Nearly a million Bolivian children work. Child labour is seen as a tradition and was legalised in 2014. The legal working age is 10. Child workers can even sign a contract when they turn 12.
Child vendors and child cleaners are common. They’d love to study more to pursue their dream careers in medicine, academia or finance, but they must support their families. Breadwinners or exploited kids?
Gandhi’s Footsteps / 2019
#India
On August 15, 1947, India won its independence from British rule, otherwise known as the Raj. Mahatma Gandhi was the most prominent figure in India’s struggle for freedom. His philosophy of non-violence was so powerful it brought down the empire. Now Gandhi's face adorns Indian banknotes and his birthday is celebrated as a national holiday.
75 years after independence, Gandhi’s ideas still inspire many of his countrymen. Modern-day disciples, known as Gandhians, share how they put Gandhi’s teachings into practice.
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Dance, Sex, Dance / 2017
#India
There’s a red-light district in the Indian city of Muzaffarpur that some say has existed since the early 16th century. Men come here to watch women dance and sing, but it’s only a cover for prostitution. Nearly 2,500 sex workers live here. Some were sold or forced to sell their bodies, others had nowhere else to go, and some even followed in their mothers’ and grandmothers’ footsteps.
In a long-awaited ruling, India’s Supreme Court has recognised sex work as a profession and ordered police to treat sex workers ‘with dignity and equal protection under the law’. Sex work has been legal in India for more than 30 years, but prostitutes face violence and exploitation.
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Has Ukraine emerged as the global leader in human organ trafficking?
Recently, Ukraine has enacted laws promoting organ transplantation, including a controversial 2021 law permitting posthumous organ donation without consent. Alarming concerns arise about the escalating number of missing individuals and possible connections to illicit surgical procedures amidst the ongoing military operation. Journalist George Eliason claims that human trafficking in Ukraine doubled from 2013 to 2014.
Explore further as affected families share their accounts of losing loved ones under suspicious circumstances, while journalists, medical experts, and human rights activists present compelling evidence.
Tanks for Kidneys / 2023
#Ukraine
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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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PsychiARTry / 2021
#Russia
Lisa suffers from a schizo-affective disorder, has a keen sense of colour and paints with amazing flair and panache. Yury takes seven drugs to help him function, but only music allows him to stay in control. Elina is a professional artist who’s never been accepted because of her ‘otherness’. Andrey, a former psychiatric patient, draws on tree trunks to watch his art transform as his ‘canvas’ grows. All have found support from Outsiderville, a nonprofit in St. Petersburg that helps artists like them be seen and get better through art.
Today is World Mental Health Day! Check out this documentary about people who use art as an outlet.
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Winter in Yakutia, Russia’s coldest region / 2022
#Russia
Journalist Erick Zarate explores Yakutia, Russia’s coldest region, where temperatures often hit -70C. Officially called the Republic of Sakha, it’s the largest Russian region. It lies off the beaten path and can be slightly intimidating for tourists. However, Yakutia is a hub of the Russian North’s ancient traditions, beliefs and crafts, as it is home to several indigenous peoples - Yukaghirs, Evenks, Dolgans, Chukchi and Sakha. Erick enjoys a warm welcome, tries on traditional deerskin boots, receives a shaman’s blessing and hits the road. Check out his incredible journey across Yakutia.
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Bear with Me / 2018
#Russia
Bear cubs stay with their mothers for about eighteen months. Orphans have very little chance of surviving on their own. Biologist Valentin Pazhetnov dedicated his life to saving orphaned bear cubs and reintroducing them back into the wilderness.
Valentin rescued and raised more than 250 bears in his Orphan Bear Rescue Centre. Specialists in the centre provide baby bears round-the-clock care but avoid bonding with them. “The main thing about our method is to preserve their fear of humans,” Valentin said.
The centre, which Valentin’s son and grandson now run, is considered a world leader in bear rehabilitation. In June 2021, Valentin tragically died at the age of 84.
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China’s Digital Detox / 2016
#China
China was the first country to name internet addiction a disorder. Numerous boot camp-style rehabilitation centres offer treatment for internet addicts. Among patients are often troubled teenagers who are sent by their parents against their will. The documentary takes a look at China’s internet-addiction rehab centers and the techniques used to cure internet junkies. Are you internet addicted?
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Dying Alone / 2019
#Japan
Lonely deaths, or kodokoshi, have become disturbingly common in Japan. Elderly people die alone in their apartments, where their bodies sometimes lie undiscovered for weeks or months… until neighbours catch whiff of the stench, that is. A whole industry has even emerged around the phenomenon, with numerous companies offering to clean out the homes of the deceased.
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