Documentary AreaSimply the best Documentaries

There is a tendency to deny German culture the equal reverence of Italy or Spain, and this enlightening new series provides a wonderful opportunity to explore a great, yet often neglected, artistic tradition whose influence has been just as profound. Andrew Graham-Dixon concludes his exploration of German art by investigating the dark and difficult times of the 20th century. Dominating the landscape is the figure of Adolf Hitler, failed artist, would-be architect and obsessed with the aesthetics of his 1,000-year Reich". In a series of extraordinary building projects and exhibitions, Hitler waged a propaganda war against every form of modern art as a prelude to unleashing total war on the whole of Europe. After the war the shadow of the Third Reich persisted, Germany remained divided and traumatised. How would artists deal with a past that everybody wanted to forget? Journeying through the work of Otto Dix and George Grosz and the age of the Bauhaus to the post-war painters Georg Baselitz, Hilla Becher and the conceptual artist Joseph Beuys is a long and strange journey, but the signs that art has a place at the heart of the new reunited Germany are clearly visible.

Thought-provoking documentary on war propaganda: how governments manipulate the facts and how most media let them get away with it. WWI, Vietnam War, post-2001 Afghanistan, post-2003 Iraq, Palestine: a historical account of PR, embedded journalism, lies and cover-ups, but also of courageous journalists who disclose the truth.

Did China hide crucial information about Covid-19 from the world? What began with a handful of mystery pneumonia cases in Wuhan late last year has now left more than half a million dead worldwide. Beijing says it has been open and transparent throughout, but former BBC China Editor Carrie Gracie investigates how it delayed reporting the initial outbreak and evidence that Covid-19 could be spread by people. It also silenced doctors who tried to speak out.
The film also hears from one high-level insider who believes the animal market at the centre of the Wuhan outbreak should have been treated as a 'crime scene' and from experts who warn that this crisis may be a 'dress rehearsal' for an even more deadly pandemic in the future.

It tells the story of FIFA World Cup of 1950, highlighting (but also showing other nations) the path of the two teams who played the final match: Uruguay and Brazil. The high quality of the footage is amazing, the text is smart and humorous, the music has been very well chosen in order to represent both the emotions involved in each moment and the contrast between the calmness of Uruguayan preparation and the crowded days of Brazilian team." The whole story shows not only one side. While Uruguayan team acquired confidence after an initial mistrust, Brazil was by far the best team in the competition but was heavily influenced by the environment in Brazilian society, the influence of politics and the pressure of the fans. While Uruguay overcame heroically all the constraints and, led by Obdulio Varela, won a title that few people believed, Brazilians got shocked because they considered themselves champions even before the final match, and their players became stigmatized until nowadays, not being celebrated as the fantastic team they were.

Scientists on the BICEP and Planck missions are attempting to solve a mystery about the earliest moments of our universe, by searching for patterns in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). If successful, the missions will help to answer the biggest question anyone can ask: how did our universe begin?

Could the chemicals found in marijuana prevent and even heal several deadly cancers? Could the tumour regulating properties of cannabinoids someday replace the debilitating drugs, chemotherapy, and radiation that harms as often as it heals? Discover the truth about this ancient medicine as world renowned scientists in the field of cannabinoid research explain and illustrate their truly mind-blowing discoveries. A powerful and eye-opening film about the future of cannabis and perhaps even the future of medicine.