay massive loans, they drink pesticides to kill themselves.

This is a horrible but widespread practice among Indian farmers driven into debt.
Some 28 farmers take their lives in India every day, according to India’s Environment report. That’s more than 10,000 farmer suicides every year.

The families of many victims blame the cotton crop for pushing farmers deep into debt, as they can barely cover the cost of growing it.

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We’re Not Freaks / 2020
#Russia

All you need is some imagination and some skilful hands. Russian pensioner Boris lived in what looks like a Baroque mansion, except it was an ordinary flat in a typical Russian apartment block. Boris decorated the walls with his friends’ paintings and his own photos, worked on some mouldings and restored old furniture all by himself. But Boris wasn’t always inspired by design. Only after surviving cancer and experiencing clinical death did Boris begin to like all things nice.

October 1 marks the International Day for Older Persons. Celebrate the date with this documentary about pensioners who are in love with fashion!

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Dying to Dive / 2016

Freediving is one the most beautiful, but dangerous sports. It involves swimming underwater without breathing apparatus. One mistake or accidental overestimation of your abilities can have serious consequences. The lure of the underwater world and the competitive spirits of freediving outweighs any thoughts about the risk. For freedivers it’s more than a sport. It’s a lifestyle.

Natalia Molchanova was the queen of freediving, having broken more than 40 world records. She disappeared off the Spanish coast in 2015. The documentary tells her story and delves in the mesmerising world of freediving.

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Tent City USA / 2014
#USA

Tent City is a unique community where people who lost their homes live together in the woods of New Jersey. They are self-sustained and self-governed. Founded by Minister Steve Brigham, the Tent City raises awareness about the plight of the homeless.

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Pride and Piety / 2022
#World

Acceptance of homosexuality and LGBTQ+ rights is growing across the world. Pride parades have become a massive celebration with millions of people taking part. But even with LGBTQ community becoming more visible, attitudes on the issue is split. The documentary, Pride and Piety, explores why some support LGBTQ education and why others fear that this kind of exposure of the LGBTQ+ ideas will amount to no good.

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Saving Seals / 2013
#WhiteSea

Harp seal pups are one of the most adorable creatures on the planet. They’re born with big black eyes and snowy white fur on pack ice floating in the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans. Their beautiful white coat helps the seal babies absorb sunlight and stay warm. But, in about three weeks, their white coats turn grey.

However, climate change and shrinking sea ice pose a serious threat to the harp seal population. Seal mothers rely on stable ice to give birth and nurse their pups. Another problem is extensive hunting.

October 4 marks World Animal Day. Watch the documentary to find out more about the dangers that confront this beautiful animal. And don’t forget to celebrate your fluffy, four-legged or feathered friends!

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The TikTok Professor / 2021
#Russia

How do you find the number of radians in an angle? TikTok sensation Nikolay, 70, knows the answer! He is a maths and physics tutor from St. Petersburg who uses the social media platform to explain complex ideas in a fun way. One method Nikolay uses for teaching is to provide short rhymes that are easy to memorise.

His mission is to prove studying is cool and classes don’t have to be boring. Nikolay’s TikTok account has 160,000 followers with nearly 1.5 million likes. The TikTok teacher is convinced that the learning process never ends. Apart from classes and TikTok, he’s busy exercising, exploring the world and planning a book.

Today is World Teacher’s Day! Show appreciation to your teachers and watch the documentary!

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Cirque de Kabul / 2019
#Afghanistan

The Mobile Mini Circus for Children has been an oasis of peace and hope for children in war-torn Afghanistan. Boys and girls learn juggling, clowning and performing. Even before the Taliban took over in 2021, not everyone welcomed their children joining the MMCC’s activities. Check out the documentary to find out about the extraordinary place for children in the war zone.

As of 2022, the MMCC focuses on providing food for the hungry. Circus activities had to be scaled down to comply with Taliban restrictions, including a ban on live music and girls and women being in public places.

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Game of Drones / 2016
#USA

Cian Westmoreland is a former drone communications technician in the US military. After serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan, he experienced a psychological breakdown. Cian left the air force to advocate against combat drones in conflicts.

Game of Drones explores modern warfare and its victims.

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My Wild Family / 2020
#Russia

The Phoenix Centre in Central Russia is a shelter for wolves, elks, foxes, birds and other injured animals from all across the country. It started as a school zoo on a private farm of a family couple. Now the wild ranks are to be joined by dozens of endangered monkeys seized by border police. My Wild Family shows how a former school teacher’s idea became one of the best known animal refuges in Russia.

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German Paedo-Files / 2020
#Germany

Helmut Kentler was a Berlin-based psychology professor who was hailed as a hero of the sexual revolution. He argued that placing homeless children in the care of known paedophiles would contribute to the kids’ socialisation, while giving the guardians a chance to become caring foster parents. Berlin's welfare authorities condoned his views and, for decades, allowed him to conduct his "social experiment". After 30 years, several victims came forward to share harrowing memories of the abuse they suffered at the hands of their supposed 'caregivers'.

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PsychiARTry / 2021
#Russia

Lisa suffers from a schizo-affective disorder, has a keen sense of colour and paints with amazing flair and panache. Yury takes seven drugs to help him function, but only music allows him to stay in control. Elina is a professional artist who’s never been accepted because of her ‘otherness’. Andrey, a former psychiatric patient, draws on tree trunks to watch his art transform as his ‘canvas’ grows. All have found support from Outsiderville, a nonprofit in St. Petersburg that helps artists like them be seen and get better through art.

Today is World Mental Health Day! Check out this documentary about people who use art as an outlet.

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Cold War Weapons | Tanks: Episode 1
#USSR #USA

The new series, Cold War Weapons, explores military hardware and techniques created by the Soviet Union and the US during the nuclear arms race. In the first episode of Cold War Weapons, host Marina Kosareva visits one of the world’s best tank museums in the town of Kubinka. When the nuclear arms race between the United States and the USSR began, it became clear that tanks can withstand an atomic blast. The first episode takes a closer look at tanks produced by the Soviet Union and the US during the 1940s and 1950s, their advantages and combat experience.

Tune in for a new episode every Monday, share it with your friends and leave comments!

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She is My Son / 2016
#Afghanistan

In ultra-conservative Afghan society, girls can play sports, attend a religious school and work… but only if she lives as a boy. The tradition of bacha posh, that literally translate as ‘dressed as a boy’, allows girls to enjoy the freedoms usually reserved for men. A bacha posh dresses, behaves and is treated as a boy. The documentary shows girls who live as bacha posh because they wished so themselves or their family made them.

With the Taliban back in power and a crackdown on women’s rights, the tradition can become more attractive for some families. October 11 marks the International Day of the Girl Child that promotes girls’ rights. Check out the documentary and share your views in the comments - fight for girls’ rights or pretend to be a boy?

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Nuclear Blackmail / 2022

The Zaporozhye nuclear plant in Energodar is the largest in Europe. Since March 2022 it has been under Russian control and Zaporozhye Region recently voted in a referendum to join Russia. In the meantime, Kiev continues to attack the plant, putting Europe at risk of a disaster six times bigger than the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Despite IAEA warnings and the referendum, Kiev continues to use the Zaporozhye plant as a blackmail tool. The documentary shows the timeline of the attacks and focuses on potential risks of Ukrainian provocations.

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Overpill / 2017
#USA

Millions of Americans are prescribed medication for mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and many others. However, the drugs intended to help often don’t work and have debilitating side effects. The documentary explores the prenoscription drug epidemic in the US and meets patients who suffer from devastating consequences.

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Watch documentaries in Chinese! 🇨🇳

Subscribe to the RT纪录 Telegram channel and watch new documentaries every week! Documentary films feature a variety of topics, from world politics to the secrets of St. Basil’s cathedral in Moscow. You'll even learn the intriguing story behind Putin’s presidential car! All of these topics and much more are now available in the Chinese language. Check out their channel and share it with your friends!

Watch one of the documentaries already on the channel. It takes a look at modern Russian icebreakers and the new missions assigned to the fleet in the face of Western sanctions.

https://news.1rj.ru/str/rtjilu/74