Deutsch-französischer Kultursender. Videos, Livestream | ARTE

ARTE : chaîne télé culturelle franco-allemande - TV direct & replay

ARTE, the European culture TV channel, free and on demand

ARTE en español - Gratis, en español, una selección del canal cultural europeo ARTE

ARTE, europejska telewizja kulturalna na życzenie

ARTE, il canale culturale europeo, gratis e on demand

How has the life of European Union citizens changed since the Maastricht Treaty came into force thirty years ago, on 1 November 1993? Documentary filmmaker, David Holland, born the same year as Maastricht travels the length and breadth of the continent by rail to find out.

A Journey through the Continent

How has the life of European Union citizens changed since the Maastricht Treaty came into force thirty years ago, on 1 November 1993?

Europe since Maastricht

Top Teaser

More than a century and a half after its publication, Herman Melville's classic American novel continues to resonate in the United States. A look at American society through the prism of  Moby Dick with contributions from ordinary Americans pursuing an American Dream that seems ever more out of reach.

What can the great American novel tell us about America?

More than a century and a half after its publication, Herman Melville's classic novel continues to resonate in the USA.

Moby Dick - An American Allegory

As it erupts onto the streets of Europe, few conflicts divide society as much as Israel-Palestine. In this week's ARTE Europe Weekly, an EU leadership scrambles to find common ground. In the Netherlands, the far-right capitalizes on Hamas' attacks, while in France, fears of terror grow.

Israel-Hamas: Europe is divided

ARTE Europe Weekly

In 2022, Salman Rushdie narrowly survived an assassination attempt by an Islamic extremist. This year's winner of the German Publishers' Peace Prize at the Frankfurt Book Fair, we interview the acclaimed writer in New York. Also in the programme: Russian journalist Elena Kostyutchenko, Slovenian authors Pia Prezelj and Suzana Tratnik, and a focus on the graphic novel “Woman, Life, Freedom" by Marjane Satrapi.

Salman Rushdie and Freedom of Speech

Interview in New York with the acclaimed British writer, this year's winner of the German Publishers' Peace Prize.

Twist

A two-part documentary looking at the history of nudism. This first episode traces the beginnings of the movement in the nineteenth century and how it differs across Europe.

From taboo and shame to liberation

A two-part documentary looking at the history of nudism.

Undressed - A History of Nudism

Journey to the heart of the Cape Verde archipelago where the musical people celebrate carnival and cherish their traditional music, the morna, made world-famous by Cesaria Évora.

Journey to the heart of the Cape Verde archipelago to meet a musial people made world-famous by Cesaria Évora.

Cape Verde - Sound of Longing

Highlights

Dmitri Tcherniakov’s remarkable new staging of Richard Strauss’s Salome tells a very dark tale. Asmik Grigorian shines in the title role of Salome, whose craving for autonomy and revenge takes a fateful turn. Streamed live on ARTE Concert, this performance of the opera from the Staatsoper Hamburg under the baton Kent Nagano promises to be thrilling theatre.

Staatsoper Hamburg

Asmik Grigorian in Salome: an unforgettable night at the Staatsoper Hamburg, live on ARTE Concert

Richard Strauss: Salome

The painting "Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy" was discovered in a modest private collection. But is it really one of the last great works by Caravaggio, the Italian master of chiaroscuro? A fascinating investigation travelling from Paris via Italy to Malta in search of the truth.

Is a painting found in a modest private collection really one of the last great works by the Italian master?

The Caravaggio Mystery

Sister Smile released her hit single Dominique in 1962, before an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show catapulted “The Singing Nun” to the top of the US charts. But Sister Smile, real name Jeanne Deckers, became a plaything of the almighty music industry, and the Catholic Church. A closeted gay woman, her life was tragically cut short by suicide. 

Who Killed the Voice of God?

The tragic story of the nun who became a pop star.

The Singing Nun

Catherine Deneuve is one of France's most famous actresses. In the year of her 80th birthday, ARTE is dedicating a new biography to her. Throughout her long and distinguished career, she has surprised cinema audiences with daring choices of roles and directors - from Dangerous Liaisons to 8 Women, from The Last Metro to Belle de jour

A biography of France’s most famous actress in the year of her 80th birthday.

Catherine Deneuve - A Life on Screen

When war disrupts daily life, social issues often take a back seat. Tracks East meets the men and women who refuse to let armed conflict get in their way. Anna, a doctor in Kyiv, wants sexual liberation along with sexual health and Alina and Stanislava are campaigning for equal marriage.

Social Activism in Wartime

Tracks East meets the men and women who refuse to let armed conflict get in the way of social issues.

Tracks East

Jannik and Tai are 17 and are called “Fatty” and “Fiji” at school. Two outsiders. When they find their drunken head teacher on the street one night and lock him in his own flat, what starts as a joke turns into a full-blown kidnapping. Tai enjoys playing God and forces the teacher to bare his soul. But as the teens uncover the man's secrets, the stupid fun turns serious.

New series

Two teens stumble upon their drunken head teacher and lock him in his flat. But the silly prank gets out of hand...

Naked Above Berlin

A focus on the geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East following the signing in 2020 of the Abraham Accords between Israel and four countries in the Arab world.

New Alliances in a Region in Crisis

A focus on Middle East geopolitical after the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel and four Arab countries.

Middle East: Between War and Peace

Has a hatred of jews always been present in our societies? From anti-Judaism to modern anti-Semitism, this documentary series explores the multiple facets of the phenomenon, from its origins to the present day. With commentary and analysis by some thirty international experts, the story is based on both archives and historical images in 3D.

Two thousand years of persecution - Full documentary series

From antiquity to the present day, the story of two thousand years of intolerance and persecution against Jews.

The History of Antisemitism

How can we live a happy life? And should we be pleased that our lives are short? Ronja von Rönne investigates the philosophy of happiness by meeting Jean-Remy von Matt, a major figure in German advertising and Sister Katharine, who left her job in finance to become a nun.

A guide to living a contented existence.

How can we live a happy life? And should we be pleased that our lives are short? Ronja von Rönne investigates the philosophy of happiness.

Unhappy

The muscles from Brussels has enjoyed a dizzying career as a high-octane action movie star. The highs and lows of his eventful life are told with archive footage and contributions from those close to the much-loved Belgian actor.

The story of the "Muscles from Brussels"

Focus on the eventful career of the Belgian action star, nicknamed the Muscles from Brussels.

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Asaf Avidan took the world by storm with his hit "Reckoning Song" and an unmistakeable voice quivering with emotion. Here, the artist explores more personal territory in a fragile, intimate moment showcasing his qualities as a songwriter and composer. 

Reckoning Song hitmaker Asaf Avidan plays solo at Nancy Jazz Pulsations 2023

After becoming world-famous with his hit "Reckoning Song", the Israeli musician returns to performing solo. 

Asaf Avidan

An exploration of the 1982 Ridley Scott film Blade Runner. Slated when first released, it has since built a cult following for its visionary urban setting as well its unique futuristic film noir atmosphere. 

Slated on its release, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner has since built a cult following for its visionary urban setting as unique futuristic atmosphere.

The Blade Runner Phenomenon

Unmissable

Continue watching

Laura, an Italian nanny with a hidden lineage and Sebastian, a young and enigmatic orphan in her charge, navigate 18th century Europe – steeped in revolution and intrigue. Through their passionate adventures together, their mysterious origins slowly come to light.

French period drama

An Italian nanny and the enigmatic orphan in her charge adventure through 18th century Europe.

The Black Book

Transfariana

What are the historical and geopolitical causes of the Israel-Palestine conflict?

War in the Middle East

In the summer of 2020, a military confrontation between Greece and Turkey seemed almost inevitable. The reason for the disputes was new natural gas reserves in the Mediterranean - but not only that. Turkey spans across Europe, Asia, and the Caucasus, giving it a strategic position in the Mediterranean region. Wars in Syria and Ukraine are raging at its borders, posing a threat to the established world order. As a significant regional power, Turkey is at the centre of conflicts in the eastern Mediterranean. In the documentary, presidential advisors, ministers, and diplomats explain the crises and rivalries in the area on the doorstep of Europe.

Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean

As a significant regional power, Turkey is at the centre of conflicts in the eastern Mediterranean.

Turkey: The Mediterranean Heavyweight

Why does the European Union allow deadly pesticides banned at home to be exported to developing countries? Brazil, especially, uses large quantities of harmful pesticides imported from Europe with terrible effects on the population’s health.

Why does the European Union allow deadly pesticides banned at home to be exported to developing countries? 

Pesticides: European Hypocrisy

A focus on geopolitics in the troubled region after the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel and four Arab countries.

Middle East: Betweeen War and Peace

The Phelophepa is a train hospital that travels rural South Africa providing much needed healthcare. Every two weeks the train travels to a new town where its dedicated health care teams offer their services tirelessly to local communities.

South Africa: A Hospital on Rails

A train hospital crosses rural South Africa to provide healthcare to communities that need it.

ARTE Reportage

Nickel, gold, iron, zinc, uranium... Beneath the pastures of Southern Greenland lies a host of natural resources. With global warming making them more easily accessible will Greenland choose to mine them? Or alternatively take advantage of a milder climate to develop the agricultural sector?

A crucial dilemma for Greenlanders: Mine their rich natural resources or concentrate on agriculture?

Greenland: Agriculture or Mining?

From his gilded youth in Europe to the bloody repression of the Arab Spring, this is the engrossing story of Muammar Gaddafi's second son who, despite arrest warrants for crimes against humanity, is running for election in Libya.

Saif Al Islam Gaddafi's Comeback

Son of a Dictator

The prefix cyber comes from an ancient Greek word meaning "to control". But is mankind really in control of this technology? From the invention of the internet to artificial intelligence, Shimon Dotan's documentary takes stock of the galloping growth of the cyberworld.

How AI is revolutionising our lives

From the invention of the internet to artificial intelligence, we take stock of the galloping advance of the cyberworld.

Cyber: The Future is Now

The German Reichsbürgerbewegung (Reich citizens movement) rejects the post-war democratic order and want to rip up the German constitution. Suspected of involvement in a 2022 coup d’état plot, the movement is growing. Who are its members? And why do they want to do away with democracy?

Inside the German Far Right Movement

What is the dangerous and extreme organisation that rejects the post-war democratic order in Germany?

Citizens of the Reich

Jennifer Weist, Disarstar, Blond, PTK and the “Ton Steine Scherben” are German artists with one thing in common: the use music to send out radical political messages out. Because if the cultural world isn’t ready to play politics, then who is? These outspoken artists live in squats and write songs against the far-right AfD party, sometimes tinkering around the edges of legality.

This programme by German channel ARD is part of The European Collection, a joint initiative of European public media (ARD, ARTE, France Télévisions, SRG SSR and ZDF), coordinated by ARTE.

The power of music

Political protest can also be done through music, as these Berlin-based artists have shown.

Rebels: I rebel, therefore I am

In the run-up to parliamentary elections in mid-October, Polish filmmaker Marcin Wierzchowski travelled across his country to gauge the atmosphere in a society that is more divided than ever.

A portrait of a society more divided than ever in the run-up to parliamentary elections.

Poland – A Nation under Stress

The Glass Ceiling: What is it? And how do you break it? Finnish migrant filmmaker Mari Soppela travels the world as she takes us on a five year investigation into the complex realities of the glass ceiling. Scrutinizing the statistics and delving into the lived experiences of women battling discrimination throughout the globe she exposes the uncomfortable truths and dirty secrets of gender bias in the workplace. Simultaneously light-hearted and deadly serious, this vital, creative and surprising film shines a light on a much misunderstood phenomenon and acts as a rallying cry to women - and men - everywhere to continue the fight for gender equality.

Investigating women's experiences in the workplace

 Finnish filmmaker Mari Soppela takes us into the complex realities of gender discrimination in the workplace.

The Glass Ceiling

Incisive investigative documentaries and reportage

In Depth

On 7 October, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a complex and large-scale attack on Israel. How has Europe reacted? And what does this mean for the EU aid that Palestine receives? We look at how much influence the EU really has in the longstanding conflict.

The price of peace: EU aid to Palestine under scrutiny

Hamas’s attack on Israel has drawn attention to the aid that Palestine receives from the European Union and how it’s used.

In France, the ready-to-wear sector is going through an intense crisis. In the first quarter of 2023, around 50 companies were in receivership or liquidation. A figure that has risen by 33% in one year. Why the turmoil? And why are Spanish brands like Zara and Mango still so successful?

While the number of clothing store closures are increasing in France, Spanish brands are doing well.

French Fashion Industry in Turmoil

Finland’s right-wing government has plans to roll out sweeping austerity measures, which has sparked protests and strikes across the country. The measures include cutting workers' rights and social welfare benefits, but also clamp down on immigration at a time when Finland is in need of skilled workers.

Union leaders in Finland say the right-wing government is rolling out “reverse Robin Hood” austerity measures.

Finland faces strikes and protests over labour reforms

The war in Ukraine is taking place 5,000 kilometres from the Indian subcontinent, yet its impact is clear in the city of Surat. The centre of India’s diamond industry is suffering from western sanctions on Russian diamonds.

The war in Ukraine is happening 5,000 kilometres from the subcontinent, yet its impact is clear on India's diamond industry.

India: Diamonds in War

Neighbouring Lithuania is a safe haven for exiled Belarusians. Hundreds have fled Alexander Lukashenko’s regime to seek refuge in this EU member state. But Minsk consistently tries to make life difficult for them, by impeding access to official documents or hindering their ability to do business back home.

Hundreds of exiled Belarusians have sought refuge in Lithuania. But Lukashenko’s regime makes life difficult for them, even abroad.

Belarusian exiled opposition faces pitfalls in Lithuania

Following the terrible attack by Hamas, Israel has responded with massive airstrikes and the siege of Gaza. But there is also another threat, Hezbollah from the north. This episode looks at the key role Lebanon has played in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Israel - Hamas: Lebanon's Role

A look at the key role Lebanon has played in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Mapping the World Essentials

In a bid to combat rural depopulation, the Spanish government has launched a countryside Erasmus programme. Instead of spending a year abroad in a European city, students can opt for a paid work placement in a small rural village. It’s a win-win situation for both participants and local residents.

Instead of studying abroad, young Spaniards can opt for a rural Erasmus programme to help revitalise the countryside.

An Erasmus programme in rural Spain to help combat depopulation

In the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel, the international community is scrambling to react and take positions on the Israel-Palestine conflict which in recent years had become a secondary geopolitical concern.

Israel-Palestine: What positions are the international community taking?

In the aftermath of the Hamas attack, the international community is scrambling to react and take positions on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The French government has put in place an emergency plan to tackle bullying, after a teenager died by suicide just a day after school started. Although bullying is a problem in schools across Europe, there’s no EU-wide law and so different countries tackle it in different ways – to varying degrees of success.

The silent problem of bullying in Europe’s schools

It’s hard to measure how much bullying goes on in Europe’s schools. But social media means the problem goes far beyond the school gates.

Candidates for this year’s parliamentary elections in Poland are taking advantage of their last campaigning days to sway voters. In the north of Warsaw, construction of a new gymnasium has just kicked off, an opportunity for a local PiS candidate to remind rural voters of everything the party has done for them.

As Polish voters head to the polls this Sunday, candidates from the ruling conservative PiS party take the lead in rural areas.

Poland's ruling conservative party looks after its rural voters

The housing crisis in Ireland has been a burning political issue since 2008. With a shortage of 250,000 homes for a country of just over 5 million inhabitants, the market has become saturated. And as the country’s population continues to grow each year with the arrival of new asylum seekers, tensions are rising.  

In Ireland, a serious housing crisis is throwing asylum seekers into disarray.

Asylum seekers face Ireland’s housing crisis

"We are at war" declared Benjamin Netanyahu following the Hamas attack on 7 October. The Israeli Prime Minister soon came under fire for his reform of the justice system, which has divided the country, and for deploying part of the army to the West Bank. Hamas and Gaza on one side, the West Bank and the Palestinian Authority on the other. An explanation with maps.

Israel - Palestine: Geography is key

"We are at war" declared Netanyahu following the Hamas attack on 7 October. To understand the conflict, geography is key.

Too many people, too little space. Migrants in Malta have contributed to a strong economic boom over the past 20 years. But as the island becomes more crowded, more and more residents seem to be turning against non-European migrants.

As Malta hosts the MED9 summit, a look at how the smallest country in the EU is dealing with increased migration.

MED9 summit Malta: Migration

The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Colosseum in Rome and Pompeii are some of Italy’s biggest tourist attractions. But staff who check entrance tickets or work in souvenir shops at these destinations generally earn less than 7 euros an hour. They’re hoping that the introduction of a 9-euro statutory minimum wage, currently being debated in Italy, will ease their precarity. 

Italy’s famous tourist sites attract millions each year, but workers behind the scenes often have a hard time making ends meet.

Precarious workers in Italy’s cultural sector

Now that the media, the legal system, cinemas, theatres and universities have fallen under the influence of the Hungarian prime minister and his right-wing Fidesz party, is the publishing industry next? In early July, a company close to the government called Mathias Corvinus Collegium Foundation (MCC) bought Hungary’s largest bookshop chain, Libri. And bookshops have had to follow a specific directive recently imposed by the government, stating that any children’s books even remotely referencing homosexuality must be covered with plastic.

Now that the media and the legal system, have fallen under the influence of the government, is the publishing industry next?

In Hungary, the state wants to control literature

After losing the presidential election to Joe Biden in 2020, Donald Trump wants to run again and seize power back from the Democrats. But since his first term as president from 2016 to 2020, he's been embroiled in a series of legal scandals that could scupper his chances. Donald Trump has been indicted in two cases, faces a lengthy prison sentence, and is also under federal investigation for the storming of the Capitol by his supporters on 6 January 2021. But on the flip side, his legal cases could have the opposite effect and paradoxically galvanise his voter base, who are convinced he's the target of an unfair witch hunt.

Trump's legal cases could paradoxically turbocharge his re-election bid.

Trump's Legal Woes: Boon or Bust for 2024?

A law stating that surrogacy is a “universal crime” was passed in Italy’s lower chamber. In September, the bill will go through the Senate. If it passes, anyone who decides to have a child by surrogacy abroad could automatically face prison and a hefty million-euro fine on their return.

Anyone who decides to have a child by surrogacy abroad could automatically be prosecuted on their return to Italy.

Italy, where surrogacy is a crime

A landscape of ruins. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, hundreds of thousands of people have lost everything. Rebuilding the country is likely to take decades. Work is already underway at Hostomel, on the outskirts of Kyiv. This pilot project presents many challenges for the 80 urban planning experts from the Ro3kvit coalition.

In Hostomel, on the outskirts of Kyiv, a pilot project is underway to rebuild the country after the war.

Ukraine: How to Rebuild a Bombed Out Country

European and international current affairs

More

NEWS - Get a Deeper Understanding

Covid-19 first brought it to public attention, but messenger RNA was discovered sixty years earlier. Through the many trials and pitfalls of its pioneering researchers and developers, this documentary tells the fascinating story of a medical revolution.

From origins to the Nobel Prize

The fascinating story of mRNA, a medical revolution that gave us Covid vaccines, acknowledged by this year's Nobel prize.

Messenger RNA

My List

Ana gives birth at her local hospital to a beautiful baby. But when a bureaucratic problem arises, her file is not on the system, Ana gets entangled in a Kafkaesque web that threatens her whole life. Erased deals with the true story of stateless people in the former Yugoslavia.

A Film by Miha Mazzini & Dusan Joksimovic

When a bureaucratic problem arises,  a young woman gets entangled in a Kafkaesque web that threatens her whole life. 

Erased 

A Bosnian coal miner called Adem spends his days chiseling away in deep, dark and difficult conditions. Praised for his hard work and achievements, he is an exemplary socialist worker. But his life is far from glamorous. A classic of Yugoslav cinema, the film is a critique of a regime that pushed workers to break their backs for the greater good while they seldom reaped the rewards.

A picturesque story of men who work hard, in the dangerous depths of coal mines.

Life of a Shock Force Worker

On his wedding day, Zsolt, a somewhat neurotic interior decorator, begins to have doubts about his decision to get married. He takes refuge in the flat of Anni, a friend of Klári, his future wife, for whom he seems to feel more than affection. Meanwhile, Klári is enjoying the party too much to worry about her husband's absence.

A man about to get married realises that he is actually in love with his fiancée's friend. Adult animated fiction.

Bubble Bath

A selection of short films directed by well-known filmmakers in their early career including François Ozon, Agnès Varda and Jean-Luc Godard.

Short Films by Cinema's Greats

A selection of shorts directed by famous filmmakers in their early career including François Ozon and Jean-Luc Godard.