Info et société | ARTE

Aktuelles und Gesellschaft | ARTE

Politics and society | ARTE

Política y sociedad | ARTE

Polityka i społeczeństwo | ARTE

Politica e società | ARTE

Investigative documentary series, geopolitical analysis, and international commentary

Politics and society

highlights_category

Cameroon, a Central African country of 27 million inhabitants, has been spared the worst of the coronavirus crisis. It's only had around 100,000 cases and less than 2000 deaths. That's an incidence rate 50 times lower than that of European countries. But herbal homemade 'remedies' to covid have flourished. 

ARTE Reportage

Herbal homemade 'remedies' to covid have flourished in Cameroon

Cameroon: Anti-Covid Witches

Current Highlights

collections

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

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

Collections

playlists

Playlists

highlights_subcategory

Thousands of British Jews have German ancestors who fled to Britain to escape Nazi persecution. According to the German constitution, these descendants can ‘reclaim’ their German citizenship; Since Brexit, many have taken the step to apply.

London's Jewish Community and Brexit

Thousands of British Jews have German ancestors who fled to Britain to escape Nazi persecution. According to the German constitution, these descendants can ‘reclaim’ their German citizenship.

Re: Emigrating to Germany?

Some people in Britain have decided to forego modern comforts in order to keep their carbon footprint as low as possible. They are living off-grid for the climate.

Some people in Britain have decided to forego modern comforts in order to keep their carbon footprint as low as possible.

Living Off-Grid for the Climate UK

From her remodelled ambulance, Jenny is a vet to the homeless of Berlin. Treating their dogs allows her to connect with vulnerable people and try and help them to take control of their lives.

Berlin's Mobile Vet

Lots of cars, little greenery and hardly any meeting places: locals have started to shun city centres that no longer serve their needs. How can we ensure that urban centers become alive and livable again? More and more municipalities are laying the foundations for a social city, respectful of people and the environment.

How can we ensure that urban centers become alive and livable again?

Re: Rethinking Urban Spaces

Almost 10 years ago, Turkey opened its doors wide to more than 3 million Syrian refugees. But for those Afghans who fled the Taliban to power this summer and are trying to cross into Turkey, the welcome couldn't be more different.

After Turkey welcomed more than 3 million Syrian refugees, Afghans are not welcome

Turkey: Afghan Refugees Not Welcome

Every year Israel builds more and more road infrastructure in the occupied West Bank, encouraging new settlements to house the overspill from the crowded urban centres of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. But where is the space for a Palestinian state?

Every year Israel builds more and more road infrastructure in the occupied West Bank, encouraging new settlements to house the overspill from the crowded urban centres of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. 

Israel: Making (In)Roads into the West Bank

Investigation and reports

74e3110a-1bee-41db-b2c8-9ec5e88f7d99

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 our partner broadcasters from across the continent to give you a European perspective on current affairs.

A European Perspective

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

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.

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

banner_1

Category Banner (ACT)

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.

Mapping the World

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

Bees and Agriculture

It was long thought that women in Islamic State were victims, forced to obey their husbands. But this idea is simplistic. Those who agreed to speak on camera were fully integrated into the terror regime giving a shocking insight into how it worked. These women are now mostly in hiding and are trying to forget their painful and often shameful pasts.

It was long thought that women in Islamic State were victims, forced to obey their husbands. But this documentary tells a different story.

The Women of Daesh

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

Insights

Kids

Ghofrane was a lifelong victim of racial discrimination. Now she's a political activist in Tunisia, determined to put an end to racism in her country. In 2019 she was a candidate for the Tahya Tounes party. The film accompanies her in her political endeavors, while also revealing the private and vulnerable side of the self-confident young woman.

Ghofrane was a lifelong victim of racism. Now she's a political activist in Tunisia, determined to stop it

She Had a Dream

Casey, the new flatmate, was everything Alessandro was not. He was energetic, adventurous and charismatic. Alessandro started to document this strange creature with his video camera, so different from himself. They were in their early twenties and living in Rome...every experience together felt new and exciting. But when Casey moved to the Middle East to work as a TV journalist, Alessandro's world was opened up even more.
Drawn from 15 years of footage, The Things We Keep is an intimate look at friendship, a celebration of people's common humanity and an invitation to break out of one’s comfort zone.

Drawn from 15 years of footage, The Things We Keep is an intimate look at friendship and an invitation to break out of one’s comfort zone.

The Things We Keep

Thirty years ago, filmmaker Philippe de Pierpont met six children living on the streets in Burundi. He vowed to film them at key stages in their lives, for the rest of their lives. Today, he reunites with them for the fourth time: they are aged forty and only three of them are still alive.

Thirty years ago, filmmaker Philippe de Pierpont met six children living on the streets in Burundi. He vowed to film them at key stages in their lives, for the rest of their lives.

In Another Life

The RER B is a train that traverses the Paris region from north to south. Multi-award-winning documentary filmmaker Alice Diop follows the train line taking us through these suburban spaces and confronts us with some of the people and stories that constitute them. This documentary is a moving testament to the importance of film for remembrance and bearing witness as well as a patchwork portrait of a modern nation.

A Film by Alice Diop

Filmmaker Alice Diop follows the suburban train line that traverses Paris from north to south creating a patchwork portrait of a modern nation.

The pandemic, the climate emergency ... Everything seems extremely fragile at the moment. But is it possible to grow with crises? If so, what is the key? How can adaptability and courage make you more resilient?

Streetphilosophy

The solution to having your plans upset? Don't make plans

Be Antifragile!

The number of billionaires in the world has rocketed over the last forty years. Many of them engage in charity work and philanthropy. But why do the super-rich give their money away? Are rich benefactors truly altruistic? Or are they driven by a thirst for power and influence?
An unprecedented look into the world of extreme wealth following three women billionaires in China, Russia and the United States.

A Contradiction in Terms?

An unprecedented look into the world of rich benefactors following three women billionaires in China, Russia and the United States.

Billionaire Philanthropists

During Ramadan, Jasmine and her husband Said would always spend the evening breaking fast with their friends, family or wider community. But for the second year running, this most important period in the Muslim calendar is a subdued affair. In Turkey, imam Osman Gökrem continues to help the homeless despite the pandemic, and in Paris, student Yasmine sets up a pop-up store selling sweets. 

For the second year running, Ramadan - the most important period in the Muslim calendar - is a subdued affair

Ramadan in Europe

Switching viewpoints

0df030fb-ea29-4459-8c1f-53cf0eafaaa3

Russian communists dream of rising as a credible alternative to Putin and his United Russia party. With 16,000 members today, it is still a long way from its former size before its collapse in 1991. Modern day communists style themselves as the party that denounces social inequalities and Russia's nouveau riche, while renouncing old school communism such as tight economic controls.

Communism in Russia is staging a comeback, as disappointment over Putin's United Russia party grows

Russia: Communist Comeback

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

Mount Etna in Sicily is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, regularly erupting huge amounts of ash. But this does not stop many people from living at the foot of the volcano. Etna makes life difficult for local residents but there are also many advantages, such as fertile soils.

Mount Etna in Sicily is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, regularly erupting huge amounts of ash. But this does not stop many people from living at the foot of the volcano. 

Re: Living next to Etna

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?

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

Whilst in most of Europe violent crime is decreasing, in Sweden gun violence is on the rise. The cause: Gangs of young men from difficult neighbourhoods.

Re: Gang Warfare in Sweden

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 ruling junta renamed Burma Myanmar, claiming it was a way of erasing the country's British colonial past. But the deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi still defends the name Burma. This episode of Mapping the World looks at this ethically diverse country influenced by both India and China.

This episode of Mapping the World looks at this ethically diverse country influenced by both India and China

Myanmar: The Junta and the Democratic Dream

In Siberia Sergey Zimov and his son Nikita are attempting to slow down the melting of the permafrost, which holds huge carbon reserves, by reintroducing large mammals present in the area during the ice age. It is a mammoth project driven by the faith and convictions of a small group of adventurer-researchers.

A documentary by Denis Sneguirev

In Siberia Sergey Zimov and his son Nikita are attempting to slow down the melting of the permafrost by reintroducing large mammals present in the area during the ice age.

Back to the Ice Age - The Zimov Hypothesis

Re: Living Off-Grid for the Climate

The supermarket chains used to seem unbeatable, capturing the lion’s share of the grocery market. But for some years now they have been in crisis. In the wake of a fierce price war, retailers are resorting to increasingly aggressive commercial negotiation methods at the expense of suppliers, farmers and producers.
Further competition is coming from the tech giants as Amazon and Alibaba invest in the food industry. What are the implications of all these changes on working conditions, the quality of our food and the future of our planet?

The model of everything under one roof is looking increasingly strained. What is the future for food retail in the digital age?

Supermarkets: The End of an Empire?

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

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

Re: Berlin's Mobile Vet

A new substance is taking Europe by storm: cannabidiol (or CBD) from the hemp plant. Available as an oil, herbal tea, spray or cream, it is said to have soothing properties and can relieve chronic stress, without making the user high. But what are the real powers of this molecule?

A new substance is taking Europe by storm: cannabidiol (or CBD) from the hemp plant. Available as an oil, herbal tea, spray or cream, it is said to have soothing properties and can relieve stress.

Re: The CBD Revolution

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

Viktoria and Zoltan are in love. They live in Budapest but Viktoria is moving to Berlin for a chance of a better life. Will Zoltan be able to follow her there? The Hungarian couple are one of many that have left Hungary in the last decade.

Hungarians Leaving Home

Viktoria and Zoltan are in love. They live in Budapest but Viktoria is moving to Berlin for a chance of a better life. Will Zoltan be able to follow her there?

Re: One Way Ticket to Berlin

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

Most popular

87b81fb6-d65e-408e-98e1-011d686f1f10

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

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?

The two main cocoa-producing countries - Ivory Coast and Ghana - aren't reaping the rewards of a growing global taste for sweet treats. On the one hand there are multinational corporations that control the entire value chain, on the other, small cocoa producers trying to support their families.

The main cocoa-producing countries - Ivory Coast and Ghana - aren't reaping the rewards of growing global demand

Cacao: Who Profits from Chocolate?

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico is one of the windiest areas in the world. It has become the Eldorado of the large multinational European electricity companies. EDF already owns three wind farms comprising several hundred wind turbines lined up as far as the eye can see. But locals aren't happy.

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec has attracted European electricity multinationals. But locals aren't happy

Mexico: Winds of Anger

In March 2020, the world shuts down. Billions of people were confined to their homes by a virus As it became clear that only a vaccine could stop the pandemic, a race began between the four great powers: the USA, Europe, Russia and China: The first to develop a vaccine would gain significant power in world geopolitics.

Geopolitics in Covid Times

Covid 19 has opened up a new front in the world struggle: Vaccine diplomacy, war by other means.

Vaccine Diplomacy

The pandemic has emptied Germany's North Sea beaches of tourists and led to record births of common and grey seals on Heligoland.

Re: Seal Baby Boom in the North Sea

BirthStrike are a group of activists that are fighting climate change by not having children. A Fridays for Future for thirtysomethings founded by musician Blythe Pepino, they say that they cannot bring life into a world with impending ‘climate breakdown and civilisation collapse’.  

Birthstrike are a group of activists that are fighting climate change by not having children. A Fridays for Future for thirtysomethings founded by musician Blythe Pepino, they say that they cannot bring life into a world with impending ‘climate breakdown and civilisation collapse’.  