The singer Googoosh was a cult figure and pop icon in Iran in the 1960s and 70s who rose to international fame. Put under house arrest after the revolution, her career lay dormant for more than 20 years before her astonishing comeback in 2000. Her moving story makes her a voice of resistance and a symbol of hope.
Whether chickens, sheep or spectacled bears – the 1950s ushered in a unique era for animals in East Germany. The young republic sought not only to shape the ideal socialist citizen but also to integrate animals into its broader vision. As industrial farming became the norm, traditional pets, such as dogs and cats, were dismissed as ‘useless’.
The terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 has changed the world. What are Hamas’ ultimate objectives? Terrorism researchers, ethnologists and witnesses examine the evolution of the “Hamas system”, from its foundation in 1987 to the present day, shedding light on the organisation’s ideological roots and totalitarian ambitions.
Origin follows the rehearsals of a puppet play presented by amateur puppeteers. The film showcases the age-old tradition of puppet-making while addressing the pressing issues of our time – climate change, flight, water shortages – and highlights the personal challenges faced by the puppeteers.
Every autumn, fishermen and women venture into the icy waters off Belgium’s North Sea coast on strong draft horses to fish for shrimp. This cultural practice, over 500 years old, was designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. We follow a group of shrimpers as they go about their daily routines.
Since the summer of 2020, boats sailing along the Atlantic coast from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Bay of Biscay in the north have been repeatedly attacked by orcas. The whales specfically target and destroy the boats’ rudders. Researchers want to understand what drives the orcas. Curiosity? Competition for food? Or is it all a game?
Nothing captivates the diversity of a city’s people and culture as vividly as its underground railway. In Berlin, Prague, Naples, Paris and Vienna, we meet ordinary passengers as well as artists, historians and underground staff. They show us the familiar and beloved, but also the lesser-known and less popular sides of their underground systems.
Detroit in the US Rust Belt and Bochum in Germany’s industrial Ruhr region – as different as these two cities may be, both have been significantly shaped by the automotive industry. Following the end of the industrial age, these regions are undergoing fundamental changes and the people on both sides of the Atlantic are in search of a new identity.
UNESCO is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its World Heritage Convention. The Convention’s mission is to preserve the world’s most beautiful and valuable buildings, cultural landscapes, monuments and areas of natural beauty for future generations. We introduce four World Heritage Sites in Europe: Arles, Aachen Cathedral, Tallinn and the Amalfi Coast.
They are refuges for animals and humans, have aesthetic value and are the source of numerous myths and legends: Europe’s great lakes. From Finland to the Anatolia, we learn more about the special features of European lakes and their importance for the ecosystem. Many of these habitats are at risk. What strategies are there to preserve these bodies of water?
Tensions in the South Pacific are bringing the Philippines back onto the big geopolitical stage. The fact that the island state is riven by major internal political tensions makes the situation even more fragile. What do China and the US hope to achieve and which of the two nations will assert itself in this geopolitical struggle?
