Climate change, overpopulation, expensive economy - these and more contribute to men and women deciding not to have children. As a result, birth rates have been declining steadily in middle- and high-income countries. Moreover, childfree by choice defies the cultural imperative, opting out of parenting in favour of other goals.
Intentional childfree adults still face social stigma, like the expectation to bring children into the world is vital. Moreover, voluntary childlessness often sparks ‘moral outrage’, according to one study.
Do you know who is the richest man in our history, Mansa Musa? In fact, he was the ruler of Mali in the 14th century. During his reign, Mali was one of the richest kingdoms of Africa with his empire occupying a vast territory that spread from Nigeria to the coast of Senegal. However, the colonial period put an end to the wealth of the continent. Today, Mali is among the 25 poorest countries in the world, while France has the third largest gold reserves. How did that happen? Will modern Malians succeed to resist French influence and reclaim their rich cultural heritage?
Mali: Au Revoir, France / 2023
#Mali
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O-High-O: The Road to Addiction, and Back / 2020
#USA
Drug abuse is rampant in the small city of Akron, Ohio. ‘We have small towns here in Ohio that have been prescribed millions of pills, enough to sedate a small country,’ says Raynard Packard, director of an Akron rehab centre. Drug abuse is ravaging his city, as more and more people lose their lives to opioids, meth and prescription drugs. Meet recovering addicts and people who help them.
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Black Lives: Struggle / 2018
#USA
More than 50 years after Martin Luther King’s death, some American cities are still divided along racial lines. St. Louis is one of them. Its African-American population is mostly confined to neighbourhoods with high violent crime rates and low wages.
“Most of the people out here are not bad people – they are in bad situation,” say, Rev Kenneth McKoy and priest, Jay Kanzler, who hold weekly 'peace walks' to call for an end to violence in troubled neighbourhoods.
Black Lives: Struggle follows St. Louis activists who are fighting battles old and new: against inequality, poverty, bias, lack of prospects, police abuse, and extrajudicial killings.
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Albinism in Africa: A death sentence from birth?
“It was as if they were butchering a cow”. Maria witnessed her husband’s gruesome murder, when a group of men carrying machetes and axes attacked and proceeded to chop him into pieces. This is just one of many horrific stories of what albinos face in Africa.
People with albinism in Tanzania live in constant fear and are subjected to extreme forms of stigmatization, discrimination, and brutal violence. Some think they are cursed or that they are ghosts, whereas, others view them as a source of income.
Albinos face not only the harsh effects of sunlight on their skin, but also the danger of being hunted for their body parts. Believing that they can cure diseases or bring wealth, some people, spurred by superstitions and witchcraft, resort to ritual killings of albinos.
On the International Albinism Awareness Day, Albino Africa sheds light on the daily struggle and atrocities faced by albinos and the attempts being made to put an end to this harsh reality.
Albino Africa / 2014
#Tanzania
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‘I’m from Luganskaya village. I returned home recently. My homeland was under occupation for 8.5 years’, says ‘Crimea’ Battalion soldier, callsign ‘Three S’. In 2014, he joined the ‘Crimea’ battalion to fight against the Ukrainian nationalists in Donbass. Like many others, ‘Three S’ had no military experience and had to learn a lot during the battles with the enemy. However, drones attack and mines blasts inspired the ‘Crimea’ fighters to continue the struggle, rather than scare them. Watch the documentary to find out what their everyday tasks look like.
The Frontline Grind / 2023
#Russia #Ukraine
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Black Lives: Illusion / 2019
#USA
This episode shows the life of Black teenage parents in the US and why their children are more likely to fall into the same patterns. “They can’t even drive yet, vote, go to a club, but they want them to be parents. It doesn’t make sense,” says church worker Dina Blackwell. Sporadically involved dads and overworked moms talk about the difficulties of being teen parents.
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With almost ten million landmines, Western Sahara is arguably one of the most heavily mined areas in the world. Once a buffer zone separating borders, today, women are making immense efforts to reclaim the region, even at the risk of losing their lives.
Be inspired by their unyielding spirit in our documentary Western Sahara: Determined!
Western Sahara: Determined / 2017
#WesternSahara
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Tolerance du Voyage / 2019
#France
In France, Gypsies are known as the ‘gens du voyage’, or 'the people who travel'. The term was coined in an effort to fight anti-Gypsy prejudice. ‘I think our community is the most hated in the world,’ says Henoc Cortes Lopez, a French Gypsy rapper. French Gypsies also fear their traditional nomadic lifestyle is being threatened. In 2018, France passed a law that prohibits spontaneous encampments.
An influx of Romas from Eastern Europe has proved to be another headache for French ‘gens du voyage’. They say newcomers seeking refugee status and welfare rights are only feeding into the anti-Gypsy stereotype. Are their worries justified?
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A Chinese legend claims that a baby conceived under the Northern Lights will be blessed with lifelong luck.
However, for this particular group of Russians, their fascination with the enchanting phenomenon goes beyond the pursuit of fortune.
Natalya Krapkina, a young Russian data analyst, established the Aurora Hunters community in St. Petersburg. Boasting over a thousand members, this community comprises passionate enthusiasts, including tour agents and designers, who eagerly embark on nocturnal expeditions to capture the breath-taking Aurora Borealis.
What’s their journey like, and how do they prepare?
A Chinese legend claims that a baby conceived under the Northern Lights will be blessed with lifelong luck.
However, for this particular group of Russians, their fascination with the enchanting phenomenon goes beyond the pursuit of fortune.
Natalya Krapkina, a young Russian data analyst, established the Aurora Hunters community in St. Petersburg. Boasting over a thousand members, this community comprises passionate enthusiasts, including tour agents and designers, who eagerly embark on nocturnal expeditions to capture the breath-taking Aurora Borealis.
What’s their journey like, and how do they prepare?
Aurora Hunters / 2021
#Russia
? docuplanet x artel.doc Hunters / 2021
#Russia
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