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The UK and the EU reach a new agreement on Northern Ireland, a focus on how bad fast fashion is for the environment, and the rise of literary influencers on Tiktok.

New Northern Ireland Agreement / Fast Fashion in Europe

The UK and the EU reach a new agreement on Northern Ireland and a focus on how bad fast fashion is for the environment.

ARTE Europe Weekly

Current Highlights

On 24 February, Russian armed forces invaded Ukraine. We follow the war day by day and provide background information with special insights, reports and documentaries.

War in Ukraine

How do our neighbours in Europe see the pressing social issues of our time? Which of today's problems and challenges concern them the most, and how do they deal with them? Five partners, five languages and one joint project: The European Collection. ARTE joins forces with Germany's ARD and ZDF, France Télévisions and Switzerland's SRG SSR to offer a selection of documentaries and reports on European current affairs and the issues driving our politics and society.

The view of our European neighbours on current political and social issues in Europe.

The European Collection

Many of these journalists didn't expect to become war reporters. But then their homeland became a conflict zone. As armies picked up guns, they picked up their cameras.

A look at daily life in Ukraine, as filmed by Ukrainian journalists

Dispatches From Ukraine: Local Journalists Report

Chinese people make do without Google, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter. Instead, the regime has built its own online offer. How is this Chinese internet structured and what does it mean for democracy and debate?

How is this Chinese internet structured and what does it mean for democracy and debate? 

Internet Made in China

Regular bite-sized shorts focusing on different aspects of the war in Ukraine from a geopolitical perspective.

Mapping the World Essentials - War in Ukraine

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

Collections

Playlists

The war in Ukraine has raised the spectre of a nuclear catastrophe and bunkers are making a comeback. In Germany there are fewer than 500,000 places in bunkers for a population of 84 million. In Switzerland every citizen has the right to a nuclear shelter.

Europe Prepares for Nuclear Catastrophe

The war in Ukraine has raised the spectre of a nuclear catastrophe and bunkers are making a comeback

Bunker Boom

Doctors and scientists still do not understand the phenomenon of long Covid and for the people whose symptoms persist for months after infection, no solutions are forthcoming. In Germany around 10 percent of the 37 million recorded cases.

Doctors and scientists still do not understand the phenomenon of long Covid and for the people whose symptoms persist for months after infection, no solutions are forthcoming.

Re: No End to Long Covid

Being a mother is big business on social media with influencers and bloggers sharing their pregnancies and baby-preparations with their communities. For some mothers-to-be it is a bit fun, but for others, their maternity is monetized on Instagram or TikTok.

When Pregnancy meets Social Media

Being a mother is big business on social media with some influencers and bloggers monetizing their maternity on Instagram and TikTok.

Re: Baby Business

Kim Jong Un's lookalike says the doubles of presidents and dictators are “a little family”. When war broke out, he immediately reached out to President Zelensky's doppelgänger, a mechanic from Kyiv. He feared his colleague would be kidnapped by Russians and killed on camera to make people think the real president was dead. 'Kim' called fake Putin, based in Poland, to help get their fellow doppelgänger to safety.

ARTE Reportage

Living in Kyiv when the Russians invade is a bad time to be a Zelensky lookalike...

Ukraine: Saving the Fake Zelensky

Parallel to the war in Ukraine is another conflict, between the Russian and Ukrainian orthodox churches, both present on Ukrainian soil. Father Boris is on the frontline of this religious battle for the soul of his country.

Parallel to the war in Ukraine is another conflict, between the Russian and Ukrainian orthodox churches, both present on Ukrainian soil.

Ukraine: Religious War

The Western Balkans Youth Orchestra is 31 young musicians from six Western Balkan countries. The brainchild of Desar Sulejmani, their aim is to bring peace and cooperation to the region through musical collaboration. We join them on their international summer tour…

The Balkan Orchestra

The Western Balkans Youth Orchestra aims is to bring peace and cooperation to the region through musical collaboration. We join them on their international summer tour…

Re: Playing for Peace

The potato is a very popular staple food across the world. But with climate change threatening our food security, spud producers and the food industry must adapt. This means diversifying to grow more resistant varieties, but also adopting sustainable food processing methods. So does the humble potato still have a future?

Potato growers must diversity to adapt to climate change. What does the future hold for the humble spud?

Re: The Potato and Climate Change

More

Investigation and reports

Zwar sind andere Instrumente weniger sperrig, unumgänglich ist das Klavier aber nicht nur aus Platzgründen: Der imposante Flügel erfüllt den Raum dank Saiten und Hämmern mit klassischem Charme. Ob allein oder in Begleitung eines Orchesters: Entdecken Sie große Klassiker genauso wie Stücke der Gegenwart am klangvollen Klavier – in unserer Piano-Playlist.

Stories from across the continent

Video reports from European broadcasters including Germany’s BR, Belgium’s RTBF, Ireland's RTÉ, Portugal’s RTP, Swissinfo and more.

A European Perspective

ERB Event Zone

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

Europe of Artists

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

For the last 50 years, German artist Christina Kubisch has been obsessed with the sounds of everyday life.

Christina Kubisch - Sound 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.

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

Through the eyes of artists

After the end of the Cold War, the Baltic was viewed almost as a quiet backwater. A nice place to visit to see charming Hanseatic cities and sandy beaches. But since the war in Ukraine the Baltic sea, bordered by eight European Union countries as well as Russia, has become a hot spot of world geopolitics. And tensions are high.

Russia, Europe and NATO

Since the war in Ukraine the Baltic sea has become a hot spot of world geopolitics. And tensions are high.

Panic in the Baltic

Documentary looking at the world of work today. Raphaël trained as an audiovisual technician but today he works on the Paris metro through a temping agency. Frank is a social worker in Berlin helping the disadvantaged cope with the bureaucracy of the benefits system. In London, Henry and Jason founded a union, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain to help protect the most vulnerable workers. 

Long Live Work! (1/2)

A focus on the world of work today following eight European, with contributions from academics.

An Eternal Struggle

Mapping the World turns towards Qatar, the small gulf state that is hosting the World Cup 2022. One of the richest countries on the planet due to vast oil and gas deposits, Qatar has invested heavily in soft power projects such as education and communication.

Mapping the World

Mapping the World turns to Qatar, the small gulf state that is hosting the World Cup 2022. 

Qatar, World Cup Host

Climate change, the Covid pandemic and war brings into sharp focus the precariousness of the global food system. The war in Ukraine threatens the food security of many countries that rely on Kyiv as their main source of wheat.

Square Idea

Climate change, the Covid pandemic and war in Ukraine brings into sharp focus how important food is. 

The Power of Grain

The Balkans continue to be torn between West and East in politics, culture and religion. Mapping the World focuses on one of Europe’s most diverse regions.

The Balkans - Between East and West

Rishi Sunak comes to Number Ten during a time of great economic, social and geopolitical upheaval. He replaces Liz Truss, whose time in office can't even be measured in months, let alone years. It was her slash and burn approach to taxation, without a plan to fund those cuts, that rocked financial markets and sent the cost of borrowing for normal British people soaring. Mapping the World recaps the many problems Sunak will have to tackle. 

Rishi Sunak: A New PM

Rishi Sunak comes to Number Ten during a time of great economic, social and geopolitical upheaval.

Mapping the World Essentials

Across Europe far-right parties are making significant gains at elections. A focus on Sweden, Italy, Germany and France and the strategies of the far-right parties to present themselves as ‘normal’.

The Normalisation of the Far Right

Insights

Нападение России на Украину повергло Европу в шок и пролило свет на хрупкое положение независимых СМИ в России. Кроме видеоконтента на украинском, ARTE предлагает подборку материалов на русском языке, освещающих ужасные события в Украине, а также культурные программы и концерты солидарности с Украиной со всего мира. (ARTE is offering content in Russian).

ARTE in Russian

Помимо видеоконтента на украинском, ARTE предлагает подборку материалов на русском языке, освящающих ужасные событиям в Украине, а также культурные программы и концерты солидарности с Украиной со всего мира.

ARTE на русском 

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Kids

The 100-year-old ship, The Rocket, steams its way from the capital Dhaka along the waterways of Bangladesh. In this observational documentary we meet characters from all walks of life who use this popular means of transport in a poetic snapshot of Bangladeshi society.

A Film by Kamar Ahmad Simon

A poetic snapshot of Bangladeshi society on the 100-year-old steamboat, The Rocket.

Day After...

What planet will we leave to future generations and what can we do today to make sure that our legacy is a good one? Six scientists and philosophers offer their visions of the present and the future in a thought-provoking film essay.

What Future Generations Will Think of Us

What planet will we leave behind us and how will future generations look back on us?

Who We Were

Ex-footballer turned anti-poverty activist Neven Subotić had the world at his feet. But it wasn't enough. He knew something was missing and turned to books to help him find meaning in his life. What he read changed his outlook, his way of thinking, and his future. 

In the Words of Ex-Footballer Neven Subotic

Ex-footballer turned anti-poverty activist Neven Subotić discusses the books that changed his life.

The Book That Changed My Life

For decades, the middle classes were what held post-war Europe together. Confidence in the Republic and its values was a given for the French middle classes who saw the state as a force for good and believed in social mobility. That all changed with the Yellow Vest movement (2018-2019) which saw angry protests against the government. This documentary follows participants in this movement.

For decades, the middle classes were what held post-war France together.  But that all changed with the Yellow Vest movement (2018-2019) which saw angry protests against the government. 

The Working Poor in Revolt

Artist Cláudia Varejão invites the viewer to discover couples of many kinds: Twin sisters, a dog and its master, lovers who look amazingly alike…in a film that sheds light on the fragile balance that connects living beings.

The Fatality of Love

Artist Cláudia Varejão invites the viewer to discover couples of many kinds in a sensitive film about love

Amor Fati

In this episode, Ronja explores what can give us hope for the future even when things seem bleak. At Leopoldplatz, she meets one of the most hopeful people in Berlin: DJ Bombay sells curries from his food truck and is always in a good mood. "I've been through so many crises in my life that nothing can knock me out," he says. Then there's  boxer Mazen, who loses every fight and still goes on. Nun Sister Mechthildis meanwhile is full of hope and happiness, living away from the hustle and bustle of life in her convent.

Don't Lose Hope!

In this episode, Ronja explores what can give us hope for the future even when things seem bleak.

Streetphilosophy

All their lives they have devoted all their energy to take care of their disabled children. But as they grow older, a nagging question arises: who will take care of my child when I am gone? The film follows parents in their decision to live and grow old together with their children in a unique institution, while preparing for their eventual separation.

All their lives they have devoted all their energy to take care of their disabled children. But as they grow older, a nagging question arises: who will take care of my child when I am gone? 

What Will Happen to My Child?

Switching viewpoints

An exclusive investigation into the Russian paramilitary organisation Wagner, headed by oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin. 2,500 documents were leaked from Prigozhin’s servers by anti-Putin hackers, shedding light on this secretive group of mercenaries, a key element in the war in Ukraine.

Data Sources

An exclusive investigation into the Russian paramilitary organisation Wagner, headed by oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin. 

The Prigozhin Papers

In March 2021, Sarah Everard was kidnapped, raped and murdered by a police officer on her way home in south London. Women across Britain were horrified. It sparked a national debate on how unsafe women feel in public spaces, and how women can be better protected in future.

Sarah Everard's murder in March 2021 sparked a national debate on how unsafe women feel in public spaces.

Re: Scared of Walking Home Alone

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not a black-and-white issue for everyone and on the global stage, some non-Western countries are being careful not to pick sides. We speak to people inside Ukraine about their experiences of the war and look at how the shockwaves from the conflict have been felt across Europe. 

War in Ukraine / Diplomacy / Resistance through art

Our special episode looks back at a year of war in Ukraine and its impact across Europe.

Thousands of young people join McDonald’s “big family” of employees each year, which the company claims has led it to become France’s leading recruiter. But from behind the scenes of its kitchens, the veil is being lifted. Employees are starting to speak out about the deplorable working conditions, high pressure environment and impossible targets they face.
This documentary series by France.tv Slash is part of The European Collection, a joint initiative of European public media (ARD, ARTE, France Télévisions, SRG SSR and ZDF), coordinated by ARTE.

A journalist goes undercover in McDonald’s kitchens to lift the veil on the working conditions of France’s leading recruiter.

My job at McDonald’s

Re: Bunker Boom

Romania has greater gas resources than most European countries. With its unexploited Black Sea gas reserves, it could theoretically free itself from gas imports and start supplying neighbouring countries. But Romanian legislation is not favourable to development. Even so, an oil rig has been built of the Romanian coast which has been extracting natural gas since June 2022.

A Boon for Romania?

Could Romania's Black Sea gas fields be the answer to Europe's energy problems?

Re: Black Sea Gas

Bullfighting is one of Spain's most emblematic traditions, but it has been losing ground for several years now due to environmental movements and a society increasingly sensitive to animal welfare.

Re: Spaniards Turn Against Bullfighting

The UK and the EU reach a new agreement on Northern Ireland and a focus on how bad fast fashion is for the environment, plus literary Tiktok,

Since the right to an abortion was revoked by the US supreme court in June 2022, abortions have been banned in Alabama. Six months late ARTE reports from the conservative southern state where women face the difficult decision of leaving the state of keeping unwanted pregnancies.

USA: Abortion in Alabama

Since the right to an abortion was revoked by the US supreme court in June 2022, abortions have been banned in Alabama. ARTE reports from the conservative southern state.

A natural disaster is now turning into a humanitarian one, and the international community has been criticised for being slow to send aid to Syria. We also report on homelessness across Europe, and hear from women living on the street. Our culture pick this week is the new Johannes Vermeer exhibition in Amsterdam – a showstopper that’s already broken ticket records.

Earthquake / Homelessness / Johannes Vermeer

The earthquake death toll continues to rise, and we look at how homelessness varies across the EU.

A young Russian filmmaker, opposed to the war in Ukraine, films in secret from inside Russia. Her film provides a rarely seen picture of small-town Russia and how ordinary citizens view the war in Ukraine and the current situation in Russia.

A young Russian filmmaker, opposed to the war in Ukraine, films in secret from inside Russia. 

Russia: A Year of War

In August 2022, a painting with the French title "Théâtre d'opéra spatial"  won first prize at the Colorado State Fair. It caused a stir as it was created using AI software. The World in Images analyses the issue of authorship of the work with its creator Jason Allen and art historian Paul Ardenne.

Artworks and Artificial Intelligence

In August 2022, a painting made with AI software won first prize at the Colorado State Fair.

The World in Images

After a year of conflict in Ukraine, Mapping the World leaves the studio to visit the Baltic, a cold sea that is heating up with NATO-Russian tensions. Emilie Aubry goes aboard a French navy frigate to understand the challenges of this geostrategically important region.

24 Hours in the Baltic

After a year of conflict in Ukraine, Mapping the World leaves the studio to visit the Baltic, a cold sea that is heating up with NATO-Russian tensions.

Working her way out of poverty as a sex worker all while supporting her family in Romania. That’s Andrada’s goal. She speaks confidently and openly about her work in a red-light district in Germany’s Ruhr region.  
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.

Portrait of a sex worker in the Ruhr region, Germany.  

Hard Life – I sell sex for money

For nearly six decades, retiree Willie Daly has been helping single people find their soulmate in rural Ireland. Every September, he is the star of the Matchmaking Festival held in his village of Lisdoonvarna where people come from far and wide to look for love.

Rural Ireland's alternative to dating apps is the Matchmaking Festival in Lisdoonvarna, Europe's largest.

Re: Irelands Answer to Tinder

Most popular

A year on from Donald Trump’s inauguration as president, ARTE Reportage returns to Upper Cumberland, Tennessee. In these rural white communities where poverty is widespread, many voted for Trump. Do they still support him? 

USA: Back to Trump Country

ARTE Reportage returns to the Republican stronghold of Upper Cumberland, Tennessee. Do they still support Trump?

Arte Reportage

In the Cameroonian forest international aid organisations such as WWF seem to prefer to protect animals rather than indigenous peoples.

Cameroon: The Green Terror

In the Cameroonian forest international organisations prefer to protect animals rather than indigenous peoples.

18 years after American troops first arrived in Afghanistan, the United States has announced their withdrawal. Can the Afghan forces keep the Taliban at bay without help from NATO?

Afghanistan: After the American Withdrawal

It has been two years since ISIS were defeated in Mosul, their former stronghold. The widows and children of ISIS members are now unwanted in the city. Without official papers they cannot move freely through the city and fear for the future.

Iraq: Ghosts of Mosul

The Israeli ambulance service is unique in the world. Nowhere else are there so many volunteers. They work hand in hand with qualified first aiders, like Ayrin Kabha, a Muslim who leads a team of Jewish volunteers. In this team, they have overcome the divisions that plague the country.

The Israeli ambulance service is unique in the world. Nowhere else are there so many volunteers. 

Re: Emergency in Tel Aviv

13 men and women tell their stories as their faces are studied by the camera, reminiscent of landscapes. Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ling-liang offers us a delicate, unedited work accompanied by the music of Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.

A Film by Tsai Ming-liang

13 men and women tell their stories as their faces are studied by the camera, reminiscent of landscapes. 

Your Face

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were once little-known countries nestled away in northeastern Europe, but they now have a front row seat to the invasion of Ukraine. Former members of the Soviet Union and neighbours of Russia, they see the war as a threat to their own security. They fear that they'll be next.

Baltic States: On the Edge of War

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania view the Ukraine war as a threat to their own security.

Turkey is a pivotal country at the crossroads of Europe, Russia, the Caucasus and the Middle East. Being at the centre of so many worlds is both a blessing and a curse for Ankara, automatically making it a key player in regional geopolitics whether it would wish to be or not. It's a complex chessboard which Recep Tayyip Erdogan knows how to navigate with skill.

Turkish Geopolitics

Turkey is a pivotal country at the crossroads of Europe, Russia, the Caucasus and the Middle East.