Women Built This City / 2019
#Colombia

On the outskirts of Cartagena, Colombia, there is a unique place called the ‘City of Women’. It’s a close-knit community of some hundred homes built entirely by women for women.

They were forced to flee their homes by the brutal conflict between guerrillas, paramilitaries and government forces. Over the decades, more than seven million people have been internally displaced, half of them women.

Throughout the conflict, the female population has suffered sexual violence, slavery, and exploitation. The documentary shows how women are rebuilding their lives in a place they built themselves.

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Operation Ukraine: Crime without Punishment / 2022
#Ukraine #Donbass

Kiev has carried out numerous war crimes against civilians in Donbass. The Western media has kept silent or put blame on Russia. In the documentary, investigative journalists trace back major attacks on Donbass civilian residents perpetrated by the Kiev authorities.

The film also shows how nationalist battalions became part of the Ukrainian Army and why the Western media turn a blind eye to Kiev’s war crimes.

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Children of the Schism / 2012
#Russia

For Russian Old Believers, resisting civilization’s impact has been the way of life for centuries. Since their ancestors strongly rejected Orthodox reform introduced in the 17th century they have dedicated themselves to protecting their traditions. They had to flee to the most secluded retreats. Their last haven was in Latin America, but they have returned to start anew in Russia’s Far East. Are they thriving in their newfound motherland?

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Fine Art of Reconciliation / 2016
#Colombia

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC had been fighting the government since 1964. Around 40% of 20,000 FARC guerrillas were women, many of them were recruited as teenagers from rural areas. Women in the FARC gave up their families and children to continue their revolutionary struggle. In 2016, rebels signed a historic peace pact with the government. The documentary examines the life of female rebels in their jungle hideouts, as they share personal stories of why they took up arms and what they expect from peace.

Check out their stories on International Day of Peace. While there’s still a long road to peace in Colombia, the peace agreement represented a step towards ending a decades-long conflict.

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The Seal Empire under Threat / 2022
#Russia

The Steller sea lion is a mighty and ferocious creature, which can easily kill a human. Yet, humans are the reason this animal is on the brink of extinction. Plastic garbage near the ocean's coastline kills hundreds of lions, as they get tangled in ropes and fishing nets, eventually strangling themselves in a year or two.

Local Sakhalin ecology activists try to save the sea lions, but they face different obstacles and dangers on the way. Not only do they put their lives at risk interacting with these powerful creatures, they also have to power through bureaucratic roadblocks with a lack of funds. Yet, they don’t give up. Watch our new film to get the big picture of the problem.

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Stolen Brides, Stolen Lives / 2021
#Kyrgyzstan

In Kyrgyzstan, women are sometimes kidnapped by their future husbands. Some would say it's romantic, but it's anything but romantic for most victims of these forced marriages. A total stranger or a stalker may kidnap a woman - who previously tried to avoid this person - and take her into his family's home.

The practice is called 'ala-kachu', which translates 'take and run'. It's illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine. However, traditions persist, and cases go unreported. The documentary is a follow-up to the film, Brides by Force.

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Going with the Floe / 2019
#Arctic

On the 80th parallel north, there’s not much life. It’s a vast icy desert with the occasional polar bear in the distance. Nevertheless, Russian researchers have been travelling nearly to the top of the world since 1937 to collect data from the Arctic region.

They used to land on an old thick ice floe to live and work on it for almost a year. Then, they slowly drifted across the Arctic ocean. But warmer temperatures mean the ice cover is melting rapidly. So expeditions had to be evacuated after the ice gave way under their drifting stations.

They’ve come up with the ‘ship and ice’ polar station when researchers work on the ice but can retreat to the safety of a vessel. Join an expedition aboard the Akademik Tryoshnikov in the documentary.

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The Afghan Woman King / 2021
#Afghanistan

‘Back then, I had a Kalashnikov, a rifle and shotgun, but a handgun is more convenient,’ says Bibi Hokmeena, an Afghan woman, talking about her time as a jihad warrior in the 1980s.

Hokmeena is a devout Muslim, but has been wearing men’s clothes her entire life. She fights for women’s rights, but she would never condone western values and call herself a feminist. Hokmeena’s never been in love, but is revered by men and women who call her ‘Woman King’.

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High Flyers / 2015
#Russia

The sky really is the limit for the Russian Air Force pilots. They’re among the best trained in the world and their combat aircraft are internationally recognised as exceptional. In the documentary, Russian aces show how they train and tell what ignited their passion for flying.

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So, you want to be a shaman / 2019
#Russia

You fit the Siberian shaman job description if you can talk to spirits. Shamanism is one of the main religions in Buryatia. People come to shamans to ask for help - helping them to quit drinking, getting married or acquiring some life advice.

Shamanic rituals are impressive. Beating an animal-skin drum, repeating mantras, speaking in a frightening voice and entering a trance-like state may scare anyone. The documentary explores the mysterious religion and its fascinating rites.

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Dagestan, Land of Mountains / 2021
#Russia

The Republic of Dagestan is the most multi-ethnic region in Russia. It has become a hot tourist destination in 2021, with thousands of tourists arriving to explore the region’s diverse culture. The republic is known as the land of the mind-blowing mountain ranges and canyons, the Caspian Sea shore and ancient architectural sites. In the documentary, Erick Fonseca Zarate visits the oldest city in Russia, Derbent, meets silversmith dynasties in Kubachi and explores the ghost city of Gamsutl.

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Sex, Drugs & Refugees / 2018
#Greece

Millions of Syrian refugees over the years have fled their country in search of safety. Many found themselves in dire need of money. 16-year old Hasan, for example, has to prostitute himself on the streets of Athens just to survive. Others resort to drug pedalling and petty theft. With no help from the outside, some consider abandoning their dream of living in Europe, while others see no option other than suicide.

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The Coca Trap / 2019
#Colombia

Colombia is the world’s largest producer of coca, the primary ingredient in cocaine. It’s a multi-billion-dollar industry, but rural coca growers don’t reap the rewards. For them, harvesting coca leaf is the only way to put food on the table.

In 2016, a historic peace deal between the government and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) pledged to provide rural farmers with legal alternative crops and subsidies. But these promises have failed to materialize. The crop substitution payments don’t reach farmers, while armed groups battle openly for control, and aerial fumigation destroys the environment and endangers peoples’ health.

Sandwiched between the government, armed groups, and poverty, Colombian farmers keep growing coca and come out to protest. In the meantime, the coca crop area in Columbia expanded in 2020.

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100% Cotton / 2015
#India

Over 600 farmers in Maharashtra state died from suicide in 2022. Unable to pay massive loans, they drink pesticides to kill themselves.

This is a horrible but widespread practice among Indian farmers driven into debt.
Some 28 farmers take their lives in India every day, according to India’s Environment report. That’s more than 10,000 farmer suicides every year.

The families of many victims blame the cotton crop for pushing farmers deep into debt, as they can barely cover the cost of growing it.

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We’re Not Freaks / 2020
#Russia

All you need is some imagination and some skilful hands. Russian pensioner Boris lived in what looks like a Baroque mansion, except it was an ordinary flat in a typical Russian apartment block. Boris decorated the walls with his friends’ paintings and his own photos, worked on some mouldings and restored old furniture all by himself. But Boris wasn’t always inspired by design. Only after surviving cancer and experiencing clinical death did Boris begin to like all things nice.

October 1 marks the International Day for Older Persons. Celebrate the date with this documentary about pensioners who are in love with fashion!

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Dying to Dive / 2016

Freediving is one the most beautiful, but dangerous sports. It involves swimming underwater without breathing apparatus. One mistake or accidental overestimation of your abilities can have serious consequences. The lure of the underwater world and the competitive spirits of freediving outweighs any thoughts about the risk. For freedivers it’s more than a sport. It’s a lifestyle.

Natalia Molchanova was the queen of freediving, having broken more than 40 world records. She disappeared off the Spanish coast in 2015. The documentary tells her story and delves in the mesmerising world of freediving.

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Tent City USA / 2014
#USA

Tent City is a unique community where people who lost their homes live together in the woods of New Jersey. They are self-sustained and self-governed. Founded by Minister Steve Brigham, the Tent City raises awareness about the plight of the homeless.

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Pride and Piety / 2022
#World

Acceptance of homosexuality and LGBTQ+ rights is growing across the world. Pride parades have become a massive celebration with millions of people taking part. But even with LGBTQ community becoming more visible, attitudes on the issue is split. The documentary, Pride and Piety, explores why some support LGBTQ education and why others fear that this kind of exposure of the LGBTQ+ ideas will amount to no good.

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