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Investigative documentary series, geopolitical analysis, and international commentary

Politics and society

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The Turow open cast mine in Poland, lying on the border with Germany and the Czech Republic, is threatened with closure. The Poles want to keep the mine open to protect local jobs whereas the neighbouring Czech and German towns and villages worry how the huge coal mine is affecting the groundwater and their houses.

The Turow open cast mine in Poland, lying on the border with Germany and the Czech Republic, is threatened with closure.

Re: Trouble in Turow

Current Highlights

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How do our neighbours in Europe view the pressing social issues of our time? What issues are they concerned with? Five partners, five languages and one joint project: The European Collection. As part of this project, ARTE, ARD, ZDF, France Télévisions and SRG SSR offer a joint selection of documentaries, reports and web formats on current issues in European politics and society.

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

The European Collection

The Brazilian president is criticised for many policies: Gun control, Amazon deforestation, policies against minorities, as well as his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. A focus on Bolsonaro’s Brazil, a divided country.

A focus on Bolsonaro’s Brazil, a divided country.

Bolsonaro's Brazil

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

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

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Playlists

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Cars and trains on the ground and planes overhead: Humans are always making noise and in cities it can be unbearable causing stress and insomnia. But there are solutions to drive down the decibels in urban areas.

Too much noise in cities can cause stress and insomnia. But there are solutions to drive down the decibels in urban areas.

Re: How to Reduce Noise in Cities

Annabel Thomas is the first woman to run a whisky distillery in Scotland. What's more, it is the only distillery that strives to be fully organic and climate neutral with a zero waste policy.

A New Path for Scotch

Re: First Lady of Whisky

650 billion dollars in remittances are sent home by diaspora communities around the world every year. For countries like Ghana, this is an enormous boost to the economy and is vital for individuals such as Linda, who is supported by her parents who live in Germany.

Family as Social Security

650 billion dollars in remittances are sent home by diaspora communities around the world every year.

Re: Sending Money Home

With nearly 500,000 deaths from Covid-19, India is one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic. The second wave that swept through the subcontinent in Spring 2021 destroyed entire families and is estimated to have left behind more than 100,000 orphans.

ARTE Reportage

The second wave swept through India in Spring 2021 and is estimated to have left behind more than 100,000 orphans.

India: Covid Orphans

Alexis Fleming lives surrounded by more than a hundred animals: goats, sheep, pigs, and chickens. They've all been rescued from the slaughterhouse. To accommodate them, she set up a farm animal hospice on the Scottish coast. At 40, suffering from an incurable disease, she sees her farm as a place full of life where death is not a taboo subject.

A Scottish Animal Hospice

Alexis Fleming runs an animal hospice where death is not a taboo subject

Re: For the Love of Animals

In northwest Albania Afghan refugees have been welcomed not in an overcrowded camp surrounded by barbed wire but in luxury hotels by the beach.

Albania: A Refugee Paradise?

Investigation and reports

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ERB Event Zone

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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From the North Sea to the Black Sea, the Rhine and the Danube form a link across Europe. Mapping the World navigates the history of the two longest rivers of the European Union.

Mapping the World

Rhine and Danube: Two Rivers, Two Europes

Iraq in 2022: Will the emerging nation succeed in resisting foreign influence and from Iran in particular? What does the future hold for the Kurdish autonomous region? And will the USA ever really leave?

Iraq in 2022: Will the emerging nation succeed in resisting influence from foreign powers, and from Iran in particular? 

Iraq - A Sovereign Country?

Compared to neighboring Mali, Senegal appears to be quiet and stable. France, a former colonial power, maintains its place as its main partner, but others are now vying for a spot at the table: China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Indonesia and the United States.

France, a former colonial power, is Senegal's main partner, but others are now vying for a spot at the table

Senegal and France: Allies?

How we represent our world in maps depends on our perspective. For many centuries Europeans have put their continent in the centre and on top of their maps, the Chinese likewise placed the Middle Kingdom in the centre of things. What do our maps tell us about our worldview?

What do our maps tell us about our worldview?

Cartography: How We Represent the World

Amongst the millions of species of insect on the planet, the bee plays a crucial role in human civilisation. A focus on how bees have spread around the world with globalisation and how they are now critically endangered.

 A focus on how bees have spread around the world with globalisation and how they are now critically endangered.

Bees and Agriculture

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

Insights

Kids

Switching viewpoints

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Behind his polite exterior lies a formidable leader with a ruthless character, ready to do anything to make China the world's leading power by the People’s Republic’s centenary in 2049. This well-documented portrait of the Chinese president gives an unprecedented insight into his politics and shows how Xi Jinping's personal journey has shaped his choices as he steers China towards world domination.

A portrait of the Chinese president giving an unprecedented insight into his politics and showing how Xi Jinping's personal journey has shaped his choices as he steers China towards world domination.

The New World of Xi Jinping

Meet two of Poland's oldest hippies: Juliusz (92) and Krystof (77) have been living on the shores of Lake Solina, in almost total isolation and surrounded by nature and animals, for decades. But life in the middle of nowhere is increasingly hard on their aging bodies. 

Meet two of Poland's oldest hippies: Juliusz (92) and Krystof (77)

Re: An Unconventional Retirement

A region of Europe with a shared experience of communism and USSR dominance, Eastern Europe today is characterised by nations with diverse cultural and political identities.

How many Eastern Europes?

Researcher Natalia Romik is looking for the secret hiding places of Warsaw where Jewish people hid to avoid deportation. She discovers the stories of survivors, hidden in old oak trees or cemeteries, doing what they can to stay alive.

Secret Hiding Places of the Warsaw Ghetto

Re: Surviving the Holocaust

The Indian state of Sikkim has banned pesticides completely, allowing only organic farming. The results: healthy food and healthy soils.

India: Sikkim - A Green New World

Vadum Minsyuk and Yuri Andreyev fled the war in eastern Ukraine in 2014. In search of a new beginning, they decided to start a new life in the Chernobyl region, close to the exclusion zone from the 1986 nuclear disaster. The dangers of radiation are better than the rockets of war.

Vadum Minsyuk and Yuri Andreyev fled the war in eastern Ukraine to start a new life in the Chernobyl region,  The dangers of radiation are better than the rockets of war for them.

Re: New Beginning in Chernobyl

Every year around 8,000 ethnic Germans from Russia emigrate to Germany, like the Kotchevnikov family from near Kaliningrad. Fitting in is not always easy for these Germans who may not speak the language.

Migrating to your Own Country

Every year around 8,000 ethnic Germans from Russia emigrate to Germany, like the Kotchevnikov family from near Kaliningrad.

Re: Russian Germans

Many countries in the Middle East do not allow civil marriage which means that mixed-faith couples cannot easily marry. But just 30 minutes’ flight from Lebanon and Israel lies Cyprus where foreigners can easily tie the knot.

Many countries in the Middle East do not allow civil marriage which means that mixed-faith couples cannot easily marry. Nearby Cyprus has become a centre for foreigners wanting to tie the knot.

Cyprus: Forbidden Love Island

The second wave that swept through the subcontinent in Spring 2021 is estimated to have left behind more than 100,000 orphans.

In Northern Ireland tensions are high as the realities of Brexit and the Northern Ireland protocol become apparent. ARTE meets members of the loyalist community leading up to 12 July, Orangemen’s Day.

Tensions in Northern Ireland

Re: A Brexit Powder Keg

Fawzia Koofi is an extraordinary woman: the only female party leader in Afghanistan and also the country's first female MP. Since the Taliban's return to power, she has been forced to continue her fight for women’s rights in exile.

Since the Taliban's return to power, Fawzia Koofi has been forced to continue her fight for women’s rights in exile.

A Feminist and the Taliban

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.

Children in Nigeria who are accused of being witches are cast out into the streets, where they are easy targets for predators

Nigeria: The Plight of the Witch Children

The history of Europe since the end of the Second World War cannot be properly understood without taking into account immigration. Within countries, between European countries as well as from outside Europe, immigration has always been a hot topic.

A History of Immigration in Europe

For a decade now Ukrainian women have been paid to carry other people’s babies. For childless couples in Europe, these surrogate mothers represent their last hope for parenthood.

Re: Surrogate Mothers in Ukraine

For centuries Europeans have put their continent in the centre of their maps, the Chinese likewise placed the Middle Kingdom in the centre of things. What do our maps tell us about our worldview?

Hemp is now used for everything: ointments, infusions and even natural concrete. In the south of France, Vincent Lartizien is making sustainable clothing out of this wonderplant.

Hemp is now used for everything: ointments, infusions and even natural concrete. In the south of France, Vincent Lartizien is making sustainable clothing out of this wonder plant.

Re: The Wonder of Hemp

“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

One year on from the devastating explosion in the port of Beirut, the families of the victims are struggling to find out the truth and seek justice. The Lebanese government had promised an urgent investigation, but the official version of events satisfies no one: According to the authorities, the ammonium nitrate that caused the blast entered the port by mistake after a ship was damaged off the Lebanese coast and an accident in a warehouse caused the explosion.

One year on from the devastating explosion in the port of Beirut, the families of the victims are struggling to find out the truth and seek justice.

Lebanon: Whose Fault Was the Beirut Explosion?

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Polish doctor Anna Borkowska did not expect to be attacked when she volunteered at the Belarusian border where hundreds of migrants are caught in the forest in freezing temperatures. Together with her colleagues from the Medycy na Granicy organisation, Dr Borkowska tries to help them. But as soon as the volunteers arrived at the border, their cars were vandalised.

Polish doctor Anna Borkowska did not expect to be attacked when she volunteered at the Belarusian border where hundreds of migrants are caught in the forest in freezing temperatures. 

Re: Migrants on Poland’s Eastern Border

Gabon: 2016. As the presidential campaign is in full swing in Libreville, a young boxer tries to make his way in the world. A subtle film showing the tensions in Gabonese society through the life-experience of an ordinary man.

Boxing Libreville

Fifteen years ago, Gabrielle was called Bruno. She was a married man, father of two children, and unhappy. After her divorce, the transition from "him" to "her" was painful. From administrative procedures in hormonal treatments and surgery, Gabrielle has shaped her body into the person she knew she always was.

Fifteen years ago, Gabrielle was called Bruno. After her divorce, the transition from "him" to "her" was painful

Gabrielle, or the Angel's Leap

Three decades after the collapse of the USSR, its legacy can be seen everywhere in the new nations that gained independence in 1991. From the Baltic states to the republics of central Asia, which states have succeeded in breaking free in the post-soviet era? And which remain tethered to Moscow?

30 Years after the Collapse of the USSR

Three decades after the collapse of the USSR, its legacy can be seen everywhere in the new nations that gained independence in 1991.

Legacy of a Superpower

A third of Europeans live in economic insecurity: Zero hours contracts, the fear of redundancy and stagnating wages have brought more and more people into poverty and precariousness and provided fertile conditions for the political extremes. With contributions from geographer Christophe Guilluy, economist Guy Standing, and from people struggling to make ends meet across Europe, this documentary focuses on the new working poor, the precariat.

When Work Doesn’t Pay

The Precariat Society

In Germany, a quarter of 18-24 year olds are at risk of poverty, making them the most vulnerable age group. The pandemic has made accessing education and getting a decent job more difficult. Focus on four young people in Germany: Aicha, Laura, Johannes and Ceyda.

The pandemic has made accessing education and getting a decent job more difficult. Focus on four young Germans in difficulty: Aicha, Laura, Johannes and Ceyda.

Re: Young and Poor in Germany

In Sweden the supreme court has granted to the Sami people exclusive fishing and hunting rights in reindeer-herding areas. A victory for an ancient indigenous people is a scandal for many Swedish hunters as the decision revives old tension in Swedish far north.

The Sami and the Swedish State

In Sweden the supreme court has granted to the Sami people exclusive fishing and hunting rights in in reindeer-herding areas. A victory for an ancient indigenous people is a scandal for many Swedish hunters as the decision revives old tension in Swedish far north.

Re: Hunting in the Arctic Circle

Khartoum, autumn 2021: The Sudanese capital has been in turmoil since General Burhan ousted the civilian government in a coup. Sara, 23, a leftist student, has participated in all the struggles of the Sudanese revolution.

Khartoum, autumn 2021: The Sudanese capital has been in turmoil since General Burhan ousted the civilian government in a coup. 

Sudan: Women in Revolt

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This documentary is a patchwork of material that gives insight into the mind of filmmaker, poet, and writer Thomas Brasch, who died twenty years ago. Material from his personal video diary, spliced with filmed interviews and archive footage of his plays, add up to a portrait of a Brasch who is strange, creative, and challenging.

This documentary is a patchwork of material that gives insight into the mind of filmmaker Thomas Brasch

BRASCH: Fear and Desire

Volunteers have come from all over Germany to the island of Rugen on the North Sea. There they are spending their holidays doing back-breaking work to rebuild the natural swamp habitat. The effort is worth it: Swamps and bogs store even more carbon than trees.

Taking Action on Climate

On the island of Rugen in the North Sea volunteers are taking back-breaking work to rebuild the natural swamp habitat.

Re: Swamp Builders

The high waters that flooded Venice in November 2019 were the worst since the terrible floods of 1966 and damage to Venice's rich cultural heritage was considerable. With sea levels rising due to climate change, many are pessimistic about the vulnerable lagoon city's prospects. Can Venice survive?

Re: Can Venice Be Saved from the Waves?

On one side is President Maduro, supported by Iran, Cuba, Russia and Turkey. On the other side is Juan Guaidó, self-proclaimed president, recognised by the USA and a majority of EU countries. 

Venezuela in Crisis

Anti-European sentiment is rising in Italy as some Italians feel that Brussels has not done enough to help with the coronavirus pandemic. Matteo Brandi talks of an Italexit whereas others support Italy’s place in the European Union.

Re: Anti-European Feeling in Italy

Poland has recently tightened its abortion laws: It was already difficult to have an abortion in Poland, now it is almost impossible. When Inga’s foetus presented abnormalities, she had to leave the country for a termination.  

Re: Polish Women Fight for Abortion Rights

The Ambulance Wish Foundation, based in Rotterdam, fulfils last wishes of terminally ill patients. 270 medically trained volunteers take patients by ambulance to the zoo, on boat cruises and to important family occasions.

Medically trained volunteers take patients by ambulance to the zoo, on boat cruises and to important family occasions to fulfill their last wishes.

Re: The Dutch Ambulance Wish Foundation

Since 2012 Islamist extremists have been in control of northern Mali, taking advantage of an uprising by Tuareg separatists and the weakness of the Bamako government. A report on how local armed forces are fighting terrorism in the sparsely populated and politically fragile Sahel region.

Since 2012 Islamist extremists have been in control of northern Mali, taking advantage of an uprising by Tuareg separatists and the weakness of the Bamako government.

Mali: On the Jihadi Frontline

Brazil’s military public schools are a stronghold of support for recently elected president Jair Bolsonaro, himself a military man. Support for the 1964-1985 dictatorship is not uncommon in these establishments where an atmosphere of strict obedience and order reigns.

Brazil: Bolsonaro’s Little Soldiers

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.

Freedom of Expression in Danger in Spain

 A look at freedom of expression in Spain which is number one in the world for the number of artists in prison.