The Documentary Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Don't log off: A different way Jun 08, 2022

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An ecological retreat on the edge of the Amazonian rainforest, which has the area's indigenous people as its nearest neighbours. A self declared independent artist's republic in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius with its own flag, currency and constitution. A peace loving community in New Zealand where everyone shares their money and children can safely roam free. Then there is the Argentinian family which travelled the world by vintage car on a journey that lasted for more than 22 years. Alan Dein connects with people around the world who are reaching further, dreaming deeper and seeking a different path in life.

Inside the Kim regime Jun 07, 2022

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Have you ever wondered what life is like at the very top of the North Korean regime? Thae Yong-ho was once the Deputy Ambassador of North Korea to the United Kingdom until he defected with his family in 2016. Yong-Ho gives a first-hand account of how and why he risked everything to escape London's North Korean Embassy for a new life in South Korea.

The interview: Tina Brown Jun 05, 2022

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Award-winning writer and magazine editor Tina Brown has spent decades chronicling the British royal family. BBC special correspondent Katty Kay meets her.

The rising cost of living: Fuel Jun 04, 2022

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Lebanon has been in an economic crisis for almost three years. Beirut is still recovering from an explosion of stored chemicals in 2020, which killed more than 200 people and displaced around 300,000 citizens. Three women talk about how fuel shortages are affecting lives when not everyone can afford to pay the increased cost of energy.

Host Karnie Sharp and the OS team also hear from two protestors in Sri Lanka about dealing with power cuts, and if they believe the recent change of government will improve the situation there.

As the rising cost of living hits some of the most vulnerable particularly hard, two people in the UK share their experiences: writer and recovering alcoholic Sam Thomas, and Jenny Holden, who has a form of chronic arthritis as well as the long-term health condition fibromyalgia, which causes body pain that gets a lot worse in the cold, and means paying higher fuel bills is becoming increasingly difficult.

Ukraine: The disinformation war Jun 02, 2022

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Russia’s response to accusations of war crimes in Ukraine has been to blame the Ukrainians of bombing their own side. Some people in the UK have been sharing this version of the war on social media. Driven by a conviction that Western governments are responsible for many of the world’s ills, these academics, journalists and celebrities have shared misinformation in their attempts to raise questions about the official narrative of the war. Their detractors say they are useful to Vladimir Putin. They claim there’s a McCarthyist witch hunt against them. All wars are fought as much in the information space as on the battle field and Chloe Hadjimatheou looks at where the new red lines are being drawn in an age of disinformation.

(Image: Kvitka Perehinets has been following the conflict in her home country of Ukraine, from afar. Credit: Kvitka Perehinets)

Don't log off: Roads less travelled Jun 01, 2022

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Alan speaks with Shugofa, an Afghan refugee now living in Rome. He also reconnects with Leo in Moldova, who last spoke with Alan eight years ago and has been on several important journeys since then. As well as them he meets Maureen, a nurse in the Northwest Territories of Canada and Akhil, a blues guitarist in Kolkata, India.

Guarding the art May 31, 2022

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Baltimore Museum of Art is hosting a bold and ground-breaking exhibition curated entirely by 17 members of the its security staff. Broadcaster and art expert Alvin Hall goes behind the scenes to meet some of the guards working on the show, as they begin to install the pieces in the gallery. It has been more than a year-long process, assisted by the museum's chief curator Asma Naeem and mentor Dr Lowery Stokes Sims. Their choices for the show are deeply personal and reflect not only their rich knowledge of art, bur their wide range of interests and concerns outside of museum security work, including poetry, opera, mythology, and social justice.

The rising cost of living: Food May 28, 2022

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The head of the World Bank recently warned that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could cause a global recession. There are additional reasons for the global economic crisis of course. We are now more than two years into a pandemic, and every country has its own political situation which may, or may not, contribute to the problem. People from countries including Afghanistan, Lebanon, Indonesia and Turkey share their stories with host James Reynolds about rising prices, as well as shortages of food and medicine.

The Royal diplomat May 27, 2022

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After 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II is the world’s most high profile global figure and a unique exemplar of diplomacy and soft power. Much of her role takes place behind the scenes. She came to the throne in 1952 at a time of crisis and as the British Empire disintegrated in the aftermath of World War Two. The Queen’s role as constitutional monarch and head of the Commonwealth placed her at the heart of global crises. We recall how she visited Ghana, Zambia and South Africa as a diplomatic envoy, helping to mediate in the racial politics of post-colonial Africa. From her first state visit to the US in 1957 to repair the transatlantic relationship after the Suez crisis, to the historic 2011 visit to Ireland, we show how reconciliation has been a major theme of the Queen’s reign.

When rape becomes a crime May 26, 2022

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Senegal in West Africa recently introduced much tougher sentences for rape. Until 2019 it was deemed a misdemeanour rather than a serious crime and anyone convicted was often released after a few years, or even a few months. Myriam Francois meets rape survivors and both female and male campaigners to see if the new law is changing the lives of women for the better. Myriam hears how the stigma around rape has in the past prevented many women from coming forward to report sexual violence and how the police are opening new facilities to support women. She visits the country’s first Senegalese run hostel for victims of domestic violence. And she meets the pop star who caused a storm when she revealed her own experience of sexual assault.

Producer Bob Howard

(Image: Woman walking alone in St. Louise, Senegal. Credit: roripalazzo.com/Getty)

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