Global Cultures

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  • Only Water in the Sea

    There are not many fish left in the Mediterranean Sea, and both fishermen and dolphins are fighting for survival. This film clearly shows the consequences of overfishing and unsustainable tourism in the island of Stromboli through two of the last guardians of a world that is disappearing. This i...

  • Dying For A Smoke

    Despite increasing smoking bans, New Zealand's Māori community is disproportionately affected. 46% of Māori are regular smokers (vs. 21% non-Māori), causing 31% of Māori deaths. "Dying For A Smoke" investigates this crisis, featuring personal stories like Natasha's, who started young. The anti-sm...

  • I Love St Lucia

    Join Leee John of Imagination exploring St Lucia’s magic! We venture to the majestic Piton Mountains, the drive-in Sulphur Springs volcano, and vibrant music festivals. The journey also features an exclusive interview with the island's Prime Minister. A unique cultural adventure awaits

  • Mergui

    Exploring Myanmar's recently opened Myeik Archipelago, this documentary showcases 800 pristine islands. Now a top-ten destination for travelers and divers, the film is a beautiful homage to this natural environment and its native inhabitants, the Moken people.

  • A Gallery Without Walls

    Nestled on Waiheke Island's eastern shore is Connells Bay. Here, art enthusiasts John and Jo Gow have created the renowned Connells Bay Sculpture Park. They masterfully unite art and nature, crafting unique spaces for a stunning collection of site-specific sculptures.

  • A Punk Daydream

    In Jakarta, young punks escape authority for freedom, their stigmatizing tattoos a permanent break with society. "A Punk Daydream" intertwines documentary and fairy-tale as Eka and his friends navigate a future marred by corruption and pollution. They feel a kinship with the Dayak people, another...

  • Postcard From Afghanistan

    Comedian Mike King performs for US & Kiwi troops in Afghanistan, witnessing their rebuilding & security roles. He experiences the war's terror firsthand when an “indirect airstrike” siren sends them scrambling for shelter. A stand-up gig like no other.

  • I Love St Lucia Trailer

    Join Leee John of Imagination exploring St Lucia’s magic! We venture to the majestic Piton Mountains, the drive-in Sulphur Springs volcano, and vibrant music festivals. The journey also features an exclusive interview with the island's Prime Minister. A unique cultural adventure awaits

  • Art: Interrupted

    In 2012, Kochi, Kerala launched Asia’s biggest contemporary art show. Filmmaker Hattie Bowering follows artists battling no power, dengue, heat, and labor issues to open the historic Kochi-Muziris Biennale. A rare, refreshing look inside the artistic process. 

  • My Afghanistan

    Afghan-Danish journalist Nagieb Khaja critiques the West's uninformed Afghan view. To bypass biased media, he gave Helmand villagers smartphones to document their own lives—farmers, students, men, women—showing authentic narratives. He explores his Afghan heritage and the people's complex ties to...

  • The Favela Bar

    Rich kids now flock to exclusive favela parties, with tickets over $25 barring locals. From a bar on the tourist route, watch the stark divide between residents and these new visitors.

  • First Contact

    In 1930, the Leahy brothers entered Papua New Guinea, filming their shocking first contact with Indigenous communities. Fifty years later, surviving Papuans recall believing these white men were dead ancestors returned. Witnessing their younger selves in this rediscovered footage, they then recou...

  • The Queen of North Shields

    Zimbabwean refugees in the UK, Josephine and Michael send hundreds home monthly, living in deprived Meadow Well. They see their poor British neighbors’ struggle through a lens of global relativity—their story, "The Queen of North Shields," explores poverty’s fluid identity across Tyneside and Afr...

  • The Recurring Nightmare

    In a haunting recurring dream, Khalo Matabane sees his own body in a coffin. To unravel its meaning, the filmmaker seeks answers from both a psychologist and a traditional South African sangoma, exploring the psyche across two worlds.

  • The Road to Fame

    China’s top drama academy stages “Fame” as a Broadway collaboration and senior showcase. Over eight months, five single-child generation students grapple with parental pressure, corruption, and personal anxiety. Through the musical, they confront social realities and forge their own paths to succ...

  • The Chinese Mayor

    Controversial Mayor Geng Yanbo demolished 140,000 homes in Datong to relocate half a million people, aiming to restore ancient walls and pivot to tourism. His radical vision sought to combat pollution and revive the economy through culture, outlining a complex blueprint for China's urban future.

  • After The Dance

    Award-winning filmmaker Daisy Asquith unlocks a long-buried family secret in Ireland. With her mother, she investigates her grandmother’s hidden pregnancy, a forced adoption by nuns, and a mysterious father. Their raw, emotional journey confronts centuries of Catholic shame, culminating in a powe...

  • Lift

    In a London tower block, filmmaker Marc Isaacs sets up in the lift. His informal chats with residents yield unexpected results—capturing multicultural Britain with humor and moving moments.

  • One Bride, Seven Cows or a Box of Heroin

    Girls are traded as goods, sold into marriage for school fees or heroin. From Mei in Vietnam to Mujgan in Afghanistan, this film tells their stories.

  • Salma

    Locked up at 13, forbidden to study, Salma wrote poems on hidden scraps. She smuggled them out, becoming a famed Tamil poet. Her words forged her freedom and challenged her village's strict traditions.

  • The Road: A Story of Life and Death

    In Marc Isaacs’ film, diverse London arrivals seek better lives: an aspiring Irish singer, a lonely ex-builder, a Kashmiri hotel worker, a Jewish WWII refugee, and a retired German stewardess. Blending humour and heartbreak, it’s a deeply affecting, non-polemical study of immigration.

  • Joe Leahy's Neighbours

    'First Contact' sequel follows Joe Leahy, son of explorer Michael. Between his European education and Papua New Guinean roots, he runs a coffee plantation. Filmmakers lived on its edge, documenting his strained ties with Indigenous neighbours and the clash of tribalism and capitalism.

  • OMG Oh My God

    1 season

    This series takes an inviting & insightful look at the spiritual teachings, customs & daily lives of families of different faith. Experiencing a vast array of traditions & social activities it explores faith through the eyes of youth, their families and social connections as it takes a light-hea...

  • Discover China

    1 season

    Discover China is a documentary series shot in conjunction with the Chinese Ministry of Culture and China Central Television, including footage of never before seen locations and recreations of historical events. It was shot by BBC film crews over a four year period.