Western Sahara: Determined / 2017
#WesternSahara

Western Sahara is one of the most heavily mined territories in the world following decades of conflict between indigenous Sahrawi people and Morocco. Despite a 1991 ceasefire, most Sahrawis still linger in refugee camps in Algeria because it is too dangerous to live there. But some brave women have taken it upon themselves to clear their ancestral lands of landmines so their people can return.

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Café Sheroes / 2016
#India

Café Sheroes’ Hangout is a safe haven for women who survived acid attacks, which are all too common in India. Husbands, relatives and suitors are usually the ones who carry out the attacks. They cite spurned romantic advances and domestic disputes as motives.

Even though attackers risk a life sentence, the damage done to victims is irreparable. Victims deal with trauma, social stigma and rejection. While many prefer to hide their face and keep away from others, the women at Sheroes’ Hangout prove there is life after an attack. They manage the cafe, serve clients, take pictures, and make themselves visible.

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Bolivian DNA: Character / 2018
#Bolivia

The second episode of the Bolivian DNA explores the unique mix of cultures of Bolivia. Host Pavel Selin joins a students carnival, meets indigenous cholitas and learns where global dance hit ‘Lambada’ actually came from.

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US Invaders: Iraq 20 years on / 2023
#Iraq

US troops and their allies invaded Iraq on this day 20 years ago, claiming that Baghdad had weapons of mass destruction. The US toppled Saddam, but found no weapons of mass destruction. The war dragged on until 2011, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. It also displaced millions of Iraqis and devastated Iraq’s economy. The documentary explores the legacy of the US invasion of Iraq, as ordinary citizens recall how events unfolded in their homeland following the intervention.

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Black Lives: Illusion / 2019
#USA

This episode shows the life of Black teenage parents in the US and why their children are more likely to fall into the same patterns. “They can’t even drive yet, vote, go to a club, but they want them to be parents. It doesn’t make sense,” says church worker Dina Blackwell. Sporadically involved dads and overworked moms talk about the difficulties of being teen parents.

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The architectural ensemble in Kizhi is a truly unique monument of Russian wooden architecture during the construction of which not a single nail was used!

Video by: arctic-children.com/en/

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Operation Ukraine: Terror on Demand / 2023
#Russia

In August 2022, Russian journalist Daria Dugina was killed in a car bomb attack organised by the Ukrainian authorities. Two months later, an explosion hit the Crimean Bridge that links the Crimean peninsula to Russia’s mainland. Ukraine’s Security Service has apparently adopted the methods used by Ukrainian nationalists in the 20th century. The documentary sheds light on the ties between Ukrainian nationalist leaders and American intelligence agencies and draws parallels between the past and the present.

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Murky Waters of Flint / 2016
#USA

For 50 years, the authorities in Flint, Michigan had bought water from a trusted source. However, in 2014, the city switched to a cheaper supplier. Before long, residents were experiencing serious health issues. Some women even had miscarriages. Local activists did their best to draw the attention of the federal government. As of 2023, the Flint water crisis isn’t over yet. March 22 marked World Water Day that celebrates the essential role of fresh water in our lives. Watch the documentary to learn about how the water crisis was triggered.

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Pandaland / 2017
#China

The Giant Panda is the rarest bear on the planet and only lives in China. Sometimes referred to as a “living fossil”, giant pandas have walked the Earth for millions of years, but they’ve recently come to the brink of extinction because of human activity and natural factors. The Chinese government stepped in to save the adorable panda. It created panda conservation and breeding centres, where the cute bears are cared for and encouraged to breed.

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Mysterious Sands of Russia / 2012
#Russia

Shoyna was a prosperous fishing village in the Russian Arctic before sand began swallowing entire houses. Shoyna’s population has plummeted from 3,000 residents to a hardcore 300 who have stayed against all odds. Although jobs are scarce, there’s a meteorological station that studies weather and provides precise forecasts.

It’s still not clear what caused the incursion of sand, but some blame overfishing for disrupting the area’s ecosystem. Yet, the biggest question is why people continue to live in such an unwelcoming environment?

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Bolivian DNA: Russian traces / 2018
#Bolivia

Bolivia is best known as home to the largest indigenous population in South America. Few know that it also harbours a unique community of Russian religious dissenters, known as Old Believers. In this episode, host Pavel and his friend Ramiro meet the diaspora living in the village of Toborochi. The Old Believers keep the religious practices of the Eastern Orthodox Church prior to Patriarch Nikon’s 17th-century reforms. The episode provides an inside look at the closed community and their traditions.

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Aftershock: The Türkiye Earthquake
#Türkiye

‘I tried to save my wife, pull her out with my hands. I waited a couple of hours, but she died... It was raining at the time, and it was cold’, says Galib, a man who survived the strongest earthquake in Türkiye’s modern history. In the aftermath of the quake that hit the country this February, more than 45,000 people died and 300,000 lost their homes. Thousands of blocks collapsed across the country making it impossible to rescue all the people trapped under the rubble. Now many of those who have lost their loved ones are homeless and hope that the government will be able to find the culprits. Tune in for our premiere to find out how people are dealing with the tragedy.

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Black Lives: Addiction / 2019
#USA

Illegal drugs are everywhere and easily found in any US city. Episode 7 of the Black Lives series takes a look at the murky world of drug trading. A drug dealer, a former gang member, a former police officer and other activists share their views on why so many young people turn to selling drugs, if they even have an alternative and how easy it is to quit the illegal business.

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FRACK US / 2014
#USA

Fracking is a technique for recovering gas and oil that involves drilling deep into the earth. The discovery of fracking has increased the US production of oil and gas. The process is economically efficient and allows inaccessible resources to be collected. However, fracking is associated with a number of environmental problems. Contamination of water, air pollution, land degradation lead to loss of animal and plant habitat, as well as human health risks. Fracking is banned in numerous EU countries and Australia, but it takes place in more than 20 US states. People who live near fracking sites share their thoughts on how the “Shale Revolution” changed their lives for the worst.

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Occupy Tower / 2015
#Venezuela

One of Caracas’ infamous landmarks is a grim, half-finished, abandoned skyscraper. Nicknamed the Tower of David (Torre de David), it once provided shelter for hundreds of low-income families with nowhere else to go.

The vertical slum operated as a commune. Squatters gathered for meetings and various activities, including cleaning common areas. Residents had a gym, convenience stores, and barbershops so they could live without leaving their tower. However, the squatters had to leave in 2014 after the government deemed the Tower of David unsafe to live in. Then, the building began to lean in 2018 after an earthquake hit.

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Finnish Face of Fascism / 2023
#USSR #Finland

‘Galya died first, and about a month and a half later, Nina died, already in 1943. Both of my sisters died of starvation…’, recalls Lenina Makeeva, a Finnish concentration camp survivor. In December 1941 all of her family were incarcerated. Lenina, then a small girl, spent almost three years in Petrozavodsk concentration camp no. 5 and was the only member of the family to survive.

The exact number of deaths in the concentration camps set up by the Finns during World War II is still unknown. Watch the documentary to learn why people responsible for these crimes still go unpunished.

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In a Siberian Tiger’s Footsteps / 2020
#China

The Siberian tiger is known as the spirit of the forest in north-eastern China. The magnificent animal roams freely across the Russian-Chinese border. They are the world’s largest cats that can survive lengthy winters. Unfortunately, there are about 500 Siberian tigers left in the wild. Poaching, an anti-pest campaign and deforestation even caused the tiger to disappear from the Chinese borderland. In 2001, China created the Hunchun National Nature Reserve as part of a conservation plan. Did it help the population of Siberian tigers grow?

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Bolivian DNA: Titicaca, the lake of mystery / 2018
#Bolivia

Bolivia boasts many world records and one of them is the world’s highest navigable lake, Titicaca. In this episode, host Pavel Selin and his friend Ramiro are travelling to Titicaca to bring offerings to Pachamama, a goddess of earth and fertility and to get a boat building lesson. The two also visit the ancient city of Tiwanaku, believed to be part of the fabled island of Atlantis.

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