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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Modern Chinese Artists Breathing New Life into Traditional Art / 2022
#China

Explore Chinese modern art scene! Liu Heng, the principal percussionist in Asia’s largest theatre, creates music with non-music objects and experiments with sounds. He shows his collection of instruments in his secret ‘cave’ in Beijing and shares his thoughts on what ‘Made in China’ means to him. Ceramist Xiong Kaibo from Hangzhou shows the entire process from molding to firing. He reflects on how porcelain remains a symbol of China. And finally, dancer Li Liangchen talks about the Han culture.

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Golden Gamble / 2017
#Philippines

The small Philippine town of Paracale is known for gold mining where independent miners risk their lives in search of the precious metal. They dive into mud-filled shafts with scuba gear and spend up to 6 hours underwater. ‘Submerged divers know they are practically half dead’, locals say. Miners get trapped in the pits or drown with no oxygen. However, it’s the only source of income for many local residents.

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Red Lights Out / 2021
#Germany

For many stressed-out Europeans, a brothel was the place to leave behind sad reality. However, in Germany, the Netherlands, and other parts of the EU prostitutes were among the first victims of the Covid outbreak.

Suddenly, lonely Europeans had no place to go for paid affection. In Germany, where the oldest profession was legalised more than a decade ago, prostitution has suffered the worst downfall in recent history. Many women’s rights advocates insist the crisis only revealed the wide-scale poverty and lack of social support that’s been known for a long time.

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Semirechye on Fire / 2016
#Kazakhstan

The rebellion in Semirechye was one of the bloodiest uprisings in the history of the Russian Empire. 100 years on, descendants of some of the conflict’s leading figures share previously unseen family archives and diaries, and relate the blood-chilling stories told to them by their grandparents.

Semirechye, or ‘the Valley of Seven Rivers’, was populated by Kyrgyz nomadic tribes. The first Russian and Cossack settlers came to the region in the mid-19th Century. When the Russian Empire gave the newcomers some of the land that previously belonged to the natives, it created tension in the region.

Then, World War I broke out. By 1916, the Russian Empire desperately needed more people to work on the home front and a decision was made to enlist the Kyrgyzs. However, the poorly organised process, together with corruption and a lack of information, led to protests. Many believed that the enlisted would be used as human shields.

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Ukraine: The Road to Schism / 2023
#Ukraine

‘Last month, several monks were killed in mortar attacks and in fires… It happens all the time’, says journalist Andrey Afanasyev. Orthodox Christianity in Ukraine is thousands of years old, and the faith was the major uniting factor. Any religious disagreements would deeply affect the society. This is why the Ukrainian nationalists chose to attack the religion to drive the Russian people away and remove every hint of Russian culture in Ukraine. Since 2014, Ukrainian nationalists mounted a crusade on the Orthodox churches and priests of the Moscow Patriarchy. This violates every possible law on freedom of conscience. How did it become part of Ukraine’s new reality?

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Granny Fight Club / 2017
#Kenya

There’s a bizarre superstition popular among young men in Nairobi’s biggest slum. They believe having sex with an older woman can cure HIV and lift curses. Elderly women, known as shushus, walk in the streets in fear that they’ll fall victim to rape.

A local woman conducts training sessions that teach the grannies to hit back and say ‘NO’. These self-defence classes empower women to feel confident and stand their ground, while giving them a respite from their daily chores.

Besides sexual assaults on seniors, the neighbourhood suffers from rampant HIV and endemic poverty, with most people living on less than a dollar a day.

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