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PODCAST

Documentaries

An indepth look at stories and issues from around the world. This podcast offers you the chance to access landmark series from our archive.

education

All Episodes

29:39

The tyre scandal

Documentaries ·

2025/06/12

Every year the UK produces around 50 million tyres for disposal. They are supposed to be sent for recycling. Instead, big money is being made by diverting tyres to illegal and dangerous 'pyrolysis' plants where they are melted down to extract oil and steel. Together with a team of journalists from Source Material, a not-for-profit group specialising in climate and corruption, we follow the tyres from the UK to India using tracking devices. The team discovers just how large scale this largely illicit

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23:10

No, there isn’t a ‘white genocide’ in South Africa

Documentaries ·

2025/06/11

On 12 May, 59 Afrikaners arrived in Washington to receive “refugee” status. At a press conference, President Trump said he had acted because Afrikaners - the white minority community that ruled South Africa during apartheid - face an existential threat. His words echoed the views of his South African born former adviser, Elon Musk, who has repeatedly used his X platform to amplify false claims of a “white genocide”. Many South Africans, including several Afrikaners that we have spoken to, dismiss

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26:40

Assignment: Balochistan - the women of the vanished

Documentaries ·

2025/06/10

In the last two decades thousands of men have disappeared in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest region. Activists and some of their families accuse the Pakistani authorities of enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings. The government is fighting an insurgency in the region, but denies any involvement in the disappearances. It says some of the missing men have joined militant groups or have simply left the province.Mutilated bodies have continued to turn up, including in mass

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26:06

Auntie Flo: Making plants dance

Documentaries ·

2025/06/09

Brian D’Souza, aka Auntie Flo, is a Scottish musician, DJ and sound recordist who has played at some of the biggest festivals and clubs around the world. His compositions fuse field recordings from around the globe with cutting edge production techniques to transport the listener to different places and states. He has spent the last few years trying to bring together the natural and electronic worlds, experimenting with a complex setup of sensors and synthesisers to create music from plants. Last

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24:30

Russian informers: Hunting the enemy within

Documentaries ·

2025/06/04

Informers are playing a key role in helping the Russian government silence dissent, now one victim has turned detective to uncover their persecutor’s true identity. In today’s Russia there is a hunt for the enemy within. Anybody who is accused of voicing opposition to the war in Ukraine can face losing their job, or being prosecuted and facing a fine, or in many cases prison. Academic Aleksandra Arkhipova was denounced by a mysterious serial informer called Anna Korobkova, and decided to become an

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29:07

Assignment: What future for Assad’s army?

Documentaries ·

2025/06/03

The former rebels who now rule Syria dismantled the old regime’s security forces as soon as they came to power last December. Overnight, half a million soldiers, police and intelligence officers, and some civil defence workers lost their jobs and income. Many of those sacked were guilty of atrocities. But the majority probably were not. Tim Whewell reports on the reconciliation process which deprived servicemen of their jobs – but delayed justice. He talks to a variety of former junior members of

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28:27

In the Studio: Designing Conclave

Documentaries ·

2025/06/02

Production designer Suzie Davies reveals the secrets behind Conclave, and how she managed to build the Sistine Chapel in a film studio in Rome. And explains why historical accuracy can't get in the way of good design.

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29:29

Heart and Soul: Portugal's Surf Church

Documentaries ·

2025/05/30

In the coastal city of Porto, Portugal, a unique spiritual community is making waves, literally. The Surf Church, led by Brazilian-born pastor and avid surfer Samuel Cianelli dos Anjos, blends traditional Sunday worship with the sport of surfing. In a country with deep historical and cultural ties to the Catholic Church, Portugal has seen a steady decline in the number of young people engaging with their faith. Many feel disconnected from the Church and believe it no longer speaks to them in a way

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28:41

The riddle of Iranian cinema

Documentaries ·

2025/05/29

Iranian-American film-maker Maryam Keshavarz explores a world of creativity under restriction, where film-makers find ways to speak despite censorship. Born in New York City to Iranian parents, Maryam grew up moving between two cultures, smuggling pop culture into Iran for her cousins. That early experience - bridging the gap between freedom and limitation - shaped her storytelling and her understanding of identity. Maryam speaks to Amarali Navaee, an Iranian film-maker now living in Turkey, who

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22:24

BBC Trending: Brazilian farmers are (very) online

Documentaries ·

2025/05/21

Being a farmer in Brazil has never been cooler - at least, that is the impression you might get from social media. Music videos featuring cowboy hat wearing farmers, driving tractors and boasting about their wealth, have garnered millions of views online. Meanwhile, farmers turned influencers offer a window into rural life, insisting Brazil is not just a country of football and Carnival, but of farming. Critics say social media has become the latest battleground in a long-running effort by Brazil’s

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29:42

Assignment: Colombia's webcam women

Documentaries ·

2025/05/20

Colombia’s second largest city, Medellín, is booming and one of the biggest industries revolves around the city’s webcam studios which live stream women performing sex acts.  It’s estimated there are hundreds of studios in the city employing thousands of women and turning over millions of pounds as men – primarily in the US and Europe – pay to watch the women. The work is legal with studios running glossy websites to attract models and even hosting their own annual trade show. Crossing Continents

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3:21

Trailer: Bill Walton’s The Grateful Team

Documentaries ·

2025/05/19

Basketball, the Cold War, and rock band The Grateful Dead collide in this incredible true story. Presented by the late NBA star Bill Walton. Episodes weekly from 19 May.What do basketball, rock music, and tie-dye t-shirts have in common? And what about Mickey Hart, Sarunas Marciulionis, Arvydas Sabonis, and the US Dream Team? Well, they are all subject of the brand new season of Amazing Sport Stories: Bill Walton’s The Grateful Team. It’s Moscow, 1989, and Lithuanian basketball star Sarunas

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29:16

In the Studio: Esben Holmboe Bang

Documentaries ·

2025/05/19

Originally from Denmark, the youngest ever three-starred Michelin chef Esben Holmboe Bang fell in love with his wife’s homeland Norway, as well as its seasonal cuisine.For Esben every flavour is a note, and the secret of the perfect dish is to build those notes into a symphony. He only uses local produce for the menu at his restaurant in Oslo, Maaemo, and he collects many ingredients from the local forest. He aims to tell the story of Norway through food and respects the ancient crafts of

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35:42

The Global Jigsaw: The Trump effect on global media

Documentaries ·

2025/05/18

We assess the damage to independent journalism globally by cuts to USAGM and USAID, described as “the chainsaw approach” of the Trump administration. The defunding of Voice of America, RFE/RL (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) and its multiple language services has been decried as “a gift to dictators”. Although these cuts are being disputed in court, they could have long-lasting implications for audiences around the world. Can the harm be undone? Producer: Kriszta Satori Presenter: Krassi

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15:59

The Fifth Floor: Ukraine, the war and TikTok

Documentaries ·

2025/05/17

What do Ukrainian soldiers eat on the frontline? And what's the latest meme trending on Ukrainians' TikTok channels? Zhenya Shidlovska from the BBC Ukrainian social media team will talk about the stories they've been covering, and how she adapted her presenting style to connect with a younger audience. Plus, is Brazilian chocolate getting worse? With Mariana Schreiber from BBC Brasil. And the lioness that woke a family up in the middle of the night, with Gopal Kateshiya reporting for BBC

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52:36

Women warriors

Documentaries ·

2025/05/11

n the last few decades western militaries have been training more women for combat than ever, yet female recruitment and retention is stalling. But with warfare changing, new technologies and new threats, women soldiers are a vital resource. Victoria Hollingsworth talks with different women around the world, some on the frontline and others about to go, and explores the motivations and the challenges they face. Many have families and find juggling these two lives very hard and with little support

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26:51

The Fifth Floor: The Russian grandma who went to jail

Documentaries ·

2025/05/10

Natalya Filonova is a former kindergarten teacher, a mother, a grandmother. But she’s also an activist and in 2022 she was arrested during a demonstration against the war in Ukraine. Nina Nazarova from BBC Russian has been trying to find out what happened to her. Plus, how a homeless bumblebee brought a community together, with Joao Fellet from BBC Brasil.Prestented by Faranak Amidi Produced by Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

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25:18

BBC OS Conversations: Inside Gaza

Documentaries ·

2025/05/10

After 19 months of war, Israel says it is preparing to expand its military campaign in Gaza. The aim is to defeat and dismantle Hamas, regarded as a terrorist organisation by many countries and bring home the remaining 59 hostages. They have been held in captivity since Hamas gunmen attacked Israel on 7 October, 2023. There have been several strikes on Gaza within the last week alone, with reports of dozens of people killed and wounded. We hear from women and men in the Palestinian territory about

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28:39

Educating Nigeria

Documentaries ·

2025/05/08

Every Nigerian child has the constitutional right to free and compulsory primary education, and free secondary education, yet there remains a huge gap between that law and the reality. One in every five of the world’s out-of-school children lives in Nigeria. In a nation with one of the world’s youngest populations, this lack of access to education could potentially cost the country its future. Its government recently acknowledged that there are 10.5 million children not being educated. It’s a

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28:16

The Cultural Frontline: Taiwan

Documentaries ·

2025/05/04

Presenter Elaine Chong speaks to trailblazing Taiwanese artists about exploring history and politics through their work. She hears from the producer Hsin-Mei Cheng of TV series Zero Day in which a fictional Chinese invasion of Taiwan plays out over 10 episodes. Heavy metal frontman and former politician Freddy Lim explains why he thinks Taiwanese culture is distinctive and how he uses his music to explore his country's and family's history. Award-winning author Yang Shuang-zi and translator Lin King

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