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The incredible and untold story of the invention, development and improvement of China's surveillance and repression system over the decades. A new light on China’s totalitarian power following the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.

LAOdong and GAIzao mean "work" and "reform" in Chinese, so LAOGAI is the concept of reform through work. Starting from the present time – the Communist party dealing with Covid – the series will take you back to the origins of the laogai and follow its evolution at the rhythm of the great political caesuras of contemporary China, each period having its share of purges, accumulating one on top of the other, and sparing no sector of Chinese society. A spectacular documentary series that will reveal that China is the greatest totalitarian power of all times.

Discover a stunning new collection of live performances featuring iconic artists across genres—from classical greats to contemporary pop legends.
 From Air’s concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall to Mozart's Requiem being performed at the Palace of Versailles, each concert is a unique experience. Enjoy great music from all over the world and step into unforgettable places!

At birth, is a girl as likely to become as rich as a boy? Statistics testify to the financial inferiority of women in today's developed societies. Although they are supposed to be autonomous and independent, surveys reveal invisible mechanisms at every stage of their lives, which are reinforced by institutional practices inherited from the past and contribute to their impoverishment.

What is this curse that prevents women from earning as much money as men? From a very early age, little girls are conditioned by the prejudices and preconceptions of the past. They get less pocket money than their brothers, who demand more... An approach that is set to remain different over the years. Girls are better at school, they do better in higher education, but they often end up choosing less lucrative careers. Is their "natural" attraction to nursing professions real or artificial? When they choose "better paid" careers, they come up against the so-called "glass ceiling". Added to this is the "motherhood penalty". Discrimination against women in the workplace is thus relayed into the private life, where unpaid domestic work gradually organizes the impoverishment of women... a long-identified plague that continues to ruin women's lives. In many countries worldwide, institutions sometimes drive the nail in, reinforcing the advantage acquired by men. Awareness is growing, and women are realizing that they must take their financial destiny into their own hands... or else they could lose their independence.

Between 1960 and 1980, the conservative movement spread across the United States of America. This movement brought Ronald Reagan to power while shaping the world as we know it today, where the free market is the new doctrine. A world where the richest keep getting richer and political discourse is completely uninhibited and less restrained. Here is a look back at these pivotal years, through the many images and myths they created.

Algorithms and data are the new weapons in the war that is being waged between the world's major powers. This film reveals what lies behind TikTok's extrodinary rise. 

For several months, investigations carried out by journalists and information gathered by various intelligence services have shown that TikTok allows the Chinese government to access hundreds of millions of data from American and European users. This data is fundamental when it comes to conducting influence or cognitive wars and can be a real weapon in the event of an armed conflict. A war of narratives is thus being waged: banning TikTok means preserving the liberal order embodied by the United States in the face of the Chinese Communist Party, which would use artificial intelligence to undermine democracies. This emerging doctrine within public opinion, crystallizing around TikTok, is just the tip of the iceberg. Algorithms and data have become strategic assets for governments. Having control over them is essential in an increasingly polarized world.

An international investigation reveals that, on Vladimir Putin’s orders, a system that was set up by oligarchs and closely linked to the Russian oil and gas industry, corrupted global finance. All this was meant to serve his revenge against the West. Discover four decades of Russian economic and financial history, through the rise and fall of the oligarchs.

Featuring testimonies and archival footage, the series shows how a handful of men took control of the Russian economy and established themselves as partners of the major Western powers, not only for their own benefit, but also to serve Vladimir Putin's ambitions. By focusing on their backgrounds, their motivations, methods and ambitions, the series exposes this mafia-like economic system, which reproduces itself like a sprawling octopus and adapts to geopolitical upheavals. This international investigation analyzes four decades of Russian economic and financial history, through the birth and rise of the oligarchs. Like a film noir, this series presents a bitter Russian novel, depicting the homeland of the Tsars and Lenin as a mafia-like petro-monarchy, where cynicism, violence, greed, and the thirst for power seem to have no limit.

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The Radio is the name of the first hip-hop nightclub in Los Angeles. This crazy, ephemeral adventure (1982-1984) started out with two teenagers, who were barely eighteen, Alex Jordanov (Super AJ), a young Frenchman, and an up-and-coming rapper named Tracy Lauren Marrow, (Ice-T). Less than two years later, this legendary club had become THE club if you were interested in underground culture, and the evenings with Prince, Michael Jackson, Madonna... are still described today as legendary!

In the cultural effervescence of the '80s, The Radio was a cultural testing ground where music, dance and urban art transcended social, racial and ethnic barriers. While hip-hop is often associated with the bad-boy image and a culture of rivalry, The Radio embodied a festive ‘peace & love’ kind of spirit. The documentary explores this exceptional and dazzling two-year period in the club's life using the dynamics of a buddy movie. The friendship between Alex Jordanov, a young French-Bulgarian man, and Tracy Marrow, aka Ice-T, a mixed-race young man from South Central, perfectly embodies the inclusive spirit of The Radio. Here is the story of a band of passionate young people, a group of friends who created a place where differences were erased in favor of collective energy. It was also a real melting pot of creativity, where DJs, MCs, beatmakers and dancers worked together to shape an emerging cultural revolution. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, it is this glorious period that this documentary explores: a new look at hip-hop as a culture capable of transcending differences, building bridges between communities, and inspiring future generations.

Famously known as the great builder and warrior of ancient Egypt, this series reveals the lesser-known facts about Ramesses II, Egypt's most famous pharaoh. It uncovers the man behind the myth through his military triumphs and monumental architectural achievements, as well as his personal and political challenges. Through 3D visual reconstructions and interviews with leading experts on ancient Egypt from around the world (French, American, English, German, Canadian), the series offers a unique insight into the life of this extraordinary leader.

Each 52-minute episode delves into a specific aspect of Ramesses II's life, shedding light on his exceptional reign which lasted over sixty years. Leading scholars, archaeologists and ancient history experts share recent discoveries lifting a new veil on this legendary ruler. Explore his enduring legacy which transcended eras and geographical boundaries through state-of-the-art 3D visual reconstructions and interviews and travel back in time to understand the man behind the legend.

This exceptional documentary series, made of three 52 minute episodes, gives the keys to understanding the historical, geographical and political situation in Palestine, thanks to never-before-seen archives and interviews with experts from around the world and the people facing the reality of what it is like to live on Palestinian territory. A land that is both an international ticking time bomb and the most disputed territory in contemporary history.

In his book De quoi la Palestine est-elle le nom ? journalist and Middle East specialist Alain Gresh looks at the place of Palestine in colonial history and in colonization. This is, without a doubt, the last great unresolved colonial question. Throughout the world, Palestine embodies a long-standing, divisive conflict, stirring emotions and irreconcilable oppositions. While Jewish Zionism is one element of this (hi)story, it alone cannot explain the destiny of Palestine and the fate of the Palestinians, just as the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 alone cannot embody the prologue to their national narrative.
So, how has the Palestinian identity been forged over the course of history, from ancient times to the present day, this sense of belonging to a people and a nation firmly rooted in what is undoubtedly the most disputed land in the world? A passionate subject par excellence, Palestine has been at the center of international and even national news for over 75 years. The issue affects everyone, mixing religion, archeology and history, ideology, racism, anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism.
From the Ottoman conquest to the British occupation, from the creation of the State of Israel to the 1948 Nakba (Arabic: ‘the catastrophe’), from the Israeli-Arab wars to the Oslo Accords and their subsequent failure, from the colonization of the West Bank to the bloody attacks of October 7, 2023 and the destruction of Gaza, the history of Palestine is an international ticking time bomb: that of the most disputed territory in our contemporary history.
So how do we tell the (hi)story of Palestine and its people?
By going back to basics and retracing the steps involved in building an identity and becoming aware of belonging to a people, a nation. Although the term ‘Palestine’ has a geographical meaning, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, independently of the national identities of the peoples living there, it also has a political meaning defined by an essentially Arabic-speaking and predominantly Muslim national community. It makes no sense to mix up the two.

Every week, ARTE Reports reviews in images the events that made the headlines. Documentaries on important issues around the world, from human rights to the outcomes of elections.

Faced with the challenges of climate change, and after years of poor farming practices, the cultivation of coffee - the world's most widely enjoyed beverage - is reinventing itself, to be more eco-friendly and fairer to the men and women who grow it. 

What are these new sustainable routes for coffee? What are the new solutions the industry is developing for tomorrow? Are they sustainable? And what kind of hope do these new agronomic, botanical and social experiments give us for the future of humanity? Coffee, a universal beverage and the world's leading agricultural resource in terms of value, is in crisis due to the climatic challenges threatening its production. However, a new sector known as “specialty coffee”, is emerging, advocating for eco-friendly and sustainable practices like those used for craft beer or top-of-the-range chocolate. This movement has been expanding rapidly over the past thirty years, offering new opportunities to coffee growers and reviving old techniques. At the heart of this transformation is Tom Darval, a young barista, who explores some of the coffee bean's most emblematic countries. Through his professional and personal quest, Tom meets agronomists and local players, as they are on a quest to create new farming methods and understand their impact on communities. This journey illustrates a hope for change in the face of environmental threats, while celebrating the values of togetherness and sharing this beverage conveys.