Cold War Weapons | Spies: Episode 1 / 2022
#USSR #USA

How did Soviet and American intel try to uncover each other’s most guarded secrets? Is it true that they used cats and rats as living listening devices? And how did Soviet intelligence officers manage to tap the American ambassador for almost 8 years?

The new episode of 'Cold War Weapons' reveals the classified spy devices and sophisticated procedures of that time. Former intelligence agents describe their riskiest operations and explain how they managed to infiltrate even seemingly impregnable organizations.

Stay tuned to learn more about secret services of that time next Monday!

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Longing for Palestine: Art of Resistance / 2018
#Palestine

Water shortages, movement restrictions, and a constant military presence – this is what life looks like for millions of Palestinians living in the occupied territories. For decades, Israel has controlled the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, expanding its settlements and maintaining a blockade.

Last week marked International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people. Watch the documentary to learn more about Palestinian protest art.

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What goods did the USSR advertise to foreign audiences?

While shortages of consumer goods and the absence of competition and genuine diversity were the traits of the planned economy in the USSR, some of the Soviet-made products were successfully sold abroad.
Marketing Soviet products to foreign customers required the advertising industry to produce posters, video commercials and other forms of advertising. Here are some examples of Soviet ads made for foreign audiences.

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Hunting Boko Haram / 2018
#Nigeria

Boko Haram is a notorious Nigerian terrorist group, infamous for the 2014 kidnapping of 276 girls from a school in Chibok. The terrorists have been a menacing presence in Nigeria for the past 12 years as thousands have died and millions of people were displaced. Local people have even started their own militia-like squads to oppose the insurgents. The documentary takes a look at a group of local hunters turned vigilantes on the heels of the terrorists.

Armed with homemade weapons and magic amulets, they help the army track down the insurgents. Their female leader, Queen Aisha, has already won heroine status in local folklore for her efforts.

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Signora Anti-NATO / 2015
#Italy

Italian activist Marinella Correggia is a staunch NATO critic. She blames the military alliance for political and economic instability in countries where it has intervened. Marinella stands with the countries affected by NATO’s military operations - Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. She wants the alliance held to account.

The documentary shows one woman’s fight against NATO’s abuse of power.

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Feminine Front / 2022
#Donbass #Ukraine

In 2014, when war broke out in Donbass, Alyona Carabet was just 16. Her mother, Olga code-named Korsa, was one of very few women commanders, and Alyona wanted to join her unit as soon as she turned 18. “I said to her, if not with you, then I'll join some other unit anyway’. So she said: ‘Okay then, can you pack your things in 2 hours?’. Then by evening, I was already in Gorlovka, in her division”, recalls Alyona.

How must it feel to spend your first four years as an adult on the front line?

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SOS: Sold Out Slaves / 2016
#Kenya

One Kenyan child in three is involved in underage prostitution. Extreme poverty forces kids as young as 8 to prostitute themselves. Despite risks of exposure to violence and life-threatening diseases, children can’t escape the vicious circle. In the documentary, young prostitutes share their heartbreaking stories.

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Sky Rescue / 2014
#Russia

The Nenets reindeer herders travel thousands of kilometres a year, and they don’t have an address in the tundra. So what do they do in the event of a medical emergency? The Nenets have maintained practically the same lifestyle their ancestors led thousands of years ago. But today’s Nenets use satellite phones to call air rescue helicopters in cases of illness, injury or labour.

The Nenets are nomadic people of Russia’s Arctic. Their lives and livelihoods revolve around reindeer, and they are constantly on the move in search of new pastures.

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Cold War Weapons | Spies: Episode 2 / 2022
#USSR #USA

A briefcase, a bottle or even a pen used as a gun may seem to be fiction taken from a James Bond movie, but surprisingly these are real gadgets created by intelligence service engineers. This ‘Cold War Weapons’ episode examines the tiniest guns and other firing devices of different shapes and sizes. Not so long ago their development was top secret. Moreover, some of the gadgets shown in the film are still in use in some countries. In this episode we have a unique opportunity to see how a spy gun can hit targets! You’ll also find out how the KGB unmasked spies and who is considered to be the most successful CIA agent in the USSR.

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In the 1930s, Nikolai Elizarov worked at a plant in the Urals and was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In 1978, he led the anti-communist Republic of China (Taiwan) and propelled it into the economic leadership of East Asia. Such an incredible career was made possible by Elizarov’s famous father…
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Cinderfella / 2021
#Russia

Russian street cleaner, Yura, is an orphan and disabled. His life has never been easy: he was tricked into taking out huge loans and spent a year in forced labour. But one day he woke up a local star.

His flat mate, a photographer, snapped a few pictures of Yura and shared his story on Instagram. People sympathised with the young man's naivety and raised money to pay off his debts. Yura has kept his job sweeping streets, but he’s now in high demand for photo shoots. His secret to being so photogenic? ‘Yura remains himself and stays natural’.

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Breaking Bad Wolf / 2018
#USA #Russia

A whistleblowing American cop donned a wig and sunglasses and fled all the way to Russia to avoid being put in prison or murdered for exposing corruption in the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. It sounds like the plot of a spy novel, but it’s the real life story of John Mark Dougan.

The police officer from Florida exposed corruption in the sheriff’s office in his anonymous blog. For this, Dougan was hounded and placed under surveillance for several years until the FBI raided his home.

Watch the documentary to learn how he managed to avoid the FBI and escape to Russia.

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Following the Great Tea Road / 2021
#China

Do you like tea as much as we do? Tea isn’t just a beverage, it’s an emotion and a tradition with a long history. Originated in China, tea made its way across the globe and became a part of world culture. Two Chinese travelers follow in the footsteps of the ancient tea caravans from Shangri-La to Pu’er.

Brew yourself a nice cup of tea and enjoy their journey along the Tea Road.

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My Friend From War / 2022
#Syria

Can a volleyball become a friend? War in Syria took away almost all of Rami’s friends. Feeling powerless and broken as he could do nothing to save them, Rami gave up hope to ever have a real human connection. When he found a volleyball in the school playground he called the ball 'Willy' and made friends with it. Eventually, Willy became almost the only one who stayed with Rami during the war. "Willy is not just my friend, he’s also the ball that changed my life. And talking about Willy, I think each one of us have his own Willy. Maybe in a different way, maybe in a different position. But we all have the same Willy. The one that keep pushing you. The one that keep giving you hope. And the one that stick with you in your bad times and also in your good times." Follow Rami’s amazing story in our premiere.

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FavelaLive / 2017
#Brazil

Peek inside the life of one of Rio’s largest and most visible favelas - Complexo de Alemao. It’s a city within a city with its own rules and a main source of Brazil’s organised crime network. The ongoing war between government forces and gang members has kept residents in the crossfire. Since 2008, the city has established special Pacifying Police Units across Rio’s favelas in an effort to make the streets safer. However, the police have been accused of brutality and lack of accountability.

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Game Over the Border / 2019
#BosniaHerzegovina

The small town of Bihac on the Bosnian-Croatian border became a transit point for migrants trying to reach the EU. When more popular migration routes through the Balkans were shut down, flows of people from Iran, Afghanistan, Syria poured to Bihac, home to some 60,000 people. Many of them are former war refugees themselves.

In a refugee camp, migrants get ready for a trek through forests and mountains. Getting to Europe is fraught with dangers - freezing temperatures in winter and land mines left from the Balkan wars. However, migrants keep pushing their luck. December 18 marks International Migrants Day, check out this documentary to learn more about migrants and what they endure.

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Jail Babies / 2013
#Russia

These babies aren't criminals, but they still live behind bars. Their mothers have been convicted of fraud, drug offences or theft and gave birth in prison. Mothers are only able to spend the first three years with their children. After that, the toddlers and mothers are separated.

While Russia's penal system allows mothers to be in special cells with their children all the time, not everyone wants the opportunity. A mother who is taking care of her child is not allowed to smoke. Some mothers choose a cigarette over being with their baby all the time.

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Fisher of Men / 2019
#Tunisia

Hundreds of migrants had gone missing at sea in 2021. Every year, migrants risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe on flimsy boats. Tunisian fishermen have got used to spotting dead bodies. One former fisherman, Chamseddine Marzoug, has decided to give drowned migrants a decent burial in his makeshift ‘cemetery of the unknown’. The documentary tells the story of Chamseddine, migrants attempting the dangerous voyage and young Tunisians getting ready for it.

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