Current Affairs
Peace heroes
At a time when there are over 100 armed conflicts worldwide, this film focuses on peace heroes instead of war heroes.
We try to understand the escalation of violence in global conflicts, the art of diplomacy and reconciliation, and how sustainable peace can be achieved.
SPILLOVER 90’
Fighting the future pandemics
Covid-19 has officially claimed at least six million lives so far. Yet, researchers predict that this could be just the beginning, as at least 10,000 other viruses can potentially infect humans.
However, up to now, these pathogens have only reproduced in animal hosts. Species extinction directly triggers epidemics, making the fight for more biodiversity an absolute necessity.
Fearless virus hunters are on the frontline in Malaysia, Cambodia, Congo, and Europe to protect the world from another pandemic.
THE KIM DYNASTY, A FAMILY AFFAIR [2x45’]
A winning survival strategy
It is a small country, barely the size of an American state, with 25 million inhabitants and an insignificant economy.
Yet, North Korea has become a nuclear military power to reckon with, and its ruling family has been incredibly successful at keeping a grip on the country when other dictatorships have vanished long ago.
Their favorite tools are to terrorize the population and blackmail the world. This is how one ensures the survival of the first communist dynasty in History—an ongoing winning strategy.
Also available as 90mns
THE SILENT PANDEMIC 52’ or 90’
The resistance to antibiotics
The world is on the cusp of a major threat: bacteria are developing resistance to existing antibiotics faster than new ones are coming onto the market. An ever-widening gap is opening.
For the first time in recent history, we must accept that not all bacterial infections are treatable - with implications in all areas of medicine, from surgery to oncology.
The WHO has been using the term "silent pandemic" because antibiotic resistance is creeping, unnoticed in society, but with the potential to upend our health system.
ARMENIA, THE BLOOD OF THE MOUNTAINS 52’
A geopolitical battleground
Armenia is an island of coveted mountains in the heart of the Caucasus, at the foot of the Russian giant and the gateway to Turkey and Iran.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the country has become the battleground of a geopolitical struggle in which all the causes and influences are intertwined: ethnic, religious, energy, geographical, and political.
Countries such as the USSR, then Russia, the United States, Europe, Israel, Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan have all clashed in Armenia to varying degrees.
CHINA, MY WIFE HAS SOCIAL CREDIT 52’
Life in points
China has recently introduced a social credit system. In every moment of everyday life, one must now think of how to maximize one's points or lose as few as possible.
This film follows a couple in this Orwellian world where nothing escapes the eye of Beijing and its immediate sanction, and how it affects intimate and social relationships.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, TOURIST MADNESS 52’
Number one destination in the Caribbean
Located between Cuba and Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic has become the number one tourist destination in the Caribbean.
Each year, the country welcomes five million holidaymakers, a record for this small country of eleven million inhabitants renowned for its gentle way of life.
But who really benefits or suffers from this economic growth?
FERRERO, THE SECRETS OF A CHOCOLATE GIANT 56’
An empire not free from reproach
Thanks to its flagship products, Nutella and Kinder, Ferrero is a prosperous brand that, over three generations, has built a chocolate empire that is as popular with consumers as it is secretive.
But the scandals keep piling up. In 2022, in the run-up to Easter, dozens of children across Europe fell ill, sometimes seriously, after eating salmonella-contaminated Kinder. Did Ferrero turn a blind eye to the failings of its factory to protect its business?
The company is also accused of buying low-cost hazelnuts from Turkey, which are sometimes harvested by underage children in precarious conditions.
GERARD DEPARDIEU, THE FALL OF AN ICON 52’
Sexual assaults on set
Equivocal grunts, an apparent obsession with sex, shocking comments... This investigation reveals disturbing images of actor Gérard Depardieu, who constantly seems possessed when in the presence of women.
These images have taken on particular significance since he was charged with rape and sexual assault following a complaint from a young actress, Charlotte Arnould, who testifies in the film. Since then, around fifteen other women have come forward.
The trial is scheduled for March 2025.
What was going on on set and behind the scenes?
HACKERS, THE NEW THUGS 52’
A threat to our very existence
Hackers have been responsible for an estimated 11 billion euros worth of damage worldwide in 2018, a figure that's constantly rising and underestimates reality, as many victims prefer to keep silent to preserve their image.
Even if, officially, no one is giving in, the hackers are calling the shots, recently demanding 50 million euros from French retail companies.
These large-scale break-ins worry the authorities, who are battered by these hackers, sometimes barely out of their teens, attracted by easy money and the prospect of a life of luxury won in a few clicks. Today, they represent a threat to our very existence and that of businesses worldwide.
HAWAII, THE NATIVE RESURGENCE 52’
A fight for recognition
Since the United States annexed Hawaii in 1893, the descendants of the original Polynesian people have lost almost all their land.
Many wealthy Americans have heavily invested in the archipelago, building spectacular villas.
But today, an anti-American backlash is emerging among Polynesians who feel they are being considered second-class citizens.
LOVE AND SEX IN MEXICO 52’
Between machismo and modernity
Like many other Latin American countries, Mexico conveys an image of masculinity and religious conservatism when it comes to sex.
Yet, the capital has always been one of the most progressive in the region, and some native peoples display tolerance toward sexual minorities unknown in many European countries.
The Mexican society, with 130 million inhabitants, is complex and full of contrasts.
LOVE AND SEX IN SOUTH KOREA 52’
The land of bachelors
South Korea is the least fertile country in the world, and its population is estimated to halve by the end of the century. The cause is an ultra-competitive society obsessed with professional success. As a result, 75% of men and 68% of women aged 20 to 44 are single.
As finding a soulmate is not easy, South Koreans have become the world's most prominent cosmetic surgery consumers, and marriage agencies abound.
Faced with these pressures and constraints, many give up: no love, marriage, or children. For this generation, life can be successful in other ways. In return, sex appears to be a less complicated pastime than love.
MAKE AMERICA SWIFT AGAIN 52’
Sing it to the ballot
Taylor Swift is more than an absolute pop star; she is an empire worth over a billion dollars. According to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, the launch of her latest tour was decisive for the rebound of the U.S. economy.
Yet, despite her image as a consensual star and her apolitical lyrics, the singer tears through an America stirred by a particularly violent presidential campaign.
The Democrats dream of counting on her media support, while the Republicans, mired in candidate Trump's legal troubles, are terrified by the influence Taylor Swift could have on the election.
MALDIVES, OVERTOURISM AND SHARIA 52’
A doomed paradise
The Maldives archipelago, made of idyllic islands lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean, is a fragile paradise. Because of global warming, 80% of its land surface could eventually be submerged.
Tourism also has harmful effects, such as the accumulation of waste that pollutes the transparent lagoons.
It should also be mentioned that the Maldives is an Islamic state enforcing one of the strictest Sharia in the world in those islands closed to tourists.
MISSING, THE STORY OF ELOI ROLLAND [6x26’]
The tragic fate of a young expatriate
Eloi Rolland, 18, arrives in New Zealand to learn English and live new experiences away from his parents.
On the evening of March 6, 2020, he leaves his host family, but no one knows where he’s spent the night. The next day, he is spotted at the Britomart station to catch the train to Swanson. He gets off in New Lynn and heads for the intersection of Scenic Drive and Piha Road, his last known location.
At this point, his phone stops ringing for good.
NARCO BUSINESS [3x19’]
An investigation into the Sinaloa cartel
How do you investigate a Mexican cartel without risking your life? Call on a specialist in the economics of crime to answer Internet users' questions about the narco business's behind-the-scenes workings.
With him, we study the Sinaloa cartel, which specializes in the production of fentanyl, a drug forty times more lethal than heroin, responsible for tens of thousands of victims every year.
From the manufacture of fentanyl in clandestine workshops in Mexico to the laundering of millions of dollars from its sale through trust companies in Dubai, our expert unravels the business model of this gang that is flooding the United States with this addictive drug.
ORLANDO, THE WORLD CAPITAL OF FUN 52’
A not so rosy reality
Fifty years ago, Orlando was just a farming town growing oranges.
Today, the world capital of amusement parks is sprawling and developing frenetically, with no other American city growing as fast.
But behind the success story, there is a less rosy reality, from security issues of the rides to the precarious living conditions of the industry’s employees, some even sleeping in their cars.
PAKISTAN, THE NEW SECTARIAN DRIFTS 52’
Religious tensions
Growing religious tensions in Pakistan are leading to new forms of radicalism and sectarianism.
The consequences are apparent for Pakistani society in general and religious minorities in particular.
PARIS FIRE BRIGADE: SAVING NOTRE DAME! 52’
The fire that shocked the world
The fire at Notre Dame de Paris on April 15, 2019, shocked the world. The flames ravaged the cathedral's roof and threatened to destroy its historic heritage, including its precious stained-glass windows and millennia-old sculptures.
The firefighters worked tirelessly to bring the blaze under control, saving the main structure and some of the most precious relics.
The incident sparked a massive wave of international solidarity, with pledges of funding for the reconstruction of this iconic building, which is a symbol of French culture and history.
SILENT INVASION, CHINA'S BALKANS STRATEGY 52’
The search for new areas of influence
While Serbia and Montenegro are knocking on Europe’s door, China is investing heavily in infrastructure in the Balkans.
But the investments come with strings attached.
TAIWAN, AN IDENTITY DILEMMA 52’
At the crossroad of international tension
It’s a big rock off the coast of China, a country that cannot speak its name. Taiwan has long lived in the shadow of a compromise that no one has accepted but that everyone has respected for 70 years.
A sense of urgency has created a unique energy driving this small country to make itself essential to the world economy.
Today, Taiwan is caught in the headwinds that are sweeping the planet. It smells like gunpowder between China and the US.
THE MAN WHO DEFIED BEIJING 58’
The forgotten Nobel Peace Prize winner
Human rights hero and 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo was a key figure in the Tiananmen uprising. He was arrested under the same security law China imposed upon Hong Kong, spent nine years in jail, and died a few weeks upon his release.
His name remains little known outside of Asia as the Chinese regime has done everything possible to erase it from our collective memory. Alas, for the Beijing masters, Liu Xiaobo left a political legacy in the form of a lengthy interview before his arrest.
This exceptional film is his legacy supplemented with the testimonials of those closest to him. The portrayal of the great Man is also the compelling story of China's radical mutations.
THE RED PRINCESS 52’
A very powerful woman
A feminine figure has recently emerged in the Kim dynasty: Kim Yo-jong, the little sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Initially, her softer approach and modernity have charmed the foreign media. But quickly, the grim reality emerged. Kim Yo-jong is indeed a clan member who is pursuing the survival of her dynasty.
This compelling portrait of Kim Yo-jong offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the ruthless brutality of the North Korean dictatorship.
THE RED SPIES THEORY 57’
The Chinese economic intelligence scheme
In 2006, 70% of patents used in mainland China came from abroad. The aim is to reverse this trend.
To achieve this, the government has announced the creation of the concept of "re-innovation", meaning getting foreign know-how and technology, then adapting them before registering domestic patents.
Aeronautics, nuclear, telecommunication, transportation, green energy... All major economic sectors are covered by the "chen diyu", the "deep water fish" as Beijing likes to call its intelligence agents.