Startups are using AI to create avatars that allow relatives to talk with their loved ones after they have died. An exploration of a profound human desire and the consequences of turning the dream of immortality into a product.

A Thai conservationist takes on the powerful tourist industry to rescue abused elephants.

In 2019, Union Berlin was promoted to the Bundesliga. Four years later, the traditional East German club qualifies for the Champions League and achieves something that few would have thought possible. Despite all the euphoria over the triumph, the pressure to remain strong in sporting and economic terms also increased, as did the fear of falling into a conflict of identity between tradition and change. The fact that the soccer underdog from Köpenick still manages to retain its magic is primarily down to the people who work behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly and enthusiastically. Always at their side: a loyal fan base that is prepared to follow their club's path unconditionally. Hendel follows the team behind Union for almost two years, right up to their entry into the top flight, and takes a unique, particularly personal and authentic look behind the scenes of the club.

“I'm still a Trump girl” is written on Sharon Anderson's shirt. The 67-year-old is traveling all over the USA to support her idol Donald Trump. With Trump as president, she felt “safer” and more “respected” in the world. She is adamant that the 2020 election was stolen, even though there is no proof or evidence of this. If Donald Trump is not elected president this year, she wants to “try to right a wrong,” by whatever means. It seems as if this election campaign cannot end peacefully. While incumbent President Joe Biden justifies his re-candidacy at the age of 81 with the need to save democracy in the USA, ex-President Donald Trump, who is only slightly younger, says he will be a dictator for a day after his re-election. Probably to change the decisions of the past few years, including support for the West. What the hell is going on in the USA?

This year marks the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s iconic Eurovision victory, a milestone that calls for a celebratory cinematic tribute fitting for the ultimate pop band. ‘ABBA: Against the Odds’ unveils the epic journey of ABBA’s rise to global fame. Starting with the moment they won Eurovision, it tells the story of how they overcame critical backlash, societal attitudes and marital break-up to deliver their ground-breaking music and prove themselves as a live act.

The documentary follows the trail of fruit and vegetables from the shopping cart back to various cultivation areas throughout Europe. The entire supply chain is revealed via a system that includes the inhumane exploitation of harvest workers and agricultural businesses. The aggressive pricing policy of the supermarket groups, their "lowest price promise", has established a modern form of slavery in Europe.

Gerd Meineke is a committed member of the Bundestag and member of the Parliamentary Assembly in the Council of Europe. And he has a problem: Leyla, the daughter of his partner Alina, was taken into custody as an opposition figure in her country of origin, Azerbaijan. The blogger fights there for democracy and against environmental destruction. Gerd travels to Baku as an election observer for the Council of Europe, where he wants to campaign for the release of Leyla and other political prisoners. Only on site does he realize that the government and the lobbyists of influential companies are using politicians like him to gain credibility for the ruthless, environmentally destructive extraction of critical raw materials. Leyla and her friend Valentina open his eyes to the extent of corruption that does not stop at Western European politicians. Will Gerd, together with Leyla and the help of her friend, be able to make the corruption of politics public?

The right-wing extremist German party AfD believes it will be at the gates of power in 2024. With a view to the federal state elections this year, people are dreaming of absolute majorities and of a Prime Minister Björn Höcke in Thuringia. In view of current survey results, this is by no means an unrealistic scenario. But what would a country led by a right-wing extremist party specifically mean for democracy, human rights and social justice in Germany? Sure: the future cannot be predicted – or can it? The makers of the documentary dare to experiment and use artificial intelligence to ask what the future would look like under an AfD-led government. This much can be revealed: the answers paint an extremely bleak picture. MONITOR research shows that the fiction of AI is no longer that far removed from reality!

The student Jan gets along better with animals than with people. The shy young man is particularly fond of snakes, some of which he keeps at home. The two fall in love when he meets the radical animal rights activist and environmental activist Alice at his university. Jan's life then begins to change suddenly. He is overwhelmed by his intense feelings and social life with Alice. From then on his perception begins to become distorted. Jan feels like she has to take active action against various threats. Although Alice supports him, he loses himself in his madness and love for her.

Bettina and Martin meet again, one year later on New Year's Eve. This time, they are trapped in the backroom of Moosbach's sports hall since Martin risks being beat up once he comes out.

"Bad Woman Blues - Beth Hart" celebrates the music and voice of a woman who enriches rock and blues with emotion, authenticity, and honesty.

What happens to the food we digest after it leaves our body? Is it waste that is thrown away or a resource that can be reused? In search of answers, director Rubén Abruña embarks on an investigative and entertaining search through 16 cities on four continents. He follows the trail of feces from the long sewers of Paris to a huge sewage treatment plant in Chicago.

Hardly any other game has been as fervently debated as "Cyberpunk 2077". It came out late, was hardly playable on some consoles, and the designers received death threads afterwards. Now they are planning their comeback: with "Phantom Liberty". Once again, superstar Keanu Reeves is in the game - and Hollywood icon Idris Elba. "Inside the Game" follows the designers of CD Projekt Red not only at their workspace in Warsaw, but also during the first presentations of the demo version in Los Angeles and Cologne.