The documentary series portrays cities that are characterized by their maritime location and have always been closely connected with the spirit of discovery.
The self-proclaimed preacher Paul Schäfer gathered people around him in post-war Germany. The sect founded a youth home near Cologne. But in 1961 Schäfer had to flee. Many followers followed him to Chile. 350 kilometers south of Santiago, far away from civilization, they begin building the Colonia Dignidad. A supposed model village with workshops, agriculture, livestock breeding was being created. But paradise became hell because slave labor, violence and sexual abuse soon became a part of everyday life. After the military coup in 1973, Schäfer served the new rulers: secret police chief Manuel Contreras and dictator Augusto Pinochet now came and went in the colony, while the opponents of the terrorist regime are tortured and killed in the cellars. Using unpublished archive material and contemporary witness statements, this 4-part documentary miniseries traces the complex, 50-year history of perpetrators, victims, supporters and opponents of this place that became the epitome of evil.
‘The Lions Rule’ is the saga of three lion families linked together by a strange, charmed place called the Glade: a beautiful oasis in Ruaha National Park where there is always water. The Glade is the territory of two old lionesses and their cubs. The Glade pride can bring down an adult giraffe – a remarkable skill. A magical Baobab forest spreads out beyond the Glade. This is the territory of the Baobab pride. They are the largest pride in all of Ruaha. The third pride are drifters – lean, mean and ruthless. They are the Njaa. The Njaa follow the buffalo. The herd is their territory and they are experts in the dark art of the buffalo kill. All three prides are lead by lionesses; there are no adult males in residence. This will play a major role in their fates
Small Hands In A Big War is the first docudrama bringing WWI to a young audience. In each episode we visit a different child, in a different country. We experience what the war was like for him or her related with one big topic: propaganda, revolution, honour etc.
The People’s Republic of China now plays a central role in global politics, economics and diplomacy – more than it ever has before. Its president, Xi Jinping openly espouses the model forged by former Chairman, Mao Zedong, known as the Great Helmsman. But what do we really know about Mao? And how does his legacy relate to Xi’s ‘China Dream’? This 3-part documentary series explores Mao Zedong, his beliefs and his methods. It shows how these have shaped Xi’s philosophy and the reality of today’s China. Mao had set China on the road to true sovereignty, freeing it from the humiliation of foreign domination. Xi is now completing that journey towards the strong Middle Kingdom and cultural predominance that Mao aimed for – while sweeping under the carpet the unthinkable victims and costs of Mao’s rule. The story arc of Mao’s astonishing biography provides varied and profound insights into the ideals, strategies and ambitions of today’s People’s Repub