The Documentary Podcast

Latest Episodes:

In the Studio: Steve Reich Apr 14, 2025

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For 60 years, New York composer Steve Reich has been one of classical music’s most celebrated revolutionaries. Pioneering minimalism in the 1960s, a musical style based on repetition and shifting rhythms, his strange experiments with cassette tape led to orchestral masterpieces – now performed around the world. His career has not only helped define the latest era of classical music, but had an enormous influence on pop, rock and electronica. He has helped shape 20th Century music in a way few can claim to match. To mark 60 years since his first major piece,1965’s It’s Gonna Rain, he takes Alastair Shuttleworth through the process and stories behind some of his greatest works, including Clapping Music, Different Trains and City Life. He also reflects on his legacy, his plans for the future and what, at the age of 88, still inspires him to compose

Defeated: How ordinary Germans experienced the end of World War Two Apr 13, 2025

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On 8 May 1945 Britain, the US and many other countries were rejoicing. Germany had surrendered, and World War Two was over, at least in Europe. Yet it was not a day of celebration for everyone - for the vanquished Germans, it marked the end of bombings and of Nazi rule. But it was also a time of deprivation and chaos, fear and soul-searching. Millions of ethnic Germans had fled their homes to escape the approaching Red Army. Lore Wolfson Windemuth, whose own father grew up under Nazi rule, unearths the stories of six ordinary Germans who lived through that extraordinary time.

The Fifth Floor: Stranded in Panama Apr 12, 2025

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On his first day as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order shutting down the asylum system at the US-Mexico border. He also promised huge changes to the US immigration system, including arrests and mass deportations of undocumented migrants. Santiago Vanegas from BBC Mundo has been following a group of Venezuelans who are trying to go back to their home country, undertaking a dangerous journey through Central America. Plus, Gopal Kateshiya visits some Kutchi bhungas, traditional mud houses that not only help people stay cool, they can also save lives during an earthquake. His piece was published on BBC Gujarati.

Presented by Faranak Amidi Produced by Alice Gioia and Hannah Dean

(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

BBC OS Conversations: The impact of Trump's tariffs Apr 12, 2025

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Donald Trump’s decision to slap tariffs on global trade has sent the world reeling. Stock markets have tanked. Gloomy economists have hit the airwaves. Governments, their backs against the wall, have responded with either stoic resignation or threats of revenge. But it’s business owners who find themselves at the centre of the storm. Steve in Boston, USA, runs a company whose flagship product contains three Chinese parts. He’s concerned about the effect tariffs will have on his business and others at home. We also hear from business owners in Lesotho, India, Italy and Germany covering industries ranging from steel and spices to cheese and beer.

Heart and Soul: Guns, grief and god Apr 11, 2025

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On 4 September 2024, the town of Winder in the US state of Georgia became the latest scene of a school mass shooting. Two students and two teachers were killed. The suspect was 14 years old. The deadly attack at Apalachee High School left a community torn apart by guns and brought together in grief. In each of the previous four years there have been more than 600 mass shootings in the United States - almost two a day on average. Edward Stourton has been to Georgia to visit the church community attached to the high school, as they try to make sense of the violence in their hometown. He meets Pastor Frank Burnat and his pastoral team, who are ministering to a community in which both God and guns are a part of everyday life.

Heart and Soul: Violence, children and Cambodia’s monks Apr 10, 2025

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***This programme contains descriptions of genocide and violence against children*** Fifty years ago the fall of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, to the Khmer Rouge sparked a modern-day genocide that saw millions murdered in just four years. Today, a group that was almost entirely destroyed in the bloodshed is working both in person and online to heal the wounds that are still keenly felt. Religious practice was effectively outlawed under the Khmer Rouge and Buddhist monks were viciously targeted by the regime. By the time the genocide came to an end all but 3,000, of the country's 60,000 monks had been murdered. Now, still seen as the heart of Cambodian society, they re being mobilised to spread a message of non-violence across the country.

The Cultural Frontline: South East Asian cinema - a love story Apr 09, 2025

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In South East Asia, cinema attendances are growing, thanks to a renewed interest in local product. For instance, the Thai movie How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, broke box office records this year. We hear from director Pat Boonnitipat about the reasons why he believes his film touched the hearts of so many people. The same is true in Vietnam. Last year the country produced its biggest national and international hit Mai, which also became a social media sensation. Historian Tuyet Van Huynh explains why the film’s star and director Tran Thanh is a phenomenon in his own right. Indonesian director Eugene Panji reveals why his country’s movie industry is also booming, so much so that they are running out of studio space to keep up with the demand. This edition of The Cultural Frontline was recorded before the Myanmar earthquake that also affected parts of Thailand.

Assignment: Unidentified flying drones in Denmark Apr 08, 2025

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When mysterious orb-like lights were recorded in the sky above Koge, a small port town in Denmark, the UFO scene took notice. But it wasn't just believers who wanted to know what these unidentified flying objects were.

Danish police and the Danish security services describe the objects as large drones - similar to the ones seen on the USA's East Coast before Christmas. But no-one can say who is flying them, or why. Could it be the Russians?

Lucy Proctor meets the people involved in Denmark's unique UFO scene and tries to find out what these drone sightings mean.

In the Studio: Anna Clyne and Jody Elff Apr 07, 2025

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Contemporary classical music composer Anna Clyne is one of the most performed and in demand composers in the world.

For her next commission, she is working on a new concerto for the St Louis Symphony Orchestra in Missouri, US. The piece is called PALETTE, and will feature seven movements related to seven colours: plum, amber, lava, ebony, teal, tangerine and emerald green.

Anna will be working with her Grammy-winning audio engineer, sound artist and designer husband Jody Elff on the composition, using their Augmented Orchestra to electronically manipulate the sound of the orchestra in real time during live performances. It's part of their challenge to expand the sound of the acoustic orchestral world while pushing the boundaries of contemporary classical music. Anna will also be painting seven pictures as part of the creative process, inspired by her music, to add to the audience's experience of the work.

Donald Trump’s new world order Apr 06, 2025

Show notes

President Trump has upended the international order to promote his “America First” agenda. He has thrown countries and their leaders around the world off balance with his radical departure from decades-old United States foreign policy. With so many changes going in different and sometimes seemingly opposing directions, Jamie Coomarasamy tries to get behind what’s driving the President’s agenda, and looks at how the world is adjusting to a new reality.

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