Exciting stories on a wide variety of topics from around the globe: DW brings viewers background reports from the worlds of politics, business, science, culture, nature, history, lifestyle and sport.

DW Documentary

Tomatoes and greed- the exodus of Ghana's farmers

Drought and floods- the climate exodus

Looted art in the Third Reich

Germany's role in NATO and the world

Dreadly waste from raw materials

Sustainable business, rethinking growth- Founders Ballet (1/3)

The clothes we wear

The kindnapping campaign of Nazi Germany

Fighting the migration challenge in Malaysia- Founders Valley (2/3)

Born poor, die poor? How to tackle poverty- Founders Valley (3/3)

The death of Adolf Hitler

Have you ever heard of the “Emoji Commission”

Jewish life on Poland

Corona diaries

The 3D printing revolution

Indonesia: Diversity under threat

Bayer and de bees

The Russians- An intimate journey through Russia (1/2)

The Russians- An intimate journey through Russia (2/2)

Climate change- living on the water

Forgotten wrecks are a time bomb

Traveling through North Korea

Wind power getting headwind in Germany

Preserving Gaza's photographic history

Sex trafficking in Nigeria

Superfoods- is healthy eating just hype?

Generation Putin

Thai berry pickers in Sweden

How coronavirus is changing the world

Africa's looted art

The murder of Jamal Khashoggi

Fine-tuning the climate

How much is a human life worth? An innovative cancer therapy promises to save lives. But it is extremely expensive. Will the insurance companies pay for it? What is the manufacturer's return on investment? And do lobbyists drive up prices?

A paradigm shift has taken place in the pharmaceutical industry: Whereas high drug prices used to be justified by research costs, the industry is now using the value of gained lifetime to argue its case.

The power of pharmaceutical companies

Boeing- what caused the 737 max to crash?

Lehmann- the last cultural diplomat

Love and sex in the internet age

Street children in the Philippines

What happened to Otto Warmbier in North Korea?

The marriage market for Indian HIV patients

Oil promises- how oil changed a country

China's gateway to Europe

Coronavirus complications

Tour of the Arctic (1/2)

Tour of the Arctic (2/2)

Antarctica: A message from another planet

Since the Islamic Republic of Iran was founded in 1979, there has been a war between Iran, Israel and the US. The war has never been officially declared, and there has been no real reconciliation.

Part One of this two-part documentary focuses on the origins of the conflict between Iran and Israel. It began when the Israelis invaded Lebanon to confront a new Lebanese Shiite force backed by Iran: Hezbollah.

Based on painstaking archival research and featuring high-profile players in Israel, Iran, Lebanon and the US, the film looks back on the more than forty years since Iran’s Islamic Revolution. It explores key moments and provides ways of understanding the new Middle East.

An endless war: Irán, Israel and the United States (1/2)

An endless war: Irán, Israel and the United States (2/2)

Russia's forest under threat

Globalization: Winners and losers in world trade (1/2)

Honduras: Escaping violence and poverty

Globalization: Winners and losers in world trade (2/2)

Jade for courage, amethyst to improve concentration and rose quartz for love. Social media influencers are driving demand for quartz and gemstones. But these pretty materials are mined under questionable conditions in the Global South.  From the European beauty industry to middlemen in Asia to the mining regions: Nadja Mitzkat gets to the bottom of the esoteric gemstone production chain. The reporter finds that many of the beauty products originate in Madagascar. She travels to the African island state to talk to local people about their working conditions.

The dirty business of beauty

Whether it’s ecstasy, speed or crystal meth, producing illicit synthetic drugs generates toxic waste. This often ends up in the local environment, posing a threat to humans, wildlife and the land. We look at cases in the Netherlands and Germany.

The toxic waste from drugs like ecstasy, speed or crystal meth

How much influence do the super rich have?

The lives of the Amish in the US

How artificial light threatens nature

China's growing influence in Europe- Serbia and the New Silk Road

Dancing despite war- From war-torn Ukraine to the big ballet stage

Personalized nutrition- Could genética tests improve your health and your figure?

Mental health and resilience- the secrets of inner strength

Transylvania- The heart of Romania

The mysterious death of an SS officer: a Nazi true crimen story

Behind Asia's cyber slavery

Ticking time bombs- What risk do abandoned oil and gas wells pose?

Russia's energy empire: Putin and the rise of Gazprom

The dark side of the champagne industry

Cryptocurrencies- The future of money?

How mass tourism is endangering the Dolomites

China's grab for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization

Russia's Gazprom- Corrupt politicians and the greed of the west

Meeting death on our own terms

Racism in medicine

Ayahuasca boom in Brazil

Barbie: The world's greatest influencer?

Extreme climate research- On the road in the icefields of Patagonia

Can algae save the world?

New quantum computers- Potential and pitfalls

Pyramids, dark matter & the Big Bang theory

AI supremacy: The artificial intelligence battle between China, USA and Europe

War in Congo- Trapped in a spiral of violence

Life between hearing and deafness

Is the sea swallowing up the land?

The intestine is a true marvel. This organ’s complex functions extend far beyond the mere processing of food. The intestine affects the immune system and also has a powerful effect on our emotional well-being.

The intestine- The body's underappreciated control center and gut health

A childhood between Togo and Munich - In search of the truth

Pure luxury or bitter poverty - Living on a roof

For some women, getting pregnant is only possible through egg donation. It’s a pathway to parenthood with children who aren’t biologically their own. While egg donation is legal in many countries, it’s banned in places like Switzerland and Germany.

This film takes a compassionate look at the impact of this medical dilemma and the laws that often make little sense to the people who are affected by them. Why is sperm donation allowed in so many places, but not egg donation? Why do donors in so many places have to remain anonymous, even though it could cause emotional problems for the children? The film also shows that with an empathetic approach, it’s possible to avoid trauma and help children and families navigate this complicated journey.

The dilemma of international egg donation: going abroad for a baby

Cambodia - How microcredit is making the world's poor even poorer

In the shadow of trauma- Life after Auschwitz

Gas from Africa- Europe’s search for new suppliers

Challenges, heartache and confidence: Stories from Eastern Europe

All around the world, scientists are working to recreate lost animal species such as the mammoth. Using modern genetic techniques, they’re extracting ancient genetic material from museum exhibits.  However, these practices are also attracting criticism. Biology researchers question the usefulness of revived species for natural habitats. They fear that the excitement surrounding the idea of bringing back extinct species could distract people from the many problems that cause animals to disappear, in the first place. Are some scientists playing God - with unforeseeable consequences for the environment?

Should we bring extinct species back to life?

How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security

Teenagers of Donbass: Growing up in war

Saving beavers and pond turtles

Haiti- The iron grip of the gangs

The fight for water in Bangalore

Ten of the world's fastest growing economies are located on the African continent. Companies in the field of science and innovation are being promoted. Climate-friendly ideas for the future are already being realized in African countries.

However, climate change caused by industrialized nations in the northern hemisphere poses a particular threat to Africa. Of the almost 1.5 billion Africans from 54 countries, as many as 117 million people could be at risk from rising sea levels in 2030.  By 2100, Africa’s total population could be around 3.8 billion. One solution under consideration is to build a floating city in Lagos, Nigeria, that can adapt to the consequences of climate change.

Africa‘s tech pioneers- Innovative solutions for a sustainable future

In the USA, abortion rights are tearing the nation apart. Abortions are banned in the state of Texas, but that's not enough for anti-abortion activists. They go even further -- and encounter resistance.

The film follows one of America's leading abortion opponents, Mark Lee Dickson, in Texas. He wants to prevent women from traveling to another state for an abortion. Dickson and his followers believe that abortion is always murder.

They do not even accept the birth control pill. They believe that life begins with the union of sperm and egg. As a result of Texas' strict abortion policy, clinics offering abortions have had to relocate to neighboring New Mexico.  How do the bans affect women? And what is it like to work as a doctor who performs abortions? The film examines questions like these. But the film also shows that there is resistance to Dickson's campaigns, including a women's group that opposes the ultra-conservatives.

The American abortion war

Canada's Great Bear Rainforest is a place where the rainforest and Pacific Ocean meet. This special forest is home to countless spruce and fir trees. One very special species towers above them all, giving many animals shelter: the giant arbor vitae, or ‘Tree of Life’.

Forest and ocean live in symbiosis here. When heavy rainfall erodes the soil, nutrients are transported through the rivers to the sea, where they benefit the humpback whales. Nowadays, however, this complex ecosystem is threatened by massive logging. Here, too, humans are jeopardizing a balance that has existed for thousands of years.

Life in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest

All Episodes of DW Documentary

All Episodes of DW Documentary

All Episodes of DW Documentary

Season 1

DW Documentary

Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 1/9/2017