Cleaning the Arctic / 2022
#Russia

'This place has magnetic attraction. Many people who’ve been here return again and again. It may look devastated, a sad sight, but there’s something special about it', says Mikhail Makarov, Head of Murmansk Marine Biological Institute. Right after graduation he went to Dalnie Zelentsy, a rural locality in Russia's Arctic. For almost 40 years Mikhail and his colleagues research how plastic breaks down into trace elements and how fragile Arctic nature can be protected from microplastics spreading further into the sea, contaminating natural resources. Scientists try to find bacteria that can eat plastic. What have they come up with so far?

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The Other Korea / 2019
#NorthKorea

A foreign journalist arrives in the world’s most secretive country for its 70th anniversary celebrations. She tries to get a sneak peek at ordinary life in North Korea, filming what she can. How much do North Koreans earn? What’s the internet like in such an isolated country? What can they buy in supermarkets? This video has the answers!

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Bosnia: Victims of Jihad / 2022
#Yugoslavia #Serbia #Bosnia

'Most died on their own doorsteps, blindly believing in a brotherhood that was all but gone by then, that their neighbours would not callously attack and kill them,' says Vladan Radić, secretary of the Bratunac veterans organisation, speaking about Serbs who were taken by surprise and attacked by Bosnian Muslims in 1992. Almost three decades after the war, the jihadists responsible for the atrocities are walking free, while the Serbs are blamed for the tragedy. How could this happen, and what is the full story of the Bosnian War?

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I am a Female Bodyguard / 2021
#Russia

Women can work as bodyguards too! They’re as trained and agile as male bodyguards, and more and more clients are hiring women for personal protection. Female bodyguards aren’t conspicuous and don’t draw attention. The documentary takes a look at why some women choose this non-traditional career path and hears from male skeptics who believe women aren’t fit for this profession.

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He Traded a Paperclip for a House / 2021
#Russia

Ruslan, a blogger from a small Siberian town, sets out on a quest of trading a paperclip for a house! Inspired by Canadian Kyle McDonald, Ruslan has to be creative. Starting with a red paperclip, he made some lucky exchanges, each one getting him a step closer to his dream. Follow his journey as he quits his job, moves to a bigger city, gets a job offer and welcomes his baby daughter into the world. Will he be able to trade a paperclip for a house?

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Bolshoi: Pas de Brazil / 2019
#Brazil

Ballet training is prestigious and expensive, but the refined art can be accessible even for those who grew up in slums, like Rio’s Complexo de Alemao. In Brazil, the iconic Bolshoi Theatre, the world’s greatest ballet company, runs the only ballet school outside Russia. Talented children from all over Brazil can go through a rigorous eight-year program to become world class ballet dancers. This documentary shows some of the students and their daily routine at the ballet school and graduates already performing with the world’s best companies.

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Babel Village / 2016
#Russia

Nikola-Lenivets is the biggest art park in Europe. It was built around a tiny village in the Kaluga region with the help of renowned artists and local residents. Art objects, peculiar wooden sculptures, and idyllic green fields are absolutely worth the 200-km trip from Moscow.

Mastermind Nikolay Polissky decided to stop painting oil landscapes and turn those very landscapes into pieces of art. He asked village residents to help him build 200 snowmen. Then he convinced them to build a gigantic Tower of Babel made of hay. Next came a wicker tower adorned with zucchinis. For the past 20 years, Nikolay and local craftsmen have been experimenting with art forms as part of the landscape. And everyone seems to love it.

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Ivan and the Wolf / 2019
#Russia

When Ivan from Russia was offered a wolf cub to adopt, he agreed without giving it a second thought. Otherwise, the tiny animal would’ve been killed. Ivan brought the wolf to live with him in a one-room flat he shared with his daughter and their two dogs.

So Ivan started a blog to raise some money for the expensive meat his wolf is partial to devouring in large quantities. The blog was apparently so successful that it allowed Ivan and his pack to move to a country house, where the wolf will be able to roam in a spacious enclosure.

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K-Pop: Under the Knife / 2020
#SouthKorea

One in four South Korean girls aged 19-29 have had plastic surgery. Double eyelids, bigger lips, a nicer chin, a thinner nose, a more defined jawline, higher cheek bones – South Korean plastic surgeons can perform any cosmetic operation.

Beauty and success in life are married in South Korean society to such an extent that parents will give their kids plastic surgery as a gift. No wonder cosmetic procedures go hand in hand with the K-pop industry and its own aesthetic.

While not everyone openly admits to having surgery, the SixBomb K-pop band has turned it into their thing. Members of the girl band went under the knife as part of an advertising campaign for their group and a surgical clinic. The girls never tried to hide this and openly told us what they didn’t like about their appearances.

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Moiseyev Ballet / 2015
#Russia

The Moiseyev Ballet is a world-renowned folk dance ensemble from Russia. In 1943, the visionary Russian choreographer founded an ensemble, which showcased traditional dances from various cultures not just from around Russia and former Soviet republics, but from around the world - from English arrangements to Cossack dances. Its dancers are under constant pressure to reach perfection, no matter the cost. They give the dance their all and, unlike in classic ballet, are prepared to share fame with each other, rather than stand out as lead dancers.

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Good Deed Heroes / 2020
#Russia

It could be a pensioner who can't get up after a fall or a kitten who's stuck in a tree. The calls the volunteers from the Rescue Reserve receive range from the heartbreaking to the hilarious. A film crew rides along in a service van to find out how the people of Moscow need rescuing and why helping others is so addictive.

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Rohingya Unpeopled / 2018
#Myanmar

In 2017, nearly a million Muslim Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in an attempt to escape from an army crackdown. The government denied the violence took place and claimed the troops only targeted insurgents, not civilians. But numerous accounts of Rohingya refugees tell a different story of slaughter and persecution.

As of 2022, stateless Rohingya refugees still reside in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh.

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Renaissance / 2015
#EU

The film reveals disturbing examples of a revival in far-right nationalism in Europe. One former Latvian Waffen SS fighter openly presents his perspective on the situation, while survivors from Salaspils, a concentration camp in Latvia, are disturbed and terrified by recent events, sharing their heartbreaking memories.

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Crisis Childhood / 2019
#Philippines

The documentary follows two Filipino teenagers who were recruited as child soldiers by ISIS-allied militants. They were trained to use weapons, engage in combat and act as human shields or suicide bombers. The teens were sold by their own parents for $500. They managed to run away and are now reeling from their trauma.

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Hollywood’s Propaganda Factory / 2020
#USA

You’re probably used to seeing Russians presented as the bad guys in Hollywood movies. Ivan Drago from Rocky IV, Andrei Sator from Tenet, Yuri Komarov in A Good Day to Die Hard, even Boris and Natasha from Bullwinkle – the list goes on and on. But, Hollywood hasn’t always portrayed Russians as villains.

It’s hard to believe there was a brief moment in history when Hollywood actually produced pro-Soviet films, where Russians were shown in a favourable light. The Cold War put Hollywood on the anti-Soviet trail and is one example of how the industry serves America’s political interests. Love and hate upon request, rigid censorship, and vilification of political opponents - find out more in the documentary, Hollywood’s Propaganda Factory.

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A Bear’s Tale / 2023
#Russia

Andrey, a pilot from the Kaluga Region, was surprised to see a bear cub on the runway. He cried just like a human child, and Andrey had no choice but to adopt him. Now Mansur lives in a spacious forest enclosure near the airfield. He has his own pen and swimming pool. It’s hard to play with a 300 kg bear, but Andrey does! ‘A furry child!’, says Andrey, who treats Mansur almost like a person.

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Russia: 85 Adventures / 2023
#Russia

Why is an ascent of mount Elbrus, the highest in Europe, counted in hours? Why do future UFC champions train at high altitude? Why do you need butter to appease spirits in Buryatia? You’ll find all the answers, and more, if you join us. Russia is known for its many landmarks, but they have never been grouped into one journey before. The Russia Beyond project did just that. They travelled the country to experience unique adventures in every corner of Russia as part of their Russia: 85 Adventures project.

The film only dwells on 8 regions, but it sure is enough to fuel up the traveler's passion and check out all the sites and activities Russia has in store by visiting Russia: 85 Adventures website.

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