The inside story of how, since Donald Trump first took office, America and China have become locked in a battle for global power and influence.
Social & External
China is playing an increasingly important role worldwide. Under President Xi Jinping, substantial investments are being made in communication and cooperation and industrious Chinese people are settling abroad in large numbers. Documentary maker and China expert Ruben Terlou visits them in the new VPRO travel series ‘The World of the Chinese’. Who are they, what do they want to achieve and what impact does their presence have on the local population?
After one of the most shocking presidencies in history, Donald Trump's top advisers and the leaders who clashed with him lift the lid on the critical moments of his foreign policy.
After years away from the CIA, Elizabeth McCord is pulled back into the political arena. The newly appointed Secretary of State is tough, fair, and smart, driving international diplomacy, wrangling office politics, and circumventing protocol as she negotiates global and domestic issues, both at the White House and at home.
Bitter Rivals illuminates the essential history - and profound ripple effect - of Iran and Saudi Arabia's power struggle. It draws on scores of interviews with political, religious and military leaders, militia commanders, diplomats, and policy experts, painting American television's most comprehensive picture of a feud that has reshaped the Middle East.
Enclaves, loaned territories, disputed areas and microstates: This is the series that looks at places with absurd borders.
A small, Finnish seaside town is preparing to celebrate midsummer's eve. An unknown enemy arrives and takes the entire area hostage.
Empire is a unique programme that reports on and debates global powers on behalf of an international citizen. It does so in a way whereby it questions those geopolitical, geoeconomic, corporate, and other forms of power that influence citizens across borders. Many of those are not held accountable by any one government or any one nation, and so looking at the world as the global village it has become - with its integrated societies - we try to answer the questions on the minds of many of our viewers: why and how does global power act, react? And how does it throw its weight around?
When the 20th century opened, Britain dominated world affairs, and America stood on the sidelines. Now their positions are reversed. This is the story of how it happened.
The most downloaded app in the world is raising serious geopolitical concerns. How did TikTok become a central player in the ongoing trade and political tensions between Beijing and Washington? As a key decision looms regarding its future in the United States, this documentary offers an in-depth look at the platform and sheds light on the growing global battle over data control.
China's history of the last 200 years seems like a boomerang, returning to the West what it once unleashed. The series reveals how devastating the struggles for identity and power have been for the population since the fall of the "Middle Kingdom," and how closely these tragedies are intertwined with our own. Great hopes were placed in a wide variety of visions for the future—and each time, bitter disappointment ensued. From the decline of the empire to its resurgence as a superpower, China's history is both a dream and a nightmare, in which human life is of little value.
Much of the world first became aware of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in the tragedy of Tiananmen Square in June 1989. However, only weeks before, filming had been completed on an extraordinary examination of China’s military machine. Boasting unprecedented access to all areas of the People’s Liberation Army, this five-hour documentary reveals with unerring insight and exceptional clarity the enigma which is the modern Chinese army.
This three-part investigative documentary follows former members of Russian intelligence who reveal how the Kremlin’s spy networks operate. Through insider testimony and expert analysis, it examines recruitment methods, covert missions, cyber operations, and the mechanisms used to silence opposition and project influence abroad under Vladimir Putin’s rule.
North Korea's Secrets offers a comprehensive look into the secretive regime of Kim Jong-un. The first episode, The Dictator's Weapons, explores North Korea's rise as a nuclear power, its growing alliance with Russia, and the human cost of the regime's military buildup. The second episode, A Glimpse into a Closed Country, presents the stories of four defectors who share their experiences of oppression, forced labor, and survival. Satellite images reveal the stark contrast between the elite's luxurious life and the majority's suffering, painting a vivid picture of life in North Korea under Kim Jong-un's rule.
Ten ordinary Red Army soldiers of various ages, genders, and roles, share their stories of growth, sacrifice, and dedication to preserving the Red Army's legacy.
A documentary news series with a taboo-breaking team who deliver incredible news stories from around the world.
Powerhouse lawyer Jessica Pearson adjusts to the dirty world of Chicago politics.
An immersive, behind-the-headlines account of the historically turbulent events surrounding the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath, which divided a nation. This two-part biopic tells the story of two powerful figures, Comey and Trump, whose strikingly different personalities, ethics and loyalties put them on a collision course.
The story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four American towns. The war touched the lives of every family on every street in every town in America and demonstrated that in extraordinary times, there are no ordinary lives.
Oliver Stone's re-examination of under-reported events in American history.
Surviving power struggles, betrayals and plots, Hitler's inner circle of Nazi leaders seizes control of Germany and designs its disastrous future.
WWII in HD is a 10-part American documentary television miniseries that originally aired from November 15 to November 19, 2009 on the History Channel. The program focuses on the firsthand experiences of twelve American service members during World War II, including an Army nurse, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, a second generation Japanese American and prisoner of war, and an Austrian Jewish immigrant. The twelve members recorded their time in both theaters and some had later interviews; found footage from the battlefield was paired with the stories of the twelve service members. The episodes premiered on five consecutive days, with two episodes per day. The series is narrated by Gary Sinise and was produced by Lou Reda Productions in Easton, Pennsylvania, United States.
Using highly advanced colourisation techniques, critical moments from World War II, from Stalingrad to The Battle of Britain, are shown in a whole new light.
World War II In Colour is a 13-episode television documentary miniseries recounting the events of World War II narrated by Robert Powell. The show covers the Western Front, Eastern Front, and the Pacific War. It is on syndication in America on the Military Channel. This series is in full color, combining both original and colorized footage.
War and Remembrance is an American miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Herman Wouk. It is the sequel to highly successful The Winds of War.
The documentary series explores different political figures throughout history.
A documentary on the American Civil War narrated by Ken Burns, covering the secession of the Confederacy to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Modern history can be divided into two time frames: before 9/11 and after 9/11. This five-part docuseries is a cohesive chronicle of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S., offering illuminating perspectives and personal stories of how the catastrophic events of that day changed the course of the nation.
The first 40 days of the war in Iraq as seen through the eyes of an elite group of U.S. Marines who spearheaded the invasion along with an embedded Rolling Stone reporter. A vivid account of the soldiers and of the forces that guided them in an often-improvised initiative.
A PBS documentary concerning Jared Diamond's theory on why there is such disparity between those who have advanced technology and those who still live primitively. He argues it is due to the acquisition of guns and steel and the changes brought about by germs.
The trials of a U.S. Army platoon serving in the field during the Vietnam War.
1945 London. Feef is seduced by a rogue American spy into spying on her own country. Her task? To uncover a Russian agent in the heart of the British Government.
Through vividly enhanced archival footage and voices from all sides of the conflict, this docuseries brings WWII to life like never before.
A former U.S. President is called out of retirement to find the source of a deadly cyberattack, only to discover a vast web of lies and conspiracies.
An immersive 360-degree narrative telling the epic story of the Vietnam War as it has never before been told on film. Featuring testimony from nearly 80 witnesses, including many Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as Vietnamese combatants and civilians from both the winning and losing sides.