Transgender in Pakistan | DW Documentary

Apr 12, 2023 | Sunny is a trans person living in Pakistan. She begs in order to survive. Others get by as sex workers or dancers.

Trans people in Pakistan are frequently cast out by their families and live in poverty. They can find safe spaces and a new family in special centers. Here, they do not have to hide and discover that they are not alone in their fight for survival and recognition in Pakistan’s conservative society. Only around 10 thousand people of Pakistan’s population of 220 million are officially counted as members of the “third gender,” yet it’s estimated that the true figure may be as high as 300 thousand.

The German Pope - Benedict XVI | DW Documentary

Dec 31, 2022 | In memoriam Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

On 19 April 2005 Joseph Ratzinger was elected head of the Roman Catholic Church. He took the name Benedict XVI. Critics saw him as the embodiment of emotionless dogma; supporters viewed him as guardian of the true faith.

Benedict XVI. was the first German Pope for almost 500 years and only the second Pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church to resign voluntarily. Even as a young theologian, Ratzinger, born on 16 April 1927 in the Bavarian village of Marktl am Inn, soon carved out a reputation as an outstanding scholar. He initially espoused progressive positions within the church and during the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), tackled the matter of how the life of the church might be directed in the 20th century and beyond.

But at the latest in 1981, when Pope John Paul II. appointed him head of the Catholic Church’s spiritual watchdog, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he began to see himself as guardian of the church’s treasury of faith. As Pope, he denounced the ‘Marxist tendencies’ of the teachings of liberation theology in Latin America and Asia. He demanded the strict separation of church and politics. As pontifex maximus, he saw himself as less of a bridge-builder and more of a guardian of the truth. Time and time again, Pope Benedict XVI. had to respond in the name of the Catholic Church to allegations of abuse leveled at Catholic clergy. During the concluding mass of the International Year for Priests at the Vatican, the Pope issued a public apology. He remained in his post at the helm of the Holy See for eight years. But then, in the year 2013, he suddenly tendered his resignation. He felt his strengths were dwindling and "no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry”. The abdication of Benedict XVI. was the first voluntary resignation of a Pope for more than 700 years. But even in the wake of his retirement, he was haunted by the scandalous conduct of Catholic clerics. An independent report concluded that during his tenure as the Archbishop of Munich, Benedict had known about allegations of sexual misconduct against pastors in his diocese.

This documentary looks at the background to this event, which was highly significant in terms of both world and church politics and gives an insight into the life of the former theology professor, bishop and head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

[This documentary was originally released in 2013 and has since been updated.]

The Rise of Vladimir Putin | DW Documentary

Dec 23, 2022 | This documentary looks at the rise of Vladimir Putin using video material never shown before. The film begins its examination with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the year 2000.

On December 31, 1999, Russian President Boris Yeltsin announced his resignation. At the time, filmmaker Vitali Manski was working for a state broadcaster and had unlimited access to the outgoing president, his successor and the inner circles of the Russian leadership. Manski recorded video as a cameraman, but also used his own portable camera to film events. He was with Yeltsin and his family as they followed the results of the election on March 26, 2000, when 53 percent of the voters confirmed Putin as President of the Russian Federation. Manski recorded other milestones as well, including confidential chats in the Kremlin that reveal Putin’s attitudes towards power and leadership. Manski now lives in exile in Riga, Latvia. Watch the documentary to see the film’s central characters, Boris Yeltsin, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Vladimir Putin, and other influential politicians and businessmen as they witness their country in transition.

[This documentary was produced in 2018 and originally released in 2019.]

What Does It Mean to Have Children as a Gay Couple? | DW Documentary

Dec 17, 2022 | What does it mean to have children as a gay couple? Four couples talk about the challenges and joys that have accompanied their journey to having a family. Among them are the famous ballet dancer John Lam and his husband John Ruggieri.

The classic image of the family is undergoing a fundamental transformation, with more and more same-sex couples fulfilling their dream of having children of their own. For this documentary, four LGBTQ couples were accompanied over several years. The film was shot in the US, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. The couples, among them the famous ballet dancer John Lam and his husband John Ruggieri, talk openly and movingly about how the desire for a family developed, their struggles on the way to attaining family happiness, and what everyday life with their children is like today.

Russian Deserters in Georgia | DW Documentary

Nov 28, 2022 | In September 2022, Russian President Putin ordered a partial mobilization to deploy more soldiers to Ukraine. But many Russians defied that order and fled the country – as many as half a million to date.

Some 100,000 Russian deserters have fled to Georgia so far. The nation maintains very close, but also rather strained relations with its neighbor - after all the most recent war with Russia wasn’t that long ago. Just how welcome are the deserting Russians? How are they faring in a foreign country after an often-risky journey out of Russia? How are they getting along with the Ukrainian refugees also accepted in large numbers by Georgia? DW reporter Oxana Evdokimova reports from the Georgian capital Tbilisi.

The Maestro and the Cellist of Auschwitz | DW Documentary

Nov 9, 2022 | Why was classical music so important to Hitler and Goebbels? The stories of Jewish cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who survived Auschwitz, and of star conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler, who worked with the Nazis, provide insight.

The film centers around two people who represent musical culture during the Third Reich - albeit in very different ways. Wilhelm Furtwängler was a star conductor; Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, the cellist of the infamous Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz. Both shared a love for the classical German music.

The world-famous conductor made a pact with Hitler and his henchmen. The young woman, brought to Auschwitz for being Jewish, was spared death for her musical talent. While Furtwängler decided to stay in Germany and make a deal with the devil, Lasker-Wallfisch struggled to survive the brutality of the death camp, with a cello as her only defense. Why did gifted artists like Furtwängler make a pact with evil? Why was classical music played in extermination camps? And how did this change the way victims saw music?

German music was used to justify the powerful position the Third Reich claimed in the world, and to distract listeners from Nazi crimes. In addition to Beethoven, Bach and Brucker, Richard Wagner was highly valued, because he was Hitler’s personal favorite. Hitler understood the power of music, and his chief propagandist Joseph Goebbels was in charge of music in the Nazi-controlled state.

This music documentary by Christian Berger features interviews with musicians like Daniel Barenboim and Christian Thielemann; the children of Wilhelm Furtwängler; and of course 97-year-old survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch. Her memories are chilling. Archive film footage, restored and colorized, brings the story to life, and bears witness to an agonizing chapter in history.

Morocco: Sights Set on Progress - Mediterranean Journey | DW Documentary

Oct 30, 2022 | At the end of their Mediterranean journey, Sineb El Masrar shows Jaafar Abdul Karim her parents’ country. In Morocco, the two visit Tangier’s souk and its old city, with its view across the strait of Gibraltar to Europe.

Sineb then travels on alone. She meets an animal rights activist, helps out in a women's cooperative and hears the famous female "Hadra" singers in Chefchaouen, known as "The Blue City". After securing the right to sing in public, they have made female Sufi chanting famous far beyond Morocco’s borders.

Again and again, Sineb finds evidence that Morocco has its sights set on progress. The kingdom is undertaking an energy revolution, aiming to generate more than 50 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. For now, the Moroccan-made electric car is still a test project. But engineer Kawtar Benabdelaziz sees e-mobility as the future -- and not just in her own country. Back in Tangier, Sineb and Jaafar look back on their travels around the Mediterranean. One thing is clear: its coastline contains multitudes. With its distinctive mix of European, Arabic and African communities, the Mediterranean’s richness lies in its diversity.

Cuba: High Prices, Lines and Shortages | DW Documentary

Oct 22, 2022 | In Cuba, the socialist project begun by revolutionary hero and former president Fidel Castro is teetering on the verge of failure. The nation is sinking deeper into crisis, with many people’s daily lives marred by shortages of food, medicine and electricity.

Cuba has been subject to sanctions for decades. Despite recent attempts at reform, the country is increasingly isolated and economically dependent. A currency reform enacted in 2021 is also causing major problems, with inflation soaring and prices skyrocketing. Food is scarce, and lines in front of the few state-run stores are getting longer and longer.

Poverty is on the rise. Even the famous ingenuity of the Cuban people is reaching its limits as they try to cope with the day-to-day effects of the crisis. Images of bygone revolutionaries are fading in the streets the capital, Havana, and all over the island. Official voices continue to broadcast the state’s ideology, but ordinary people are losing hope that things will improve.

Putin's Craving for Power | DW Documentary

Oct 27, 2022 | On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an all-out attack on Ukraine. While Putin spuriously claimed that the country must be "denazified," the attack is in fact part of the Russian leader’s attempt to return to the days of Russian empire. …

How Our Brain Judges People in a Split Second | DW Documentary

Oct 26, 2022 | Friend or foe? In a fraction of a second, our brain forms an impression of a person based on their facial expressions and voice. And artificial intelligence is getting better and better at interpreting human emotions.

Faces and voices are the first impressions we get of people we don’t know. In less than half a second, we decide whether we like or trust a person, and how intelligent we think they are. That’s thanks to the astonishing processing power of our brains. We learn to read facial expressions as babies, and as we grow older we continue to interpret emotions according to facial expressions. The voice also plays a crucial role: speed, syntax, tone, and phonetics all provide information about what a person is feeling.

But we are not the only ones who can decipher human emotions. Artificial intelligence technology is also learning to read faces and voices. A photo or a spoken sentence is usually enough to get information about identity, health, emotions and even personality. And the internet has become a vast and ever-growing database of faces and voices. Based on the sound of a voice, artificial intelligence can now detect whether a person suffers from Parkinson's, depression or even Covid-19. In this documentary, international experts offer insight into the latest science, illuminating how our brains work -- and the potential of artificial intelligence.

Between Hitler and Hollywood - Leni Riefenstahl and Arnold Fanck | DW Documentary

Leni Riefenstahl was one of the most controversial artists of the 20th century. Her mentor, Arnold Fanck, was a German film pioneer of the 20s, now largely forgotten. In May, 1932, the two set off together on a five-month filming trip to Greenland.

They were there to make the first ever German-American feature film, the extremely expensive "S.O.S. Eisberg." At the time, it was the riskiest film project ever attempted. Annette Baumeister's current-day documentary is based on spectacular footage from the life-threatening production. Baumeister explores the passionate relationship between Fanck and Riefenstahl, and examines just how closely intertwined the two filmmakers’ careers were. While Fanck’s star waned after "S.O.S. Eisberg," Riefenstahl went on to a superstar career under the Nazis. Did this cold and calculated success come at the expense of her one-time mentor?

The documentary shows excerpts from Fanck's and Riefenstahl's greatest films, including "The White Hell of Pitz Palu" (1929) and "Storm Over Mont Blanc" (1930). Reinhold Messner, Willy Bogner and Matthias Fanck, Fanck's grandson, are all interviewed. Among other things, they speak about the groundbreaking innovations of Fanck's so-called mountain films.

The film also reexamines the work and life of Leni Riefenstahl from a modern perspective. And this deconstruction of the Riefenstahl myth also serves as an overdue tribute to Fanck, a largely forgotten cinema pioneer.

More Life-decoding the Secret of Aging | DW Documentary

May 28, 2022 Can the aging process be reversed - or even halted, altogether? If we manage to decode this final mystery of our human biology, we might soon be able to eradicate age-related illnesses like cancer, dementia and heart problems.

The race to invent the miracle pill is well underway. Today, international researchers are getting astonishingly close to realizing humanity’s dream of immortality.

The hunt for immortality gained traction with the discovery of Costa Rica’s so-called "Blue Zone,” by Luis Rosero-Bixby. In the "Blue Zone,” on the Nicoya Peninsular, he found a remarkable number of centenarians. Here, male life expectancy is the highest in the world. Their healthy lifestyle is one factor, but the promise of longevity is probably also because their telomeres - sections of DNA found at the end of chromosomes - are longer than those of the average person.

It’s a field of research currently being explored by Maria Blasco in Madrid. But this is just one of many possible factors influencing the process of aging. Senescent cells may also play a key role. Also known as "zombie cells”, these attack our body in old age and flood it with alarm signals until, at some point, we collapse under their weight. That’s a theory proposed by another researcher in Spain, Manuel Serrano.

A billion-dollar industry is already knocking impatiently at the lab doors. The first to market the miracle pill is guaranteed incredible wealth. That’s why investors are sponsoring young bio-startups in Hong Kong. Keen not be left out, US Big Tech is vying for the world’s best scientists. Alex Zhavoronkov has secured a slice of that pie, with a cash injection of more than 250 million dollars for his company’s work on aging research.

Whereas some pioneers’ visions burst like bubbles, others rush to get other, rather more dubious products onto the market. But their efficacy is now measurable. The epigenetic clock devised by Steve Horvath can measure our biological age, regardless of our actual age in years.

With his research on the thymus gland, California’s Greg Fahy managed to not only decelerate the aging process, but reverse it. His initial study on humans showed that a particular drug cocktail took an average two-and-a-half years off their age.

Young biohackers like Nina Khera from Boston want everyone to benefit from this research. Together with friends, she’s working on the "epigenetic clock for all”.

But while we’re busy trying to counter the aging process and all the illnesses it entails, fundamental questions arise: Should we be messing with nature like this? Are we about to overwhelm the planet with more and more people? Criminal biologist Mark Benecke in Cologne says that these questions are coming far too late.

Floods, Dought and the Consequences of Extreme Weather | DW Documentary

Lebanon: A Cultural Melting Pot - Mediterranean Journey | DW Documentary

Aug 14, 2022 Six million people live in the cultural melting pot that is Lebanon. Muslims and Christians coexist here, although not always without conflict. Journalist Jaafar Abdul Karim shows colleague Sineb El Masrar the nation where he grew up.

For our 10-part series, Sineb El Marar and Jaafar Abdul Karim toured 10 nations in two years. Some of these countries underwent political and economic upheaval during this period. One of these was Lebanon, the homeland of Jaafar Abdul Karim.

In the first episode of "Mediterranean Journey”, the presenter invites his colleague Sineb El Masrar to the Beirut studio where he records his program "Jaafar Talk". He takes Sineb along on a tour of the city. It is a place that still bears the scars of civil war: Christians against Palestinians, both of these groups against Arab nationalists and all of them against Israel. The journey continues to the north of the country to Tripoli, where Jaafar meets the activist Lea Baroudi, initiator of the reconciliation project "March”.

Jaafar spends the night at the eco-lodge "Beit Al Batroun", not far from Byblos. The small estate is a slice of heaven; a dream realized for owner Colette Kahil. Back in Beirut, Jaafar meets the journalist Joumana Haddad, who runs support groups addressing the societal taboo of homosexuality.

He also meets with Zeina Hawa from the initiative "Chain Effect". She and her fellow cyclists are campaigning to make the Lebanese capital better for bikes. Together with Sineb, Jaafar explores Beirut on two wheels. The next stop on his trip is the Beqaa Valley, where he meets Syrian refugee women making clothes for the fair-trade project "Master Peace”.

Climate Change: Europe's First Heat Officer | DW Documentary

Aug 8, 2022 Eleni Myrivili has the mammoth task of ensuring the survival of Athens. As the city's newly appointed "chief heat officer," she is working on ways to prepare the Greek capital for the consequences of climate change. That's no small feat: The city has 3 million residents — and is almost unbearable in summer.

One possible solution to the heat problem dates all the way back to antiquity: Hadrian's Aqueduct, a subterranean tunnel constructed under Roman rule stretches nearly 20 kilometers (12 miles) under Athens. Water from this tunnel will be used to irrigate parks across the city, creating a cool green corridor. But Eleni Myrivili's tasks are not limited to city planning. She is also responsible for providing emergency aid for people directly affected by the heat. Despite the ever-worsening situation, she has observed a worrying trend: Many people in Athens still accept the heat and climate change as fate. Can Myrivili change people's perceptions? A report by Gunnar Köhne.

Salman Rushdie - Writing under Death Threats | DW Documentary

Aug 15, 2022 In 1988, Salman Rushdie’s novel "The Satanic Verses” was published. A year later, Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a "fatwah,” or death sentence, against the British-Indian author. Now, Rushdie was critically injured after being attacked at a reading.

For more than a decade, the author was a fugitive. He had to go into hiding, was under police protection, and had constantly changing identities and homes. The reason was the order to kill Rushdie by Ayatollah Khomeini that came after the publication of his novel, The Satanic Verses. Khomeini declared the work blasphemous, and Rushdie a heretic. At the time, Islamic fundamentalism and its violent and deadly consequences were not on the agenda yet. Rushdie lived in constant fear and survived 20 attempts on his life.

The film is a portrait of a man who uses calmness and humor as weapons of resistance. The portrait includes interviews with Rushdie and also features archive footage that show the violent reaction and mood after The Satanic Verses was published. They show how pop singer Cat Stevens called for Rushdie’s execution - which Cat Stevens would later deny. The film also draws attention to those who should have protected Rushdie, but abandoned him - from Jimmy Carter to Prince Charles. But there are examples of instant support too, like Isabelle Adjani, who read from The Satanic Verses at the César award ceremony. In New York, the author looks back on his life and his most famous novel, which has lost none of its importance. He speaks about his life, his childhood in Mumbai, Donald Trump and literature, of course.

The Fight for Water | DW Documentary | Part 1

Aug 10, 2022 Climate change is causing temperatures to rise. Extreme weather events and droughts are increasing. Springs and wells are drying up. And everyone needs more water. The battles for control over precious water reserves have begun.

In some countries, water has always been available in abundance - and is wasted carelessly every day. But the climate crisis is changing that. Because the climate is warming, everyone needs more water than ever: for drinking, agriculture and industry. Water is the new gold.

In many countries, the distribution battles for precious water reserves have already begun. In Mendocino, California, there is no longer enough water to flush the toilets. And in Germany, regional drinking water supplies collapse in hot weather. Groundwater levels have dropped to record lows in many places. Will we still have enough drinking water in the future? What happens when our water disappears?

Lebanon: An Economic Crisis and the Aftermath of the Beirut Port Explosion | DW Documentary

Aug 4, 2022 Lebanon is now going through the worst economic crisis in its history. 80 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. In one year, food prices have jumped 500 per cent due to galloping inflation.

Lebanon was long regarded as the Switzerland of the Middle East. But those days are gone. A series of crises have plunged the nation into the abyss. And its people are suffering.

For Riad, who runs a grocery store in the suburbs of Beirut, business has become hellish. Every morning, calculator in hand, he changes the labels of his products according to the day’s exchange rate. An operation made all the more complex by the fact that his store is plunged into darkness, due to a lack of electricity. The Lebanese government no longer provides more than two hours of electricity per day in the country. It is impossible for the population to heat, light or use their refrigerators. Taking advantage of the situation, a network of private generators has emerged.

The Lebanese pound, the local currency, has lost 90 per cent of its value. The only people unaffected are those paid in dollars. The greenback, which can be exchanged for a small fortune against the local currency, has created a new privileged social class in the country. A salesman in an international pharmaceutical company, Joseph lives like a king in a ruined Lebanon. Thanks to his new purchasing power, he repaid his mortgage in two months, instead of... twenty years!

In a bankrupt state, plagued by corruption, six out of ten Lebanese now dream of leaving the country. In Tripoli, in northern Lebanon, Mohammed and his son set out for Germany by sea. Even though the trip was cut short off the Turkish coast, the young father is still ready to take all possible risks to reach the European Eldorado.

Diabetes - A Lucrative Disease | DW Documentary

Jul 7, 2022 In our modern consumer society, Type 2 diabetes has become a widespread disease. Companies are developing drugs that are increasingly expensive, but not necessarily more effective. Health authorities are powerless.

Diabetes is spreading rapidly, all over the world. The disease destroys lives and puts a strain on public budgets. The UN is calling on governments to take action.

Diabetes is proof that modern societies are incapable of adequately treating chronic disease. It affects around 430 million people worldwide, with two main metabolic disorders falling under the name diabetes. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease that must be treated with lifelong doses of insulin, while type 2 can develop when a person’s diet is too high in fat and sugar and they do not engage in enough physical activity.

With turnover of $46 billion, diabetes is a massive and extremely lucrative market. Constantly promised miracle cures have not led to satisfactory treatment, with patients either taking too many drugs or no longer being able to afford them. It’s a desperate situation, and the only ones benefiting seem to be pharmaceutical companies.

A medical focus on blood glucose levels has led to an overreliance on medication, sometimes without due concern for dangerous side effects. Patients become trapped in a cycle of treatment, which in many cases still does not halt the disease’s progression. This can lead to amputations, blindness and heart attacks.

And yet there are alternatives that could flatten the curve of the type 2 diabetes epidemic, while reducing health care spending. Improved diet can be a preventative measure, and a strict adherence to diet can also bring about remission in the case of Type 2 diabetes.

But these solutions require effort, as well as a complete rethinking of chronic disease management. Filmed on three continents, this documentary features industry whistleblowers, patients, researchers and medical professionals. It also confronts pharmaceutical companies about their responsibility for the situation.

Faith, Power, Manipulation: The Secrets of the Opus Dei Sect | DW Documentary

Jun 30, 2022 For many critics, the arch-conservative Catholic community Opus Dei is a diabolical sect. However, Opus Dei (which translates to "Work of God”) sees itself in a very positive light. Even today, it’s very difficult to look into the inner world of the sect.

That's because its 90,000 members worldwide have taken a vow of secrecy - and those who have left report persecution if they break that vow. Meanwhile, Opus Dei is working to become the most influential player in the Catholic Church. To this end, it maintains a secret network - including branches in Germany.

It is no coincidence that the German headquarters are located in Cologne - Germany‘s most powerful Catholic archdiocese. In Germany, Opus Dei is focused on trying to gain a foothold in the field of education, by running daycare centers and schools.

The examination of a daycare center in Munich shows that Opus Dei deliberately conceals its involvement in these institutions. Another component of the network is IESE, the business school of Opus Dei, which also has an offshoot in Germany. It is considered one of the best schools of its kind in the world.

In Spain, where Opus Dei originated, sect members are active in parts of the judicial and educational sectors. The documentary tries to uncover these connections in both Spain and Germany, and lets both victims and experts have their say. It also includes an interview with the head of Opus Dei, Christoph Bockamp.

For the first time, a former member from Germany reports on her ordeal in Opus Dei and the harassment she experienced after she broke away from the sect. Spaniard Carmen Charo developed mental health problems during her time in Opus Dei, due to brainwashing and psychological pressure. Today, she helps others in their journey out of Opus Dei. Dietmar Scharmitzer is trying to do the same thing with German-speaking people who want to leave, and runs an Internet platform to help inform them. Finally, Marco Politi, an author and Vatican expert from Rome, takes stock of the influence Opus Dei has exerted since the time of Pope John Paul II.