DW Documentaries
Season 2020
TV-PG
Exciting stories on a wide variety of topics from around the globe: DW brings viewers background reports from the worlds of politics, business, science, culture, nature, history, lifestyle and sport.
Where to Watch Season 2020
107 Episodes
- Mega Yachts: The Latest Craze for BillionairesE1
Mega Yachts: The Latest Craze for BillionairesThe largest private yacht in the world is the 180 meter-long Azzam, owned by the Emir of Abu Dhabi. Arab sheikhs, Russian oligarchs and American billionaires are battling to own the most luxurious and most expensive ship. - 1979 - The Big Bang that created today's world (2)E7
1979 - The Big Bang that created today's world (2)1979 was a year that shapes our world even today. That was when three fundamental forces - the collapse of communism, neoliberalism, and politicized and radicalized religion, fused into a single potent force. - Bohemian Switzerland by RailE9
Bohemian Switzerland by RailA train journey through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains between Germany and the Czech Republic. Peculiar rock formations and the river Elbe shape this beautiful region. Since the mid 19th century, a railway line has been meandering through its valleys. - Violinist Gidon Kremer - Finding his own wayE11
Violinist Gidon Kremer - Finding his own wayMusician, orchestra founder, artistic activist and intellectual: Violinist Gidon Kremer is one of the most exciting artists of our age. This film follows Kremer on tour around the world for a year and looks back on important stages in his life. - Displaced: Oil and Ruin - The Venezuelan ExodusE13
Displaced: Oil and Ruin - The Venezuelan ExodusVenezuela is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Hunger is widespread and there is a severe shortage of medicines. The UN estimates that more than four million people have now fled what was once South America's richest nation. - Displaced - The Exodus of Ghana's farmersE15
Displaced - The Exodus of Ghana's farmersWhat do tomatoes have to do with mass migration? Tomatoes are a poker chip in global trade policies. Subsidized products from the EU, China and elsewhere are sold at dumping prices, destroying markets and livelihoods in Africa in the process. - Victim of Auschwitz Twin ExperimentsE17
Victim of Auschwitz Twin ExperimentsEva Mozes Kor was experimented on as one of Dr. Josef Mengele's twins at Auschwitz. After decades of anguish, she decided to forgive the Nazis - and came to be one of the best-known and most-active Holocaust survivors in the world. - Goodbye Yellow Sea, Hello Black ForestE21
Goodbye Yellow Sea, Hello Black ForestXu Qing is training as a geriatric nurse in the Black Forest. The 23 year old Chinese woman encounters people in the last stages of their lives, a stern boss and endless sausage sandwiches. The film follows her through three eventful years. - Flying over the Atlantic - transatlantic flightsE22
Flying over the Atlantic - transatlantic flightsThe first successful transatlantic flight in 1919 was a milestone for mankind. This film tells the stories of the people who dared to undertake the dangerous journey. Discover the records and setbacks in this exciting chapter of aviation history. Ever since the invention of aircraft, pilots have dreamed of flying across the Atlantic non-stop. Daring men and women risked their lives in pursuit of this goal. Then, just 100 years ago, the first transatlantic flight succeeded. The story began in 1918. The British Newspaper ‘Daily Mail’ announced a 10,000 pound prize for the "aviator who shall first cross the Atlantic in an aeroplane in flight from any point in the US, Canada or Newfoundland to any point in Great Britain or Ireland in 72 continuous hours." In 1919, four teams would attempt the crossing from Newfoundland. They were all unemployed fighter pilots. Only two succeeded — John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown. On 15 June 1919, the two men wrote aviation history when they landed in Ireland in a modified bi-plane bomber. But their glory was short-lived. In the 1920s, several other attempts and records followed. Perhaps the most famous was made in 1928 by the two Germans Hermann Köhl and Ehrenfried Freiherr Günther von Hünefeld, and the Irishman James Fitzmaurice. The three men were scheduled to land in New York, and thousands gathered to watch their arrival. But flight conditions were treacherous. Köhl would later describe dramatic scenes when the engine stuttered, storms and fog, hunger and cold, and fear of being lost forever. In the end, the team missed their destination in New York. But they managed an emergency landing on Greenly Island. With that, they had successfully touched down on North American soil, making them the first to complete an east-west non-stop transatlantic flight. The film relays personal stories of courage and determination, from heroes and pioneers who changed the face of travel forever. - Former IS Fighters in the PhilippinesE23
Former IS Fighters in the PhilippinesMuslim separatists in the Philippines took control of the city of Marawi and held it for five months in 2017. The army of the mainly Christian country fought hard to oust them. Now, former Islamic State fighters are recanting. - The Red Children - Childhood under MaoE26
The Red Children - Childhood under MaoHundreds of foreigners were involved in Mao's Cultural Revolution. Their children were raised as young communists. But as the class struggle in China escalated, the "Great Helmsman" started to question their unwavering loyalty to the "New China." - Italy’s Little Criminals - Saving Kids from the MafiaE28
Italy’s Little Criminals - Saving Kids from the MafiaYouth gangs are committing more and more brutal assaults in Italian cities. Known as "baby gangs,” the groups rob people on the streets, deal drugs, and beat up the homeless. Many end up in the Mafia. - The Dresden Legend - The Firestorm’s Long ShadowE31
The Dresden Legend - The Firestorm’s Long ShadowMore than half-a-million people were killed in Allied air raids during the Second World War. The missions targeted more than 100 German cities - but none of them have achieved such tragic fame as Dresden. - Atatürk: The Father of Modern TurkeyE33
Atatürk: The Father of Modern TurkeyMustafa Kemal Atatürk was a revolutionary and the founder of modern Turkey. A brilliant military strategist, a womanizer and a popular educator who changed the face of Turkey, he was one of the most fascinating personalities of his time. - Lead in the Blood - The Fatal Consequences of South America's Commodities BoomE38
Lead in the Blood - The Fatal Consequences of South America's Commodities BoomHuge quantities of raw materials are needed for mobile phones, copper pipes or wind turbines. Things that we Europeans naturally use are produced in South America under the harshest conditions. It's a filthy business. - After the Ice - What will Happen to the Arctic?E40
After the Ice - What will Happen to the Arctic?Climate change in the Arctic is fueling not only fear, but also hope. Sea levels will rise and flood many regions. But the melting ice will also expose new land with reserves of oil, gas and minerals. New sea routes are also emerging. - Leonora - How a Father lost his Daughter to Islamic StateE46
Leonora - How a Father lost his Daughter to Islamic StateA father fights to save his daughter who has run off to join the terror organization Islamic State. For four long years Maik Messing doesn’t know if she will survive the ordeal. And for those same four years he was joined by a camera Team. - Marvel - Empire of SuperheroesE48
Marvel - Empire of SuperheroesToday, Marvel is one of the world’s best-known players in the comic industry. Spider Man and X-Man are just two of its popular superheroes. Thirty years ago, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. How did Marvel make it back to the top? - Myanmar and the Rohingya - Murder by Design?E54
Myanmar and the Rohingya - Murder by Design?More than 700 thousand Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh. Their villages were torched, civilians attacked, raped and massacred. A pattern of systematic persecution that the UN says is genocide. - World War Two - The Final MonthsE55
World War Two - The Final MonthsSpring 1945: The Second World War was in its final phase. The Nazis were still pursuing their delusional goal of ultimate victory, unscrupulously sending the youngest of conscripts to the front. But the end of the war was already in sight. - When the Rain Stops FallingE56
When the Rain Stops FallingThe growing scarcity of water and rain on earth is a grave danger to humans and nature. Climate change is altering the precipitation cycle. Groundwater levels are falling. If humans don’t change course, water shortage could end life as we know it. - Big Money - Big Fraud: The Story of a German ConmanE57
Big Money - Big Fraud: The Story of a German ConmanIt was one of the biggest white-collar scams in German history. In the 1990s, Manfred Schmider and his company FlowTex took investors for more than two billion euros. Today, the conman himself can’t believe how easy it was to get away with a major fraud. - Operation Kony - A US Crusade in AfricaE58
Operation Kony - A US Crusade in AfricaCan a video trigger a war in Africa? This documentary investigates a controversial 2012 charity film that went viral, and asks whether the video and US-led hunt for Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony served as a cover for US military operations in Africa. - Putin's Pride – Cossasks and the ChurchE59
Putin's Pride – Cossasks and the ChurchRussia – a global power, confident and strong. That’s the image projected by President Vladimir Putin. Decades after the Soviet Union’s collapse, Putin is relying on Russian traditions and values from the tsarist past to kindle patriotism. - A Poisoned Legacy - The Bhopal DisasterE61
A Poisoned Legacy - The Bhopal DisasterThe world’s worst industrial disaster continues to claim new generations of victims. The 1984 leak at a chemical plant in the Indian city of Bhopal released a cloud of deadly gas that killed thousands. The site remains toxic to this day. - Renegade in a Cassock - Father Ángel and His Open ChurchE62
Renegade in a Cassock - Father Ángel and His Open ChurchMany Spaniards perceive the Catholic Church as old-fashioned. A priest in Madrid is trying to change that by leading a modern, inclusive congregation ready to receive anyone 24 hours a day. - Stolen Children - The Kidnapping Campaign of Nazi GermanyE68
Stolen Children - The Kidnapping Campaign of Nazi GermanyOn orders from Heinrich Himmler, the Nazis abducted children from Poland for forced Germanization. Hermann Lüdeking, Jozef Sowa and Alodia Witaszek have never met, but they shared the same fate. - The Death of Adolf Hitler - The History of a State SecretE69
The Death of Adolf Hitler - The History of a State SecretAs the Red Army closed in on Berlin on April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his bunker. But legends about the Nazi dictator's lived on. Was his body ever found? Did he manage to escape? - Corona DiariesE75
Corona DiariesPeople from all over the world have been describing the drastic impact of the corona pandemic: The empty streets outside their homes, their fears and daily routines, the news, the regulations, the newly discovered sense of community as well as the small moments of hope. - Zero Tolerance - The Philippines: In the sights of ISE77
Zero Tolerance - The Philippines: In the sights of ISIs the so-called "Islamic State" aiming to use the Philippines as its bridgehead in Asia? IS took control of the predominantly Muslim city of Marawi in 2017, and it took the Filipino army five months to take it back. - Zero Tolerance: Indonesia - Diversity under ThreatE78
Zero Tolerance: Indonesia - Diversity under ThreatFor a long time Indonesia was considered a model state for diversity and tolerance. There have been increasing indications that radical Muslims are gaining more influence in the most populous Muslim country in the world. - 66 Meters - Rising Sea LevelsE83
66 Meters - Rising Sea LevelsHow high will the oceans rise due to climate change? The projections are the subject of dispute, with scientists continually correcting their estimates upward. Is this just panic-mongering or are these scenarios within the realm of possibility? - GSG 9 - Germany’s counterterrorism unitE84
GSG 9 - Germany’s counterterrorism unitThe GSG 9 is the German police’s elite tactical unit. It’s their job to take on dangerous terrorists and criminal mafias in the country. But who are the officers who make up the force? An exclusive look behind the scenes of Germany’s top police squad. - Beyond the Music - The Barenboim-Said AcademyE85
Beyond the Music - The Barenboim-Said AcademyThe Barenboim-Said Academy brings together young musicians from around the Middle East. Daniel Barenboim wants the experiment to be a protected place for intercultural dialogue between Jews, Muslims and Christians, away from war and daily hardship. - The Cleaners - Social media’s shadow industry, Part 2E86
The Cleaners - Social media’s shadow industry, Part 2Manila is home to a gigantic shadow industry of digital cleaning. It employs tens of thousands of people working 10-hour shifts for the big Silicon Valley corporations, deleting offensive photos and videos from social media sites. - Wartime Rape - The Unspoken WeaponE87
Wartime Rape - The Unspoken WeaponSexual violence and mass rape have long been used as a weapon of war. It is not only the victims and survivors who suffer trauma - an entire generation of men, women and children are affected. All too often, the perpetrators remain unpunished. - Morocco’s Endangered Oases - Climate Change in the DesertE93
Morocco’s Endangered Oases - Climate Change in the DesertClimate change is leaving its mark on Morocco’s oases, too. Sandstorms are becoming more and more frequent, groundwater levels are sinking and palm trees are shrivelling up and dying. An age-old way of life is in danger. - The Faroes - Solitary Islands and Lonely HeartsE103
The Faroes - Solitary Islands and Lonely HeartsAround 50 thousand people live on the Faroe Islands. But too many of them are men. Faroese women go abroad to study. Many don’t return. Men stay behind to live off the sea. Now the islands are enjoying a growing influx of women from the Philippines. - The Pope and Hitler: Opening the Secret Files on Pius XII
E104The Pope and Hitler: Opening the Secret Files on Pius XIIThe Vatican opened once-secret records on Pope Pius XII on March 2020. This gave researchers a brand new insight into the Catholic Church during the Nazi era. What did the Pope know about the Holocaust? - The Third Reich in the Dock: The First Nuremburg Trial
E105The Third Reich in the Dock: The First Nuremburg TrialThe Nuremberg trials started 75 years ago and marked a milestone in the establishment of international law. The images of high-ranking Nazis in the dock are seared into our collective memory. The Nuremberg trials were a series of military tribunals staged by the Allies after World War Two. The first and best-known trial ended in October 1946 with the sentencing to death of 12 high-ranking Nazis. Adolf Hitler’s right-hand man, Hermann Göring, Germany’s foreign minister during the Nazi regime, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Armaments Minister and chief architect Albert Speer, anti-Semitic demagogue Julius Streicher and high-ranking SS officer Ernst Kaltenbrunner were among those in the dock. The court met for the first time in Nuremberg in November 1945 and was in session for 218 days. Flash-Galerie Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse By making the Nazi elite answer for their crimes in this hugely complex trial, the Allies ushered in the era of modern international law. Using photos and archive film material, the documentary reconstructs what went on in the court room, as well as revealing what went on behind the scenes. - The Untold Story of Otto Warmbier
E106The Untold Story of Otto WarmbierUS student Otto Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years in a North Korean labor camp in 2016. Warmbier was released the following year, but he died of brain damage shortly after his return to the United States. Was he really the victim of torture? - Plagues and Pestilence: How Pandemics Change the WorldE107
Plagues and Pestilence: How Pandemics Change the WorldCOVID-19 is far from the first pandemic to wreak havoc in the world. A long line of infectious diseases have devastated and in some cases destroyed entire societies. Almost all of them started in animals and made the jump to humans.