The Finnish design company Marimekko is famous for its original prints and colours. Maija Isola was one of Marimekko’s first designers and she spent 38 years working for the company. What is the secret behind the fabric designs that conquered first Finland and then the whole world? We tell the story of this extraordinary artist.
It is 1212: Thousands of children from Central Europe set off for Jerusalem to liberate the Holy City from the Saracens. With no equipment, weapons, provisions or money and driven only by their faith, most meet their death or are sold into slavery. What was behind this historically unprecedented crusade? What is fact, what is fiction? A search for clues.
Forests and tens of thousands of lakes – that’s Karelia, a region in north-eastern Europe. Part of it belongs to Finland, a larger part, known as the Republic of Karelia, belongs to Russia. Only seven percent of the inhabitants identify as Karelians, the majority are Russians. Many Karelians are concerned about the survival of their culture and fight to keep it alive.
Muay Thai: the martial art of the kings. In Thailand this popular national sport is still a male preserve. However, more and more young girls and women aspire to a professional career in the ring and are questioning centuries-old traditions. They call for social change, insisting that Thai boxing is a sport for everyone.
In 1944, for the first time in history, the Americans give female journalists press credentials to cover the Normandy invasion. On their way along the frontlines of WWII, Martha Gellhorn, Margret Bourke-White and Lee Miller add a female subtext to war reporting which forever changes our perception of war as the “father of all things”.
In 2021, the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia celebrates its 20th anniversary. We take a look at the structure of this virtual giant. Who are its creators, who are the authors who write up to 12,000 articles every day? Are they representative of the knowledge of this world and will they soon be superseded by artificial intelligence?