RT Documentary

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is better known as, The Mahatma or, Great Soul. He was an Indian lawyer who took on the British Raj…and won. A blend of spirituality and clever political strategy, Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence proved so powerful it brought down the largest empire the world had ever known. Gandhi is affectionately called Bapu, the Father of the Indian nation. His face adorns Indian banknotes and his birthday is a national holiday. However, just over seventy years after independence and Gandhi's assassination, India is experiencing an economic boom fuelled by consumption. The Mahatma’s philosophy espoused minimalism, self-sufficiency, the duty to share and the dignity of physical labour. It might seem irrelevant to millions of modern Indians distracted by consumerism. Some Indians today feel that Gandhi’s teachings are needed now more than ever. RTD travels around India to meet Gandhi’s surprising cast of present-day disciples, often known as Gandhians. They include an alarmingly fit railway manager, an educator who takes the message to schools on a Harley Davidson, a university hand-spinning lecturer and V Kalyanam, Gandhi’s last surviving servant. Each one tries to honour, at least in a small way, the teachings of the Mahatma. As his followers put Gandhi’s philosophy into practice, they experience freedom from the servitude of consumerism, but can they convince the next generation to break free from the chains of 21st-century capitalism?

Sea life of Sakhalin is under threat from garbage near the coastline. ‘These animals are wild, so you can’t just come up and help them – it is either impossible or too hard to do. In the end they die. And it’s all because of that garbage,’ says Andrey Vitulin, head of the ecology club. He and his colleagues clear Sakhalin’s beaches from the garbage, which presents the main danger for the Steller sea lions who live there. Today these animals are on the brink of extinction. Steller sea lions often dive into fishing nets and get tangled in plastic ropes. Occasionally the plastic gets wrapped around their necks, slowly suffocating them as they grow. Activists try to capture the sea lions and remove these garrotes, but this procedure is dangerous and hard to perform. Steller sea lions are big, ferocious and mighty, and can easily kill a human. Sea garbage is a common problem for many water species. Bowhead whales often have deep cuts from ropes on their body, some even lose their limbs or tails attempting to escape fishing nets. Seals strangle themselves in garbage too, sharing the fate of Steller sea lions. The plastic garbage in the ocean is arguably one of the main causes of extinction for many species. What can be done about this tragic situation?

Kavre province in Nepal has been dubbed “Kidney valley”: there’s hardly a household in which a family member hasn’t sold his or her kidney on the black market. There is no legal way for patients to obtain donor organs other than from a relative. In the absence of a suitable familial match, the patient’s only chance of survival is to turn to the underground organ trade. Grim dealers exploit the region’s extreme poverty and the people’s lack of education about health and medicine. Many victims have been told that the process would have no impact on their health and even that a kidney would grow back. Desperate to escape debt and support their families, impoverished villagers have agreed to the irreversible surgery, only to be hugely underpaid and left with their health irreparably damaged. While Nepal’s transplant patients often have no way to obtain life-saving organs, other than the black market, naïve and underprivileged villagers are easy prey for organ dealers who turn a tidy profit from the devastating trade. Ironically many of them started in the business by selling one of their own organs. RT Doc meets people from all sides of the illegal organ market to ask how and why it has reached today’s appalling levels.

"It's like we're filming a movie. But darn it, this is nothing like the movies," says Sargon Hadaya, half Russian, half Syrian. He is a war correspondent who has dedicated his life to revealing the truth behind the conflicts in Ukraine and the Arab world. The war correspondent finds himself in the midst of hell: in the phosphorus-burned forests of Kremennoy, in a combat helicopter above Bakhmut, and during the attacks of paratroopers in Svatovo. He openly admits that this kind of job isn’t enjoyable, but it's necessary. Sargon has filmed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa. But after the war in Syria, according to him, everything changed - journalists became targets. Sargon reports in Arabic, fluent in Russian and prays in Aramaic, the language of Christ. Watch our new documentary to learn more about this challenging yet indispensable profession.

"Donbass is where the bombs and the bullets are raging. This is where people are dying. This is where the buildings are exploding. So, I wanted to see firsthand the scars of war, the wounds in the street, the rubble of the buildings being collapsed. I wanted to see the soldiers that were fighting and hear from them about why they were fighting, how this fighting started and their opinion," says Scott Bennett, former officer of the US Army. In November 2023, he visited Donbass to make a documentary-diary of his own. What are the impressions of the American officer after daring trips to the frontlines? How does he think about the Russian special forces training? Why is he now convinced of Russia's inevitable victory? To gain personal experience within the Russian Army, Scott Bennett spent several days with the "Nevsky" unit in Soledar. To learn more about their frontline life, check out their channel on Telegram at https://t.me/BTGR_NEVSKIY.

Erick’s List invites viewers inside five apartments where Muscovites live, once lived or will live. Located in five very different residential buildings, they represent various historical periods in the life of Russia, each known for its distinct architectural style. Some of these buildings have just been completed; others have been around since before the revolution. Some are grand and striking, others… – to be honest, you wouldn’t give them a second look. They are as different as the people who call them home, and we’ll get to meet these people as well. Moscow’s signature properties tour starts with the imposing Stalin-era highrise in Kotelnicheskaya embankment – an elite house for the country’s powerful and famous. Among them was Galina Ulanova – a Soviet ballerina of international calibre. Her enormous apartment has been turned into a museum featuring original furnishings and the prima’s personal belongings. The building’s efficiency and splendour are in striking contrast with the living standards of most Muscovites who then lived in overcrowded communal apartments. Soviet Union leader Nikita Khruschev started a development programme allowing thousands of people to move into their private albeit tiny and cheap-looking apartments in five-story residential buildings to solve this problem. They are still quite popular with first-time homeowners, who reconfigure them to fit their lifestyle. Ingenious design solutions and custom-made furnishings, as well as good taste, certainly help. Moscow also has something to offer for those living the high life –for example, the 2,000 sq.m. penthouse atop the city’s tallest skyscraper. Russia’s most expensive residential property features glass walls and a roof, allowing its future owner to enjoy 360-degree sprawling cityscapes. Those who find such living quarters too futuristic would instead want a visit to a pre-revolutionary house with intricate façades and apartments complete with marble-clad fireplaces. Its resident of over 50 years tells about growing up in this majestic house and weighs in on Muscovites’ habits and mentality. The last house tour of the show takes its viewers to a tiny 20-square-metre studio apartment on the 47th floor of a recently completed highrise in one of Moscow’s sleeper neighbourhoods. The young professional owner has always dreamt of living in a skyscraper and proudly demonstrates her home floating above the city like a spaceship. The new episode of Erick’s List about Moscow’s diverse housing scene captures the Russian capital’s exciting vibrancy and unique spirit.

The World Youth Festival in Sochi, Russia, brings together over 20,000 participants from 188 countries. The idea of fostering a platform for global youth dialogue originated from the youth community. They pitched the concept to President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who endorsed it. With more than 300,000 young people worldwide applying to participate, the selection process identified 20,000 young leaders in education, science, international collaboration, culture, and philanthropy to attend the Festival. Curious to learn more about the diverse perspectives shaping the Festival? How are these young leaders envisioning the future of education, science, and culture on a global scale? Join us as we delve into the vibrant atmosphere of the World Youth Festival in Russia. Explore the stories, aspirations, and transformative experiences of its participants.

Over 190 million hectares in 28 countries around the globe are currently under cultivation using GMO crops and weed killing chemicals. GMO proponents see it as a high-tech solution to feed a growing population, others remain sceptical. Do GMOs yield gains? Are they safe for the environment? Do they trigger allergies and other diseases?In the quest for answers, RTD’s Ekaterina Yakovleva embarks on a journey to meet the people who lift the lid on the perils of GMOs and the chemicals used in the industry. The investigation takes her to India, where farmers have been driven to suicide in futile attempts to grow modified seeds and the pressure of huge loans from the agrochemical companies. Ekaterina meets renowned environmentalist Vandana Shiva, who is raising awareness and storing local crop varieties, discarded by the ‘green revolution’. In the UK, the fight against GMO means the commercial planting of genetically engineered crops is banned. However, campaigners fear GM experiments may threaten conventional crops. Glyphosate-based weed killers and other chemicals also cause concern among anti-GMO activists. The team meets Margaret, Countess of Mar, a member of the House of Lords and a former farmer, who suffered from chemical use. A robust movement against GMO flourishes in the US, the world’s leader in the GM production. Ekaterina meets ‘Moms across America’, who beat the drum for honest product labelling.

One of the primary goals declared by Xi Jinping, the eradication of poverty is well underway in China. In this instalment of “Hello, China”, Anna Nedelko visits yet another part of Fujian province, where she sees first hand that having the least agricultural land per capita doesn't have to be an obstacle. With more than a thousand species of fish, algae and molluscs, Quanzhou's small fishing villages can offer an unforgettable gourmet experience, while the Yuntai mountain dwellers can make a good living by harvesting precious bamboo shoots and cultivating pomelo.

"My father, my grandfathers all fought in the war. So, I joined the army too. We all carry out our missions together here. It's like a second family, you might say," says a volunteer from the BARS unit. Yakuts of different backgrounds and professions formed their own volunteer battalion. They were gamers, locksmiths, and pensioners. Now they serve as drone operators, sappers, gunners, and commanders. The film crew spent several days with the BARS fighters, only metres away from the enemy positions, to show their everyday routine and tasks. Watch the documentary to learn more about Yakutia, the largest republic within Russia, and about its people and traditions. What prompted these brave men to volunteer for the Special Military Operation?

Julian Assange has spent over a decade in the spotlight, pursued and loathed by the US government for revealing its darkest secrets. Through his brainchild, WikiLeaks, Assange has published millions of leaked classified documents and correspondence on America's wars, politicians, military and corporations. Months after his dramatic removal from Ecuador's London embassy, Assange is set to begin his battle for freedom by contesting the attempt to extradite him. Washington wants to prosecute Assange under the Espionage Act, one of its most draconian laws. If extradited and convicted, the transparency advocate could face up to 175 years in a US prison. Assange's anti-secrecy activities have recently been under the microscope, and his allegedly quirky personality became the subject of relentless media scrutiny. Assange is a divisive figure: a free-speech champion to some and a dangerous maverick to others. However, little is known about Assange's personal life. For a broader perspective on Julian Assange, his inner thoughts and motivation, RTD correspondent Konstantin Rozhkov travelled the globe to meet his closest friends, father and former colleagues.

"People have got to live. Many of them have nowhere to go. They have come to understand that. Most are already used to it. The place where we are now, this town, gets shelled all the time. Yet, everyone's out walking and living a peaceful life. I wondered about that too, that there's virtually no distinct line. The transition between war and peace is very smooth." This is how 'Kuzya', Communications Chief of 'The Veterans' Assault Brigade, describes contemporary life in Donetsk. For almost 10 years, civilians there have been enduring relentless shelling. Presently, fierce battles are being fought for their freedom. Just 10 minutes away from the city centre is the theatre of war with heavy pounding from the enemy’s FPVs, bomb-carrying drones and artillery fire. However, families chose to remain in their hometown. How do these people navigate life at the crossroads of war and peace? Why did they decide to stay?

Any country is defined by the people who live there. Russia is a land that unites many diverse peoples. Each fulfil their mission and overcomes obstacles because the state gives them every opportunity to do so. At 17, Kamila Valieva is a world-standard figure skater and Olympic champion. Her journey began at a small sports school in Kazan. Now Kamila inspires the younger generation and teaches figure skating. This documentary is about the country that’s built on stories told by its own citizens. Prominent artists, actors, directors, athletes, and musicians open up about the factors that contributed to their success and talk about the influence their homeland has had on their success.

The latest episode of Erick's List takes us to Yakutia. RT journalist Erick Zarate didn't shy away from exploring Russia's coldest region, where temperatures often hit -70C. Celebrating the New Year in the winter wonderland while learning more about the cultural heritage of its people – what a glorious idea! Yakutia, officially called the Republic of Sakha, is the largest Russian region that lies off the beaten path taken by most travellers. With its vast territory and extreme temperature changes, Yakutia is quite alluring and slightly intimidating. Populated by at least six indigenous peoples, it's a hub of the Russian North's ancient traditions, beliefs, and crafts. But travelling these parts on one's own without the help of the local people – and local spirits! – would be extremely dangerous. Luckily, Erick enjoys a warm welcome from both and, clad in "unty" (traditional deerskin boots), treated to some delicious herbal tea and armed with an assortment of good omens and a shaman's blessing, hits the road. After a scary dog-sledge ride through the white wilderness, Erick reaches the Lena Pillars – an arresting rock formation shrouded in legends. He then offers local deities some cookies to reverse the bad weather and, after securing the protection of the clan fire, tries his hand at indigenous sports, including nomadic football, played with a deerskin ball. As part of the winter celebrations, Erick participates in the ice and snow sculpture competition. Although his team doesn't win, he learns a valuable lesson: to stay warm at -40C degrees, one must always remain active. Finally, before leaving this fantastic land, he meets Chyskhan, the Lord of Cold. A distant cousin of Santa Claus, Chyskhan, extends Erick a hearty reception in his ice cavern hidden in permafrost and learns some Spanish in return.

The US is the leading marijuana and cocaine market in the world. Many illegal drugs are grown just over border in Mexico. Sinaloa state is home to many members of its eponymous and infamous drugs cartel. The CIA considers the Sinaloa gang to be the most powerful narcotics trafficking organization in the world. It controls the entire production chain from cultivation to processing and distribution. The Cartel makes billions of dollars from American addicts. Life in Sinaloa depends largely on what the drug lords do. Wealthy gangsters frequently invest in their communities but it is even more common for residents to be killed in cross-fire. Inter-gang gunfights or street battles between mobsters and the police are regular events. Local farmers grow cannabis and opium poppies while local musicians compose and perform ‘narco corridos’, ballads that glorify the kingpins and their henchmen. Local teenagers dream of a fast track to riches and joining a gang is the only way they see to make it happen. Even a local folk hero and saint, Jesús Malverde, is considered a patron of Mexico’s drug cartels. Law-abiding citizens feel helpless to bring about change, anyone might become a victim of the ruthless mafia that kills journalists and even police officers with impunity. It is hard to find a local who hasn’t lost a loved one to the drug wars. In the deceptively quiet rural towns and villages of Sinaloa, the RTD film crew meets many different people, all united by the reality that they live in a place run by drugs. They also interview a former kingpin to explore how well crime pays. Their enquiry however did not go unnoticed; before long, our cameramen feared they might be on the wrong end of the wrong kind of shooting.

"There is always some spurious pretext for military or economic intervention to destabilise a target nation. The West's policy actually never takes into account the human beings in the countries that they are targeting, those human beings are irrelevant," argues American journalist Vanessa Beeley. How can it be possible to wreak havoc all over the world by waging wars and not be held accountable for it? A series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed conflicts known as the Arab Spring shook the world in the early 2010s. In a new inquiry led by Anna Chapman, politicians and scholars revealed the role the American government played in the course of the conflict. They also seek to answer key questions regarding the causes and consequences of the Arab Spring.

Indian farmers are struggling to make their cotton plantations pay a living wage. GMO seeds promised higher yields but turned out to be harder to grow. That has lead many farmers to rack up huge debts that they just can’t pay. In an alarming number of cases, worry and depression drive farmers to take their own lives, leaving their families to face a crippling financial burden. Activists argue that GMO companies are responsible for the decline in Indian agriculture, leaving the farmers no way out. India is home to a large and bustling cotton industry. However, in recent years the farmers are falling on hard times. Rising debts and loans impossible to pay back are causing widespread economic and emotional strain, and may be the cause of the recent wave of farmer suicides in these rural areas. RT Doc tries to get to the bottom of what’s going on with the Indian cotton industry. Monsanto is an American multinational agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology company. Among their main products are genetically-modified crops, or GME/GM crops. For some time now, Monsanto has been selling GM cotton seeds to farmers in India. They advertise them as being easy to grow and hardy, but the reality is somewhat different. Another problem is that GMO seeds are patented, so farmers are not allowed to store and re-plant them as they used to do with normal cotton seeds. As a result, Monsanto now enjoys a virtual monopoly of the cotton seed industry in the area. GM seeds are much more expensive than traditional ones. The crop is supposed to offset this cost, but many farmers are finding that the genetically-modified seeds are not growing as advertised. While activists claim that through deceptive advertising and monopolistic tactics, Monsanto is bleeding the rural farmers dry. To pay off their debts, many farmers are resorting to selling off their land or houses. Some of those who are worse off are even committing suicide in the wake of their enormous debts, as they apparently see no other way out. Though presenting themselves as a friend of the farmer, it seems that Monsanto’s main goal is simply profit, and as a result of these genetically-modified seeds, the rural farmers of India are suffering.

Alina Milennaya, a resident of Volgograd, Russia, found herself on an unexpected journey when she encountered a charismatic man named Igor Belov on a dating app. Seduced by his promises of a joyful future, she sold her apartment and car in anticipation of their wedding. However, when the big day arrived, Igor was nowhere to be found. It was revealed that he was, in fact, Dmitry Frolov, a notorious marriage scammer with numerous aliases and countless victims. Despite the heartbreak and betrayal, Alina refused to give up. Alongside other victims of Frolov's deceit, she started her own inquiry. Their efforts led to Frolov's arrest in February 2023. The documentary follows how they finally succeeded in bringing the scammer to justice.

Andrey Solovyev serves as the Commander of the heavy flamethrower platoon in the 6th regiment of radiological, chemical, and biological protection. Born in the Ukrainian city of Rivne, he comes from a family with a legacy of service—his father served as a chemical warfare officer and participated in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant catastrophe response. Following in his father's footsteps, Andrey became dedicated to protecting the homeland. Leading the TOS (heavy flamethrower system), Commander Andrey Solovyev and his unit are always the enemy's primary target. Andrey and his men have repeatedly found themselves surrounded, under precise Ukrainian fire. How did they manage to escape each time?

Valentina Korolenko, Senior Lieutenant of the Medical Service of the Pskov Airborne Division, has been serving in the frontline medical unit since the beginning of the Special Military Operation in Donbass. As a surgeon, she provided assistance to fighters on the front lines in the most complex and dire conditions. She believes that every surgeon is also a commander who devises a strategy that impacts the achievement of a specific goal. Valentina was awarded the medal "For Saving the Dying" personally by the President of Russia. Watch the new episode of the documentary series to find out how her challenging journey began.

At 42, artist Nikolay Polissky changed his life, turning from classical art to unconventional, nature-inspired sculpture and architecture. At the same time, he changed the life of his whole community, transforming the small village of Nikola-Lenivets into a world-famous centre for Land-Art. His works complement the natural beauty of the scenery around his village and are created by its residents, using local, eco-friendly materials. At first, many locals were sceptical. Busy with their everyday chores, they found it hard to justify spending time on volunteering to construct outlandish sculptures. However, Nikolay’s enthusiasm and dedication to his work soon ignited his neighbours’ creative spirit. The villagers became his co-authors and the community became an artistic colony. The conceptual folk craftwork that burgeoned from this unusual collaboration gained international attention. Now this place holds the largest Land-Art festival in Russia - Archstoyanie. It attracts tourists from around the world as well as Russian and international artists who exhibit their works. Watch the story of Russian Land-Art pioneer Nikolay Polissky and his quest for inclusive creativity.

For more than 20 years now, Al-Qaeda and separatist terrorists have been ravaging the territory of Mali. Hundreds of thousands of Malians were forced to flee violence and terrorist attacks. Eventually, France volunteered to help its former colony and launched operations; Serval (2013) and Barkhan (2014-2022), to combat and eliminate the jihadists. However, the French military failed to conquer the terrorists entirely; besides, their air raids ended in tragedy. Diomine Diarra recalls how his village of Bunti came under attack during his wedding ceremony. For Diomine’s family, as well as for thousands of other residents, the French bombings left most people with no other choice than to relocate. ‘Almost everybody in my village moved here. We fled our homes because of the war…It was as if I had lost everything I owned since I was born’, says the refugee. Diomine Diarra and his family has been living in the camp for six years. His home now is a self-made tent that houses him, his wife, and their six children. Because of the potential threat of new French air strikes, Diomine and his family left their fertile land and had to settle in a landfill in Bamako’s suburbs. Now, a small town of a few thousand people have significantly grown, around the piles of rubbish. After experiencing damaging effects from the French military presence, Malians decided to fight for the withdrawal of French troops and learn to defend themselves against terrorists. ‘So, the people realised that the French authorities adhere to a policy of destabilisation and the plunder of the natural resources and minerals of Mali’, says political activist Aboubacar Sidick Fomba. The documentary explores how Mali became the first country to leave the French sphere of influence and its impact on the whole continent.

Every 36 hours, a woman dies in Honduras, making the county one of the world’s deadliest places to be a woman. Honduras has the highest rate of female homicide in Latin America. In 2021, more than 240 women died violently. The murder of Honduran beauty queen Maria Jose Alvarado and her sister in 2014 highlighted the crisis and drew international headlines. Unfortunately, cases involving ordinary women keep going unnoticed. Many women and their families flee Honduras searching for a safer life abroad. Others join gangs and take part in violence. Very few fight for women’s rights despite numerous risks. Gang violence is widespread in Honduras, with occasional passersby coming under fire. It can be dangerous to simply cross the border between two gangs’ territories. The documentary explores female homicide in Honduras using the words of local women. A female gang member tells why she joined a gang and her daily responsibilities. Heartbroken parents guess who killed their daughter in the dead of night. Honduran feminists explain why they choose not to leave the country and help other women who experienced violence feel safer and more hopeful.

Anna was stricken by cancer about 55 years ago. She knew in early times dance was used as a healing and decided to dance to heal herself. She is now 96 years old. Anna says that being medically cured and truly healed is not the same thing. To be completely healed of a disease, you must go through some other kind of process. To dance through sickness, one must first embrace it. Then, by working through the psychological knots and wounds it has created, negative emotions can be released. Anna began to use dance to help young men afflicted with AIDS during the height of the epidemic in United States. By ‘dancing their disease’ together, they could freely express their fear, anger, and frustration, as well as their love for each other. She says that this tribal sense of community and strength gave AIDS victims a sense of belonging and peace, which is a kind of healing. Anna also used dance to tackle racial prejudice, which she calls another kind of sickness. She created the first multi-racial dance company in the US. Healing can take place on many different levels, including n social ones, she says. Anna took her concept of healing through dance to a more global level with the ‘Planetary Dance’, which is now held in 46 countries around the world. The dance is not a performance, but a peace ritual for the environment, the country, and the world. She says this dance is for everyone, as each person can feel something very special in their heart declaring: “I dance for…” Anna says dance has helped her to better understand the true nature of her body and its integration with the environment. She believes a person needs to spend time in nature and experience it tactilely to fully realise that they are one. This is why she is such a fierce advocate for protecting the environment, which she says is life itself. Losing any aspect of it is losing who we are, according to Anna. Teaching is still inspiring for Anna because when she sees something lacking in her students, she’s driven to create something new to help them. “Everything's in movement, all the time… We can make a dance out of anything,” she says.

Over the past 9 years, the Ukrainian government has adopted numerous laws facilitating organ transplantation. In 2021, the Ukrainian parliament approved law 5831, stipulating Ukrainians, including children, can become organ donors posthumously without their notarised consent and without relatives’ consent. This situation, combined with the ongoing military operation, raises concerns about the growing number of missing people and their connection to illegal surgeries. ‘From 2013 to 2014, human trafficking doubled in Ukraine,’ says American journalist & writer George Eliason. For nine years now, George has covered events on the frontlines and collected evidences of atrocities by the Ukrainian regime. In the documentary, families who have lost loved ones under mysterious circumstances share their painful experiences. Journalists, medical experts and human rights activists present the evidences they have gathered over the years. What have they discovered so far?