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Investigative documentary series, geopolitical analysis, and international commentary

Politics and society

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In 1991 with the fall of the dictator Siad Barré, the North-West of Somalia proclaimed its independence and became Somaliland. But the country is unrecognised by the international community. Despite this, the nation-that-is-not-a-nation has enjoyed relative peace and stability over the last three decades. 

ARTE Reportage

Somaliland is unrecognised by the international community, but despite this, it is peaceful and stable

Somaliland, Unrecognised

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With the withdrawal of NATO troops, the Taliban has taken back control of Afghanistan. And yet the insurgents say that they want peace.

The Taliban took advantage of the withdrawal of NATO troops to win back Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Taliban Land

A special selection of programmes focusing on the challenge of climate change that takes stock of the state our planet is in and what we can do about it.

Climate Change: the Global Challenge

Our web-series explores the lives of women in Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. We ask how the Arab Spring changed their societies and their roles.

Ten years on from the Arab Spring, Arab women reflect on how their lives have changed

Women of the Arab Spring

With 600,000 casualties and five million refugees, the war in Syria is the bloodiest conflict of the 21st century so far.

10 Years of War

Syria: The Never-Ending Conflict

Because their suffering deserves to be seen. Because their suffering deserves to be heard. Because their suffering deserves to be stopped. 

Whether in the workplace, the street, or at home, these survivors of sexual violence tell us their stories

The Pandemic of Sexual Violence

Ten years ago, the popular uprisings in the Arab world were a source of hope for freedom and change, but overall these hopes were dashed. A special collection that will help you understand the last tumultuous decade in the Arab states.

Ten years ago, the popular uprisings in the Arab world were a source of hope for freedom and change, but overall these hopes were dashed.

10 Years of the Arab Spring

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284 Russian soldiers are still missing in Afghanistan from the Soviet-Afghan War, a conflict that ended in 1989. ARTE Reportage goes in search of these lost red army soldiers. 

284 Russian soldiers are still missing in Afghanistan from the Soviet-Afghan War, a conflict that ended in 1989. ARTE Reportage goes in search of these lost red army soldiers

Afghanistan: Lost Soldiers of the Red Army

Until very recently, Spanish performance artist Abel Azcona was wanted by the police and was living in exile in Portugal. He could only visit his homeland in secret. His crime: blasphemy. During his performances, he had openly criticised the sexual abuse of minors in the Catholic Church. A look at freedom of expression in Spain which is number one in the world for the number of artists in prison.

Until very recently, Spanish performance artist Abel Azcona was wanted by the police and was living in exile in Portugal. 

Freedom of Expression in Danger in Spain

All her life, Loredana Rossi from Naples has only ever wanted one thing: to be recognised as a woman. She has fought so hard against transphobia because her experiences as a transgender person in Italy has been marked by stigmatisation, intolerance and ostracism.

All her life, Loredana Rossi from Naples has only ever wanted one thing: to be recognised as a woman. 

Re: Loredana's Fight Against Transphobia

Theresa Kachindamoto was made chief of the Dedza district in central Malawi in 2003, the first women ever to hold this post. Since then she has tirelessly fought to protect girls from child marriages, an engrained cultural practice

Theresa Kachindamoto was made chief of the Dedza district in central Malawi in 2003, the first women ever to hold this post. Since then she has tirelessly fought to protect girls from child marriages.

Malawi: One Woman Fights Child Marriage

Lynxes, leopards or crocodiles: Having exotic wild animals as pets is popular in Russia. For some it’s a status symbol, for others it’s a lucrative source of revenue. But this passion for big cats or bears is not without its dangers.

Lynxes, leopards or crocodiles: Having exotic wild animals as pets is popular in Russia.

Russia: Wild Animals as Pets

Children in Nigeria who are accused of being witches are cast out into the streets by their families. There, they desperately try to earn enough to live by going through rubbish dumps. They are easy targets for predators, and sexual abuse is an every day occurrence.

Accused of being witches, these children are cast out into the streets, where they are easy targets for predators

Nigeria: The Plight of the Witch Children

The Cabo Delgado region, in north-eastern Mozambique, has been struggling for the past 4 years. Al-Shabab jihadists, affiliated with the Islamic State since 2019, are wreaking havoc there. The number of violent attacks perpetrated tripled throughout 2020 compared to the previous year and many people fear for the future. 

In north-eastern Mozambique, Al-Shabab is terrorising locals

Mozambique: Escape From Al-Shabab

Investigation and reports

When 13-year-old Ghazaal, a feisty refugee, starts her period while living in a refugee camp, she tries to gather together enough money by stealing and cheating people. However, the fear of staining and her menstrual cramps repeatedly come in the way of accomplishing her goal of buying sanitary towels. This short film explores the absence of basic human necessities for women in refugee camps.

A short film by Ragini Bhasin

When 13-year-old Ghazaal, a feisty refugee, starts her period while living in a refugee camp, she tries to gather together enough money to buy sanitary towels.

Ghazaal (2019)

Saype is a graffiti artist with a difference. He doesn't spray his works on walls but in fields and on grass, using his own biodegradable paint. His huge works of art are best appreciated by drone, where the true scale is revealed. 

Gymnastics

Saype, Green-Fingered Graffitti Artist

The American director Peter Sellars was invited to the Salzburg Festival. For the 2017 edition he staged The Clemency of Titus by Mozart.

Carte Blanche to Peter Sellars

Square Artiste: Peter Sellars

Mariusz would never have become the artist he is now if Poland had not joined the European Union. He now creates striking murals in cities all over the world.

Europe of Artists

Mariusz Waras, Street Artist

French writer Emmanuel Ruben is a bicycle enthusiast. Writing about his cycle from west to east following Europe’s longest river, the Danube, Ruben reflects on Europe and migration.

Rewriting Europe Along the Danube

Europe as a source of inspiration: Meeting artists from across the continent whose works spring from Europe’s cultural diversity.

Through the eyes of artists

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The historian Herodotus in the fifth century BC said that Egypt was "a gift from the Nile", and from the pharaohs to Nasser, the Nile has played a vital role in Egypt's fortunes. But Ethiopia now intends to remind leaders in Cairo that the Nile is not just an Egyptian river.

Mapping the World

Ethiopia wants to remind Egypt that the Nile is not just Egyptian

Geopolitics of the Nile

Welcome to Afghanistan, the land of the magnificent mountains of the Hindu Kush and a country of great ethnic diversity. Its complex history is characterised by an almost permanent state of war.

Welcome to Afghanistan, the land of the magnificent mountains of the Hindu Kush. Its complex history is characterised by an almost permanent state of war.

Afghanistan - A Troubled Country

All world powers want a piece of Antartica, the only continent that belongs to everyone and no one. This unique territory at the end of the world is currently protected by international law, with only scientific research allowed. But for how long will it remain a pristine wilderness?

All world powers want a piece of Antartica, the only continent that belongs to everyone and no one.

Antarctica: Ice and Greed

With a beautiful coastline stretching more than 2,000 kilometres along the Indian Ocean and a wealth of natural resources, Mozambique has the makings of an Eldorado. But the former Portuguese colony is facing a jihadist insurgency in the north which is jeopardising its chances of development and stability

Mozambique has the makings of an Eldorado with natural beauty and resources. But the former Portuguese colony is facing a jihadist insurgency in the north which is jeopardising its development.

Mozambique: A Cursed Eldorado

Morocco is a beacon of stability in an unstable region. However, the kingdom still faces problems of serious social inequality, a lack of democratic freedoms, and the ongoing unresolved status of Western Sahara.

What Future for the Kingdom of Morocco?

Vietnam had a bloody twentieth century as long wars with the French and subsequently the Americans cost the country dearly. Recently things have been on the up as the south-east Asian country reinvents itself as a model economy and tourist destination.

Recently things have been on the up as the south-east Asian country reinvents itself as a model economy and tourist destination.

Vietnam: The New Asian Tiger

Designer Erik Spiekermann explains how he created the map for Berlin's newly unified public transport network, just after reunification and the fall of the Berlin wall.

Designer Erik Spiekermann explains how he created the map for Berlin's newly unified public transport network

How a Map Healed Berlin

Insights

Kids

Switching viewpoints

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Amsterdam’s famous red-light district attracts hordes of noisy tourists making the neighbourhood unliveable for many of its residents. With the city authorities considering measures to push sex workers out of the area, does this spell the end for the historic trade in the city centre?

Amsterdam’s famous red-light district attracts hordes of noisy tourists making the neighbourhood unliveable for many of its residents.

Re: Mass Tourism in Amsterdam's Red Light District

Second or third children born illegally during China’s One Child Policy are banned from marrying, having children or simply boarding a train. Condemned to a non-life, these ghost children do not officially exist according to the Chinese state. ARTE Reportage goes in search of these ‘Haihaizi’,  those children who should not have been born.

Arte Reportage

Second or third children born illegally during China’s One Child Policy are banned from marrying, having children or simply boarding a train. 

China's Ghost Children

A century ago the Treaty of Trianon formally ended World War I between the Kingdom of Hungary and the allied powers. Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory at Trianon which is still a contentious subject in Hungarian politics and society.

Hungary's Trauma

Every year Russia celebrates Victory day on 9 May to mark the end of the Second World War with great pomp and ceremony. The story of a steadfast Soviet Union defeating the forces of fascism looms large in the Russian imagination, a story that Vladimir Putin uses to his own ends.

 The story of a steadfast Soviet Union defeating the forces of fascism looms large in the Russian imagination, a story that Vladimir Putin uses to his own ends.

Russia: Putin's World View

The world's tech giants - the likes of Facebook, Apple or Google - now have a political role to play. They can curb misinformation or spread it, along with all of the massive social issues that entails. An in-depth analysis of social media uses and regulations in China, the United States, and Europe.

An in-depth analysis of social media uses and regulations in China, the United States, Europe and Russia.

The Geopolitics of Social Media

“14 February was the day that I didn’t die.” In 2015 Daniel was involved in a serious traffic accident. He survived, but his injuries meant that his brain could no longer create long-term memories. A moving portrait of a thirty-something who had to rebuild a life without memory.

 A moving portrait of a thirty-something who, after a traffic accident, had to rebuild a life without memory.

Living without Memory

There are an estimated 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth and in the 20th century, 437 of them erupted in places like the United States, Russia, Indonesia and Japan. Both a blessing and a curse, they have shaped our world on land and at the sea.

A World of Volcanoes

Abdul fled Afghanistan six years ago and found asylum in France. In the course of his journey during which he crossed twelve countries over two years, he developed a passion for photography. In Calais he is documenting the desperate lives of people trying to cross the English Channel to Britain, in the hope of a better life.

In Calais Abdul documents the desperate lives of people trying to cross the English Channel in hope of a better life.

An Afghan Refugee in Calais

In Northern Ireland alcohol consumption is particularly widespread among pregnant women - with devastating consequences for the children. A lack of education and support for affected families has inspired one mother to campaign for change.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

In Northern Ireland alcohol consumption is particularly widespread among pregnant women - with devastating consequences for the children. 

Re: Drunk in the Womb

Report from a dogs’ home that specialises in unmanageable and dangerous hounds. Dog trainer Vanessa Bokr knows better than most how aggressive some breeds of dog can be. She works tirelessly to retrain unwanted dangerous dogs in the hope that they can find new homes rather than be put down.

Abused Dogs Learn to Love

Report from a dogs’ home that specialises in unmanageable and dangerous hounds.

Re: Hellhounds

Italy is a leading nation when it comes to training rescue dogs. The courageous animals are able to leap from helicopters or boats to save people at sea. Ferruccio Pilenga’s training school was founded with an understanding of the potential of our four-legged friends to help save lives.

Re: Baywatch for Dogs

A focus on the world’s largest country by landmass. Russia is a major world power that excels in certain spheres but glaring inequality, major structural problems and Western sanctions mean it may struggle to keep up with other world powers.

Russia: Land of Contrasts

Across the globe, glaciers are shrinking due to global warming. But the Perito Moreno glacier in Argentinian Patagonia is currently stable. This monstrous wall of ice draws tourists from far and wide. But for how much longer?

The Future of Patagonia's Glaciers

The fall of the USSR destabalised the Caucasus, which is being eyed up by three autocratic regimes: Russia, Turkey, and Iran. Each country jealously guards its interests in this oil and gas-rich region. 

The fall of the USSR destabalised the Caucasus, which is being eyed up by three autocratic regimes: Russia, Turkey, and Iran

The Caucasus: At the Crossroads of Europe and Asia

At the entrance to the Hermitage Museum, in St. Petersburg, many visitors are astonished to be welcomed by a gang of cats. More than fifty cats have taken up residence at the Hermitage where they are welcomed, fed and cared for. 

The Tsarina wanted cats to keep the rats at bay. More than a century later, they're still here

The Palace of Cats

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From India, Pakistan and Thailand, thousands of Asian workers toil in the plantations of southwestern Portugal. They do hard, poorly paid work, far from their families and their country, in hopes of getting Portuguese nationality. It's their passport to a better life, elsewhere in Europe.

Hoping for an EU passport

Thousands of Asian workers toil in plantations in Portugal, in hopes of getting Portuguese nationality

Re: Asian Workers in Portugal

The situation on the border between Poland and Belarus continues to deteriorate: in September 2021, nearly 9,000 people tried to reach the European Union illegally through Poland. That's twice as many as in August. And revealing the truth of the situation is difficult, as journalists and NGOs are forbidden from the area. ARTE reporter Ulrike Däßler and her team was detained by police in the course of making this report, for no reason other than trying to do their jobs.

The situation on the border between Poland and Belarus continues to deteriorate

Belarus to Poland: The Migrant Tragedy

Tortured, murdered, or kidnapped, Migrants held in Libya go through hell. Shot on location, this poignant documentary reveals a system ruled by impunity and collusion between smugglers, militias and authorities, to which Europe turns a blind eye.

Tortured, murdered, or kidnapped, Migrants held in Libya go through hell

Libya: Migrant Camps Scandal

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated on October 10th in Poland to reaffirm their attachment to the European Union, seventeen years after their country's accession. Spearheading the push towards Brussels is former President of the European Council Donald Tusk, who called for protests after a decision by the Polish Constitutional Court, which challenges the primacy of European law. The pro-Europeans fear that their country is in danger of leaving the EU.

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Poland to reaffirm their attachment to the European Union

The Polish Protesters Who Choose Europe

Patrycja and Eryc don't dare tell anyone beyond a close circle of friends that they're Jewish for fear of reprisals. Poland used to be a hub of Jewish culture, but the Holocaust devastated the community and it never recovered. Though the young couple rarely goes to the synagogue, they feel Jewish at heart. They say there is no place for them in Poland and they want to move to Israel.

Patrycja and Eryc don't dare tell anyone beyond a close circle of friends that they're Jewish for fear of reprisals

Re: Shalom, Poland

Somaliland, the Country That Does Not Exist

Nine-year-old Predag attends school in his home village of Temska in Serbia. But not for much longer, as the school is due to close in two years. It used to have almost 1,000 pupils; now there are only 18. A focus on the consequences of the rural exodus on Serbian society.

Re: School Closures in Serbia

The Second World War had a devastating impact on Poland, and its bloody legacy soured relations between Germany and Poland for decades after. To this day, political relations between the two countries are often strained. But what do the people of Warsaw think of Angela Merkel's policies?

Bye Bye Merkel

What do the people of Warsaw think of Angela Merkel's policies?

In Warsaw with Angela Merkel

The rise of the French chef, Isabelle Arpin, in the very masculine world of gastronomy.

The rise of the French chef, Isabelle Arpin, in the very masculine world of gastronomy

A Chief and her Star

The Franco-German partnership is considered to be the main driving force behind European policy. What image do the people on the streets of Paris have of Merkel? How will French people remember her?

As Merkel retires, we ask French people what they'll remember by

In Paris with Merkel

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In the Chinese province of Yunnan online shopping is drastically changing life in rural areas. Villagers who used to make a living from agriculture now sell artisanal products via the internet. Young entrepreneur Su Junping has made his fortune from selling silver teapots providing work for 300 people.

In the Chinese province of Yunnan online shopping is drastically changing life in rural areas.

China: E-Commerce Villages

Darío Aguirre is from Ecuador, living in Germany with his wife. When the city of Hamburg unexpectedly invited him to become a German citizen, Darío revisits his rocky path to building a life for himself in Europe and wonders about who he has become. This film is about arriving and living abroad in a time when xenophobia is suddenly acceptable again in Germany, and society is struggling to find the right way to integrate new citizens.

 What it's like to live in Germany as a foreigner when xenophobia is suddenly socially acceptable again

How I Became German

Britain is one of the world’s richest countries. And yet over four million children live in poverty in the UK with their parents struggling to provide food and shelter for them. A situation that has got worse over the last five years.

Britain: Poor Children, Rich Country

Every year 400,000 people from Central America traverse Mexico, a journey of some 2500 kilometres, to try to pass into the USA illegally. The quickest way to get there is by hitching a ride on the roof of what the migrants have nicknamed ‘La Bestia’ (the beast), a freight train running through desert and jungle, right up to the US border.

Every year 400,000 people traverse Mexico to try to pass into the USA illegally. The quickest way is to catch the freight train ‘La Bestia’.

Mexico:"La Bestia"

The Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, also known as Rojava, managed to free itself from Syria in 2011 during the upheaval of war. Since this revolution, won by both men and women, a peaceful society is forming where women have taken up leading roles in government and wider society.
 

A peaceful society is forming in Rojava with women taking up leading roles in society. 
 

Syria: Rojava, the Revolution by Women

Ergonomics consultant Susanne Weber is in demand as never before. With large numbers of people working from home since the pandemic, our improvised workstations are often aggravating factors in neck and back pain. A focus on a condition that can affect everyone and how to fnd relief.

Re: Relief from Back Pain

Brazilian filmmaker Marcelo Novais Teles tells his life story as an exile through the home movie intimacy of the Super 8 camera.  

By Marcelo Novais Tele

The Exiled

A group of young Egyptian women cycle around the city to distribute hot meals during Ramadan, to the poorest inhabitants of the city. They want to serve society - but also to change society's attitudes.  

A group of young Egyptian women cycle around the city to distribute hot meals during Ramadan

Egypt: The Female Cairo

In the makeshift shelters protecting a million stateless Rohingyas from the monsoon rains, thousands of women are living in shame, haunted by the memories of sexual violence they suffered just a year ago.
 

Thousands of Rohingya women are living in shame, haunted by the memories of sexual violence.
 