Four stories: a Sinai Bedouin who lived through the 1967 Arab-Israeli War; a retired Jordanian spy who worked undercover in the occupied West Bank; the granddaughter of the leader of a bid for independence in a small town in Egypt in 1919; and one man’s recollection of the protests in Tunisia on January 17, 1961, sparked by the filming of the Hollywood movie, The Thief of Baghdad. In this film, we present witnesses' accounts of these historical stories - each told through a unique and...

Four stories: a Sinai Bedouin who lived through the 1967 Arab-Israeli War; a retired Jordanian spy who worked undercover in the occupied West Bank; the granddaughter of the leader of a bid for independence in a small town in Egypt in 1919; and one man’s recollection of the protests in Tunisia on January 17, 1961, sparked by the filming of the Hollywood movie, The Thief of Baghdad. In this film, we present witnesses' accounts of these historical stories - each told through a unique and...

Courage, corruption, culture and competition – all major factors in the life and times of the first women’s football team in Somalia and its inspirational young coach, Shaima Sellal. The government gave the go-ahead for a women’s team in 1994, but it did not take off because of the continuing civil war. Football can be a casualty of the conflict in a "failed state". But when an enthusiastic, 19-year-old player-coach arrived from Kenya in 2015, she kick-started the team and adopted the name...

Courage, corruption, culture and competition – all major factors in the life and times of the first women’s football team in Somalia and its inspirational young coach, Shaima Sellal. The government gave the go-ahead for a women’s team in 1994, but it did not take off because of the continuing civil war. Football can be a casualty of the conflict in a "failed state". But when an enthusiastic, 19-year-old player-coach arrived from Kenya in 2015, she kick-started the team and adopted the name...

Between 2006 and 2011, a high-stakes negotiated prisoner exchange took place between Israel and Hamas, the group that governs the Gaza Strip. During that time, the two sides did not have any direct contact, so mediators from Egypt, Germany and Ireland were involved. At stake were the terms of exchange between one captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, and a large number of Palestinian prisoners. This film goes behind the scenes of that remarkable five-year operation. Al Jazeera Arabic...

Between 2006 and 2011, a high-stakes negotiated prisoner exchange took place between Israel and Hamas, the group that governs the Gaza Strip. During that time, the two sides did not have any direct contact, so mediators from Egypt, Germany and Ireland were involved. At stake were the terms of exchange between one captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, and a large number of Palestinian prisoners. This film goes behind the scenes of that remarkable five-year operation. Al Jazeera Arabic...

Arabs Abroad: The Designer & the Atomic Scientist profiles two people who have built highly successful, yet quite different, lives in countries beyond their Arab homelands. The film meets an Iraqi graphic designer living in Germany - a man whose work is seen by millions - and a Palestinian-American atomic scientist whose research with the smallest of particles brings life-changing benefits to people around the world. Decades after they moved, both remain connected to their roots, each -...

Arabs Abroad: The Designer & the Atomic Scientist profiles two people who have built highly successful, yet quite different, lives in countries beyond their Arab homelands. The film meets an Iraqi graphic designer living in Germany - a man whose work is seen by millions - and a Palestinian-American atomic scientist whose research with the smallest of particles brings life-changing benefits to people around the world. Decades after they moved, both remain connected to their roots, each -...

Football is hugely popular in Chad but results on the pitch have been disappointing. It has never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations or the World Cup. In 2016, the national team was suspended after facing financial problems. That ban was lifted in 2019, the starting point of this film. Players, coaches, politicians and fans all have conflicting views on how the national football team will find success. The weight of that responsibility now rests on a handful of players, each filled...

Football is hugely popular in Chad but results on the pitch have been disappointing. It has never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations or the World Cup. In 2016, the national team was suspended after facing financial problems. That ban was lifted in 2019, the starting point of this film. Players, coaches, politicians and fans all have conflicting views on how the national football team will find success. The weight of that responsibility now rests on a handful of players, each filled...

Pirate radio: A force for change or a transient subversive movement? The Voice of Peace and Radio Caroline were pirate radio stations that launched in the 1960s and 1970s, broadcasting from ships anchored outside national territorial waters, in an attempt to challenge the societies around them. Radio Caroline, moored off the east coast of England, was "The Boat that Rocked" and was hugely popular with young 1960s music fans. Along with other pirate stations of the time, it helped bring...

Pirate radio: A force for change or a transient subversive movement? The Voice of Peace and Radio Caroline were pirate radio stations that launched in the 1960s and 1970s, broadcasting from ships anchored outside national territorial waters, in an attempt to challenge the societies around them. Radio Caroline, moored off the east coast of England, was "The Boat that Rocked" and was hugely popular with young 1960s music fans. Along with other pirate stations of the time, it helped bring...

Music offers insights into the songwriter, the performers, the audience and their cultures. In this film, we delve into the stories of four songs from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Sudan. From Morocco comes an expression of mourning and loss - Younes Megri is a renowned regional name whose most famous song was picked up by a western pop group. The Algerian song is from the legendary Hamid Cheriet, aka ‘Idir’, who sang in the Amazigh language and achieved a global fan base. The patriotic...

Music offers insights into the songwriter, the performers, the audience and their cultures. In this film, we delve into the stories of four songs from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Sudan. From Morocco comes an expression of mourning and loss - Younes Megri is a renowned regional name whose most famous song was picked up by a western pop group. The Algerian song is from the legendary Hamid Cheriet, aka ‘Idir’, who sang in the Amazigh language and achieved a global fan base. The patriotic...

A Palestinian boy who was rescued from danger in 1967 grew up to become a major global figure in the Red Crescent and Red Cross, while a Jordanian woman who struggled to get into American medical schools now leads cutting-edge research into rheumatic treatments. Dr Hossam Elsharkawi was rescued from Gaza during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War; decades later, he has been responsible for rescuing thousands of people from war zones. Jordanian Dr Nadera Sweiss is now also a highly regarded physician...

A Palestinian boy who was rescued from danger in 1967 grew up to become a major global figure in the Red Crescent and Red Cross, while a Jordanian woman who struggled to get into American medical schools now leads cutting-edge research into rheumatic treatments. Dr Hossam Elsharkawi was rescued from Gaza during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War; decades later, he has been responsible for rescuing thousands of people from war zones. Jordanian Dr Nadera Sweiss is now also a highly regarded physician...

Following the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, international courts sought to bring justice to the victims of war crimes. While many cases were taken on by the International Tribunal at The Hague, other local authorities and courts also convicted people, often along partisan and ethnic lines. This may be what happened to Mirko Graorac, a Serbian traffic policeman who lived much of his life in the Croatian coastal city of Split. After he retired, he spent most of the war in the early 1990s in the...

"Less is more," so the saying goes. While many people aspire to earn more, buy more and own more, some are challenging material values and looking to seriously declutter their lives. The "simple living" movement, also known as minimalism, is about being satisfied with what you have rather than constantly craving more. In this documentary, a social media consultant in Istanbul persuades his family to follow him on a quest for a less materialistic lifestyle. They visit a self-sufficient...

"Less is more," so the saying goes. While many people aspire to earn more, buy more and own more, some are challenging material values and looking to seriously declutter their lives. The "simple living" movement, also known as minimalism, is about being satisfied with what you have rather than constantly craving more. In this documentary, a social media consultant in Istanbul persuades his family to follow him on a quest for a less materialistic lifestyle. They visit a self-sufficient...

Against the backdrop of one of Morocco’s most remote areas, hope for the next generation of rural children comes in the shape of three dedicated teachers – dubbed the "women in the wind". Teachers around the world face significant challenges every day, from having to discipline students to dealing with a lack of resources. But the three Moroccan women in this documentary - Maryame, Salma and Bouchra - also have to contend with isolation, physical hardship, sexual harassment and separation...

Marriages of convenience, or sham weddings, are an illegal way of obtaining residency and citizenship in Europe countries and elsewhere. This film meets men and women who marry - or plan to marry - people they hardly know, with the sole objective of obtaining European residency for one of them. These deals can sometimes cost one of the "partners" as much as 15,000 euros ($18,100) with no guarantee of citizenship in return. A so-called "white marriage" is where both parties willingly...

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Volcanic eruptions, large-scale destruction, seismic movements and emergency evacuation - are all constant threats to the three million people who live near the world's most dangerous active volcano, Mount Vesuvius, near Naples, Italy. The 800,000 who live in the "red zone" in the immediate vicinity of the volcano are at even greater risk. Mount Vesuvius has not erupted since 1944, but many volcanologists say a new explosion is due. In this documentary, we meet local people who, far from...