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’.
Petra Kelly was one of the most influential political figures of the 20th century. She fought for a world without weapons and nuclear energy, for a society at one with nature. She was co-founder of Germany’s Green Party – the first green party to find success. In 1992, She was murdered aged just 44. The issues she addressed are today more topical than ever before.
The names of the Stasi’s “informal collaborators” remain protected by laws that prevent their publication. However, in 1992, under extraordinary circumstances, a list of 4,500 names was leaked – anonymously, illegally and with far-reaching consequences. Now, 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the creators of the list have come forward to share their story for the first time in this gripping political thriller.
From Waldorf education and biodynamic agriculture, innovative medical practices and skincare products, to new architectural concepts and belief systems – Rudolf Steiner’s influence is still felt around the world today. 100 years after this death, this film is a compelling and fresh portrayal of the turbulent life of the anthroposophy founder.
May 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the German Wehrmacht’s unconditional surrender. Eight individuals who lived through this period share excerpts from their diaries. They come from diverse social, religious and political backgrounds and offer first-hand insights into their lives between 1933 and 1945.
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.
What was Sweden’s relationship with East Germany? Few people would suspect that close ties existed between the two countries, but they maintained intensive diplomatic relations. This is a film about astonishing collaborations, royal friendships, poignant love stories and unknown destinies after the Iron Curtain divided the world into East and West.
Immanuel Kant was already an important philosopher during his lifetime. Three hundred years after his birth, the film shows for the first time Kant’s close connection to his native Königs-berg, a place he never left. Everything he knew came from books or everyday observations. Using sophisticated animation techniques, the film takes us back to 18th-century Königsberg between Europe and the Russian Empire.
Anti-Semitism is on the rise worldwide, driven to new extremes by the COVID crisis. This film documents the visual roots of this new anti-Semitism, taking a historical look at the visual propaganda of the Nazis.
The film tells of the discovery of the world’s oldest medical manual. Georg Ebers, a German Egyptologist, came upon the 3,500-year-old work in Luxor in the late nineteenth century and carried it back with him to Saxony in a spectacular manner.
Marine biologist Hans Hass was one of the inventors of underwater photography in the 1940s. His spectacular photos introduced the underwater world to a wide audience for the first time. How did this young Austrian start a groundbreaking career as a diver, film-maker and zoologist – despite all the adversities of the World War II?
In 1693, a huge earthquake destroyed the city of Noto in south-eastern Sicily. The decades that followed saw the emergence on a new site of a unique Baroque city influenced by styles from all over Europe. Five citizens of Noto introduce us to the city’s artistic and cultural treasures and take us to the origins of the “barocco siciliano”.
