Sasha Skochilenko is an artist from St. Petersburg, Russia. She was the first to speak out against the 'special military operation' in Ukraine: she changed the price tags in a supermarket and put information about the war on them. Now Sasha is in prison, facing trial. Through the eyes of her friends Sonia and Lesha we witness the ongoing trial up close, exposing the absurdities and inhumanity of the Russian legal system, and the threats that the group of friends who support Sasha encounter in daily life. Over 18 months they await the final verdict. In November 2023, Sasha is sentenced to another 7 years imprisonment for her artistic rebellion.
With Nelson Mandela freed from prison, South Africa is changing fast - but big challenges lie ahead. In the township of Soweto children have taken charge of their schools, trading formal (albeit poorly-funded) education for incitement of rebellion against the injustices between the black and the white populations.
UNHCR struggles to assist 200,000 Lebanese made homeless by explosion. The Beirut port explosion was captured by countless phone cameras. Piecing together the footage the tragic story is told of a city torn apart in seconds, through the eyes of those affected.
For the first time ever, and for during several weeks, the coroner's department (Los Angeles' forensic department), opened up the doors of its autopsy rooms. The USA forensic scientist, much popularised by Dr Scarpetta's investigations in the books by Patricia Cornwell, is totally independent from the law and from the police and is, therefore, eminently credible and respected. Patrick Bourrat and Jean-Michel Destang followed the 'death detectives', otherwise known as the coroner's investigators, at work in the city's streets. They filmed the autopsies of victims of a violent death, the starting point for any criminal investigation. Los Angeles' coroner, made famous by his autopsies on Marilyn Monroe, Robert Kennedy and Nicole Brown, girlfriend to O.J. Simpson, is the best witness to urban violence. Nearly 1600 of the murder victims, that passed through the L.A.'s coroner's hands last year, were minors, often gang members.
This documentary focuses on a group of women artists, photographers, musicians and actresses who express their hopes in the Arab Spring of 2011 through their crafts. Not only do we get a look at modern day Cairo, Egypt, we also examine the challenges women face there.
When Reza is jailed on drug charges under mysterious circumstances, his wife is forced to uproot the lives of their four children. Under Iran’s strict drug laws, Reza faces execution if convicted—a harsh sentence made harsher still by the overwhelming economic and emotional toll it takes on his family. With the future uncertain and nowhere to go, Reza’s family members find themselves at the mercy of actions taken far out of their control.
One woman's unshakable connection to the JFK assassination continues to haunt her fifty years later.
Ryanair were the pioneers of low cost flying, taking on the old state-sponsored monoliths of aviation through aggressive cost-cutting and sharp advertising, bringing easy air travel to a whole new demographic. For the first time this shocking documentary brings you testimony from Ryanair pilots as they speak out about the cost-cutting measures endangering lives.
A documentary about modern consumerist culture. Evolution and psychology underpin a narrative of our times, constantly locating man at its centre with an unhealthy dose of pathos. Fantastic 20th century archive and interviews.
The use of kidnapped children as fighters was a systematic practice by the South African-backed Renamo army. We follow Julio Bombi’s journey to be re-united with his mother. Renamo kidnapped up to 100,000 children, and they became the most feared soldiers of all. When parents find their long-lost children, these hardened young assassins bear little resemblance to the children they lost.
The Olim - Soviet Jews who opted to go to Israel - are committing suicide in their promised land.
Eugene de Kock, nicknamed "Prime Evil," was South Africa's most notorious government assassin under the apartheid regime. A highly decorated and powerful man, he led police death squads against enemies of the state; his victims were mainly connected with the ANC. The film includes interviews with torture victims and with friends of de Kock.
From the sheep dogs of Sardinia, to the strays fighting for survival on the streets of Bucharest, a filmmaker immerses himself in the daily lives of dogs. With astonishing intimacy, we witness first-hand the struggles for dominance, the politics of the pack and the cycle of life and death. Intimate and absorbing, this documentary presents man's best friend as you've never seen him before.
A report following the dramatic events of the Sandline affair, which resulted in the resignation of Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Sir Julius Chan.
Filmed just before the First Gulf War, it depicts a prosperous and sophisticated society in which every aspect of life is coloured by 'love' for the 'Great Leader'. Darkly ironic, this film captures the surreal and Orwellian nature of life under Saddam Hussein. In a country which today has lost even its most basic services, the testimony of this vanquished middle-class and the prosperity of their society resonates on many levels.
Uber is among the most recognisable brands in the world. It has become embedded in our language and has revolutionised the way we get from A to B. Over the past nine years, the edgy digital disruptor has upended an entire industry business model and made ride sharing cool. But Uber's ride to success has been far from smooth. How did the ruthless app giant outwit regulators and crush its competitors?
This film looks back at Algeria's past, covering its fight for independence and its subsequent fight against itself, being one of the few films to capture civil war Algeria and its inhabitants on camera. The filmmakers talk to politicians from both sides, past revolutionaries, and most importantly civilians, whose lives were torn apart by the conflict.
From formidable opponent to laughing stock in the space of two short years: this is the story of Brexit Britain as told by the European politicians tasked with negotiating an exit deal. With exclusive access to the European parliament’s Brexit Steering Group, this revelatory fly on the wall documentary captures the internal workings of European negotiators as they deal with an increasingly beleaguered Britain. As Europe contends with a decidedly un-United Kingdom, the austere corridors and dim-lit offices of Brussels become the stage for a human drama of epic proportions; a fractured tale that is by turns exasperating, tragic and hilarious.
Marc Hauser is a visionary. Or is he mad? A record-holding skydiver, Hauser has a grand ambition: to become the first man to jump into a hurricane force jet stream at over 8,000 meters. A big risk, but with potentially huge rewards. Hauser wants to show the power of the jet stream as an energy source, which he believes could solve the global energy crisis. As Hauser's preparations take shape, the scale of his challenge becomes clear.