Birgit Rasch

In 1937, amidst Stalin's Great Terror, a newly appointed prosecutor for the USSR is made aware of alleged corruption in the Secret Police, and takes it upon himself to investigate.

Recounts the tumultuous history of Cuba, a nation of foreign conquest, freedom fighters and Cold War political machinations.

A colony of German Christians with a charismatic and manipulative leader establishes itself in Chile and becomes instrumental to the dictatorship.

2024 is likely to be a decisive year for Sahra Wagenknecht's political future. In the arena of power, she might assume a role that she is already very familiar with. In the early years following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Sahra Wagenknecht became the "most famous face" of the PDS, the successor party to the SED. Yet, even as the youngest member of the party's executive board, she was considered a "disruptive factor." She is unyielding and swims against the tide. Sahra Wagenknecht does not distance herself from Stalinism, nor from the Berlin Wall, and wishes for a reformed GDR.

A look back at a cruel conflict, the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71), which changed the political geography of Europe and sowed the seeds of a deep antagonism between France and Germany that culminated in two world wars. Excerpts from the diaries of the witnesses, photographs and painted panoramas tell the truth about a forgotten war.

Angela Merkel, Germany's first female chancellor, ended the "Merkel era" in 2021 after 16 years and with it a remarkable rise from "Kohl's girl" to "the most powerful woman in the world". Today their legacy is overshadowed by the climate crisis, Russia and the refugee issue. Two and a half years after her departure, the documentary series sheds light on the key years of her career and chancellorship, including Samira El Ouassil, LeFloid, Marina Weisband and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. The series focuses on the view of the “Merkel Generation” on the chancellorship of the first woman at the head of Germany.

The People’s Republic of China now plays a central role in global politics, economics and diplomacy – more than it ever has before. Its president, Xi Jinping openly espouses the model forged by former Chairman, Mao Zedong, known as the Great Helmsman. But what do we really know about Mao? And how does his legacy relate to Xi’s ‘China Dream’? This 3-part documentary series explores Mao Zedong, his beliefs and his methods. It shows how these have shaped Xi’s philosophy and the reality of today’s China. Mao had set China on the road to true sovereignty, freeing it from the humiliation of foreign domination. Xi is now completing that journey towards the strong Middle Kingdom and cultural predominance that Mao aimed for – while sweeping under the carpet the unthinkable victims and costs of Mao’s rule. The story arc of Mao’s astonishing biography provides varied and profound insights into the ideals, strategies and ambitions of today’s People’s Republic and its position in the next decade.

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The self-proclaimed preacher Paul Schäfer gathered people around him in post-war Germany. The sect founded a youth home near Cologne. But in 1961 Schäfer had to flee. Many followers followed him to Chile. 350 kilometers south of Santiago, far away from civilization, they begin building the Colonia Dignidad. A supposed model village with workshops, agriculture, livestock breeding was being created. But paradise became hell because slave labor, violence and sexual abuse soon became a part of everyday life. After the military coup in 1973, Schäfer served the new rulers: secret police chief Manuel Contreras and dictator Augusto Pinochet now came and went in the colony, while the opponents of the terrorist regime are tortured and killed in the cellars. Using unpublished archive material and contemporary witness statements, this 4-part documentary miniseries traces the complex, 50-year history of perpetrators, victims, supporters and opponents of this place that became the epitome of evil.

Docudrama about life, career and breakdown of Erich Mielke, the former Security chief of East Germany.

Documentary about Hans Zimmer.

A critical and objective look back at Ukraine's tumultuous and tragic history, from its mythical founding in the 10th century to the Russian invasion in 2022.

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Hannah Arendt was one of the most fearless writers of the 20th century, and her report of the Adolf Eichmann trial coined the phrase, “the banality of evil.” The German American scholar transformed her time as a political prisoner and refugee during World War II into insights about the human condition, the refugee crisis and totalitarianism.

The film follows Volodymyr Zelensky through a year that pushes him to his political, personal, and moral limits. In 2025, Ukraine suffers under relentless attacks, the army is exhausted, and society is deeply unsettled. At the same time, Zelensky seeks allies between Europe and an unpredictable Washington — in a struggle for weapons deliveries, security guarantees, and a peace framework that preserves Ukrainian sovereignty.

The documentary “Back to the Bunker?” tells the story of traumatic bunker experiences in the World Wars, of empty ruins at the turn of the millennium, and of a bunker renaissance in Germany and Europe, based on the personal experiences of contemporary witnesses. An impressive documentary about the culture of remembrance, resilience, and the societal question of how people deal with extreme situations.

Over a dozen current and former pilots take us into the cockpits of legendary fighter planes and into the heart of legendary battles. They come from various nations, and their service ranges from the air battles of the First World War to the front lines in Ukraine. Some are well-known names. Others have had to keep their activities—and even their identities—secret. Some have broken down barriers and forged new paths. All have exciting stories to tell.