Best Documentary

Broken Harmony: China’s Dissidents tells the story of Hua Ze, an ordinary Chinese citizen for whom a discovery of corruption led her into a hidden world of dissidents, citizen journalism, police harassment and kidnappings. Once a mild mannered TV director, Hua Ze discovered that an old friend reporting on alleged corruption after the Sichuan earthquake had disappeared, along with any mention of him online. Following a trail of leads over the great internet fire wall of China, she discovers not just the fate of her friend, but the truth behind Sichuan’s fatal building code violations, a jaw-dropping array of human rights abuses across China and comes to the realization that the entire internet in China is a state controlled fiction. Hua’s awakening takes her into a new world of dissidents, journalists and human rights lawyers. As she begins her own reporting, pressure from the government is swift, and her world is turned upside down. She is forced out of her job and placed under surveillance. One by one, her new friends are arrested or detained. Phones are tapped and secretive threats and warnings are made. But Hua cannot turn a blind eye to the corruption and she pays the price. When ordinary Chinese citizens go to extraordinary lengths to fight human rights abuses, the risks are enormous, even life-threatening. Broken Harmony reveals Hua’s courageous acts and willingness to lose everything to fight for justice and the rule of law. Director: Risa Morimoto

Great Britain has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the greatest English authors. Today we travel to the places that inspired the famous novelist George Eliot. Narrated and directed by Liam Dale. Follow us on social media : Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/BestDocumentaryTV

Myanmar, once closed off by dictatorship, now reveals its stunning landscapes, including the rare giraffe women, living freely in their villages. Some have turned to tourism for income. Recently, the government allowed foreigners to explore the North. Ko Soe Moe, a tour guide, is pioneering a new tourist route from Mandalay to Rid Hill Lake, facing the challenges of monsoon-flooded roads. He discovers a semi-free elephant reserve and a crude oil camp, highlighting the resourcefulness in remote areas. In Kalé Myo, time seems frozen, with WWII trucks still in use, alongside handcrafted jeeps, a testament to local ingenuity. Amidst these, Aung Ko, a young trucker, navigates challenging roads for livelihood, illustrating the resilience and aspirations of Myanmar's people. Ko Soe Moe's journey through hazardous Chin mountains roads, vital for trade with India, underscores the potential and perils of opening up new tourist paths.

Get slimmer by eating chocolate - how scientific studies will make us believe the stupidest things! Day in day out we are bombarded by all kinds of promises on how to lose weight, almost all of which fail to deliver. Of the millions of dieters, only a handful will have long-term success, and yet there are countless studies claiming the opposite. Leading weight loss companies happily confront dieters with the scientifically backed claim that failing a diet would be their own fault. After all, world-renowned experts of all fields have proven the effectiveness of weight loss programs. Or have they? On their journey through Germany and France, Diana Löbl and Peter Onnecken investigate how the weight loss industry systematically buy scientific research and use it in their favor. Time and time again, dubious studies are being published and serve only one purpose: fuelling the multi-billion euro weight loss industry. German experts point the finger at a cartel of nutritionists who recommend questionable weight loss diets and promise healthy results based on questionable short-term studies. Similar results cannot be detected in long-term studies. And yet these studies find their way into well-respected publications and subsequently motivate physicians to prescribe those diets to their patients. This groundbreaking documentary shows just how effectively science is being misused by the industry. The authors of this film publish their own weight-loss study, which is so absurd that really no one should take it seriously. However, shortly after the publication, it is clear that the media are picking up on the incredible story of how eating chocolate will help you lose weight. It is only a question of time until everybody will believe that chocolate is the best weight loss accelerator of all time! Director : Diana Löbl, Peter Onneken

Spring is a time of new beginnings and new life. The world is bursting with joie de vivre, and the sheer force of nature is never more tangible than during this season. In forests, fields, meadows and gardens, nature awakens from her icy grey winter sleep. The world takes on colour again. The magic of spring in all its glory is the focus of this film. Unusual animal stories – some humorous, some dramatic – create a very special springtime feel. Upbeat, amusing and exciting, the film illustrates vividly that spring is the loveliest season of all. Director: Annette Scheurich

Herbs are fascinating “all-rounders”: They are fragrant, tasty, and have healing properties. Since the beginning of human history, they have inspired individuals and cultures around the world, especially through their effects – in the kitchen, laboratory, or witch’s den. This five-part series undertakes a journey of discovery through 11 countries, exploring the intriguing cultural histories surrounding the use of herbs – in the Provence, the Alps, in the Balkans, Latin America and India. We meet Ayurvedic doctors, natural healers, farmers, modern herbal fairies, and cooks – captivating story-tellers, all of them equipped with a deep understanding of the world of herbs. Elaborate aerial and time-lapse footage transports us to distant regions rich in herbs. With an avid eye, each film examines the complex processes involved in the making of tinctures, oils, and natural remedies. Whether herbs be exotic or domestic, they hold numerous stories – herbs being the seasonings of human culture. 00:00 The Alps 44:14 The Balkans 01:27:23 India 02:10:15 Latin America 02:53:22 Provence Directors: Bärbel Jacks, Sebastian Lindemann, Rolf Lambert, Christian Stiefenhofer, Ilka Franzmann

After turning his life around, Sensei EJ creates Warriors Karate Academy in the basement of Greater Glory Ministries in Columbus, Ohio. A summer school is created, and the school quickly grows outside the church and becomes involved in the community. After money struggles, location changes and other obstacles, including failing to make it to Nationals, the school fights back, overcoming every obstacle in their way. They go from a church basement to every news station and radio station in the city, on National Teams, and even fighting for the United States outside the country. Director: Ellis Jennings Jr.

Still popular today, Laurel and Hardy are still considered masters of comedy today. A look back at an incredible on-screen career. Narrated by Barnaby Eaton-Jones Produced and directed by Liam Dale Follow us on social media : Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/BestDocumentaryTV

It was the end of one of the most heartbreaking events in recent times. 82 Nigerian schoolgirls were released after 3 years of imprisonment in exchange for 5 terrorist leaders. These leaders belong to Boko Haram, the most bloodthirsty terrorist group on the planet. To understand who these terrorists are, how they operate, we meet former prisoners, repented jihadists and troops on the front-line. Director : Patrick Forestier

Most of this country is a desert, with many facets. The people who live there have learned to live in the middle of these large expanses of sand. Director: Jean-Etienne Frère Original title: Somewhere on Earth: Egypt

A vibrant tribute to the Artemis space program, the aim of which is to bring humans back to the Moon, then to send manned missions there as well as to Mars. Follow us on social media : Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/BestDocumentaryTV

Based on the book The Shadow World, this feature length documentary reveals the shocking realities of the multi-billion dollar global arms trade, through whistleblowers, investigators, prosecutors, and military insiders. Director: Johan Grimonprez

At the outset of the Yalta Conference on February 4, 1945, the «Big Three» were all optimistic: victory was in no doubt, and the accord that they had achieved seemed likely to preserve the values they had fought for. However, in just a few months, nothing would remain of this agreement apart from irreconcilable differences. United in war, the Allies would reveal themselves as divided and rivals in peace. How can such a rapid failure of a real effort at entente be explained? With the Yalta Conference in 1945 to 1953, discover a new world order drawn up by three men, looking for a lasting peace... that would lead inevitably to the Cold War. Combining archive footage, photographs, original letters and unique testimonies, these two episodes revisit this crucial period in History. A full immersion into postwar years and an emerging new world order. Direction: Emilie Lançon

Latest secrets revealed about mysterious MH370 flight.

Teenagers can be monsters but are also sensitive beings undergoing a fascinating biological metamorphosis. This visually stunning science documentary takes us deep into the mesmerising world of adolescents and reveals the scientific miracles of puberty. Director: Judith König

Gold, the enduring safe investment and symbol of wealth, comes at a high price. Mined in slave-like conditions, it has been linked to everything from funding civil wars in Africa to causing environmental disasters in Latin America. Directors: Jerome Sesquin and Gilles Labarthe

With social networks, many people are trying their luck to earn money easily. Very few succeed, making videos that stand out from the rest. How to become rich in just a few minutes or a few clicks? Director: Itamar Rose

In 1942, determined to prove that France was leading the fight against Nazism, General de Gaulle offered Stalin a squadron of French pilots to fight on the Soviet front. That regiment, known as Normandy-Niémen, were legendary, winning 273 aerial victories. But the men paid a heavy price. 43 pilots were killed during combat. Using archives, reconstructions and 3D animations, we tell the heroic story of the French pilots who fought with the red star painted on their planes.

In the Bavarian Alps, some still call it “the Brown Mountain”. For the hundreds of thousands of tourists who go to Obersalzberg every year, it is difficult to imagine that 70 years ago, this postcard landscape was home to the second place of power of the Nazi regime. Having become chancellor, Adolf Hitler spent more than 1000 days there. That's a quarter of his reign. Directors: ISABELLE FOUVRIER, GUILAIN DEPARDIEU

To China, it’s a breakaway province that must return to the fold. To its 24 million inhabitants, it’s a sovereign state, with its own constitution and democratically elected leaders. Now that Hong Kong has been brought into line, Taiwan remains determined to stand up as a vibrant, young democracy. But it won’t be easy… Since the Sunflower Movement in 2014, when the young came out to prevent an economic agreement with China, citizen groups have been fighting for the transparency of institutions. As Audrey Tang, Minister of Digital, explains, the idea, whenever possible, is to put the citizen at the heart of the political process and its decisions. But this new generation is at odds with the old one, who experienced dictatorship and for whom democracy does not necessarily mean economic prosperity. Every day, Taiwan counters millions of cyber attacks that aim to destabilize its institutions and exacerbate divisions in society. Director: Alain Lewkowicz

Japan is the land of extremes. The archipelago still bears the scars of the fiery land. Here in the easternmost tip of Asia, men and women pursue their passion in their quest for perfection. This is the land of the marriage of nature and tradition. Director : Anne Viry-Babel Original Title: Somewhere on Earth: Japan

Since the economic crisis of 2009, over nine million jobs have been created in America. Officially, the recession is over. But American workers have come out of the crisis more vulnerable and even poorer than ever. 46.7 million Americans live in poverty with around 15% of the US population living below the poverty line. But they aren’t unemployed – most of them have at least two jobs. They’re ‘the working poor’. Meet the people behind America’s economic recovery. Director : HÉLÈNE ECKMANN

The invasion of Ukraine seems to be the culmination of a strategy that the Russian president has been applying since he came to power in 2000: the reconstruction of Greater Russia. Director : Igor Sahiri & Marc de la Villardière

The Nagorno-Karabakh war left more than 4,500 Armenians dead and 15,000 injured. The peace deal of November 2020 represented a heavy defeat for Armenia. While they kept control of the areas they held within Nagorno-Karabakh, they were forced to return the surrounding territories to Azerbaijan. Still, Armenians live in fear of losing what remains of their land. In Kornidzor, the villagers take turns to stand guard, day and night. These peasants have formed a militia, swapping their pitchforks for Kalashnikovs. Tens of thousands of families fled the war. Some are now ensconced at the Golden Palace, a 5-star hotel in an upscale ski resort. Susanna is in room 221 with her husband and children. The mini-bar no longer stocks cognac or vodka mignonette; the family use it to store some lard and a few vegetables. Susanna has learned to sew, and now she ekes out a living, making down jackets for the wealthy skiers who come to the resort. Tigran, 19, miraculously survived a drone attack. After six months in hospital, he is finally being reunited with his family. He is welcomed home by a traditional festival in his village. Meanwhile Iveta, an Armenian pop start and ex-Eurovision finalist, is preparing a big show at the opera, and has dedicated a new song to the conflict.