The Documentary Podcast cover art
Podcast · 508 episodes

The Documentary Podcast, page 21

by BBC World Service · English

The best documentaries from the BBC World Service. Hear the voices at the heart of global stories. Where curious minds can uncover hidden truths and make sense of the world. From Australia's relationship with China, to Turkey's sinkhole problem, to understanding the behaviour of dictators, we go beyond the headlines. Each week, all year round, we bring you the stories shaping our world. From the personal voices behind the headlines to perspectives on faith and spirituality and how work and money impact our lives. Discover how people find solutions to global problems and look at the world through the lens of its media. Powered by the BBC World Service’s global network, The Documentary Podcast is about the people living the story – helping you see the world with greater clarity.

All episodes, page 21

Controlling nature's data“Controlling Nature’s Data” explores how companies are harvesting and using genetic information from microbes and other organisms, and who should own the resulting “digital sequence information.” It…31 Jul 2025 · 27 min · 14 chapters
The JNIM branch of al-QaedaJNIM (Jamaat Nasrat al-Islam wal Muslimin), an al-Qaeda affiliate in the Sahel, and how it grew into a multi-tribal coalition that attacks, holds territory, and recruits by portraying itself as…30 Jul 2025 · 32 min · 11 chapters
Can Greenland go it alone?The BBC World Service documentary “Assignment” episode “Can Greenland go it alone?” explores whether Greenland can achieve full independence from Denmark, amid rising US interest and global attention.29 Jul 2025 · 27 min · 13 chapters
Marina Tabassum: Designing London's Serpentine PavilionMarina Tabassum discusses how childhood wedding “shamianas” and Bangladesh’s light, water, and temporariness shaped her Serpentine Pavilion design “A Capsule in Time” in London’s Kensington…28 Jul 2025 · 26 min · 14 chapters
The shooting of India’s biggest hip hop starThe 2022 broad-daylight shooting and killing of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Musawala in Punjab, and what the investigation says about gangster culture, threats, and extortion networks tied to the Punjabi…26 Jul 2025 · 25 min · 12 chapters
The hidden pain of fibroidsUterine fibroids—non-cancerous uterine growths—hidden suffering, stigma, and limited treatment options.26 Jul 2025 · 23 min · 16 chapters
Rāgas and Redemption: Alam Khan’s Spiritual LegacyAlam Khan and the sarod’s spiritual legacy—how Indian classical music (ragas/agas) is framed as devotion, “cosmos” and interfaith harmony, alongside the pressures of carrying Ali Akbar Khan’s lineage…25 Jul 2025 · 27 min · 9 chapters
The battle for Bangladesh: Eye InvestigationsBBC Eye investigation into Bangladesh’s July student protests, police killings, and the search for accountability, including a leaked phone call allegedly authorizing lethal force and the case of…24 Jul 2025 · 26 min · 11 chapters
Vancouver's mental health crisisVancouver and nearby BC face a mental health crisis tied to opioid addiction, homelessness, and gaps in treatment capacity, especially around involuntary “secure care.”22 Jul 2025 · 27 min · 16 chapters
Wynton Marsalis: The sound of democracyThe episode is a BBC “documentary in the studio” following jazz trumpeter and bandleader Wynton Marsalis as he rehearses and explains his 2025 work The Democracy Suite with the Jazz at Lincoln Center…21 Jul 2025 · 26 min · 19 chapters
The mystery of the ‘tula boy’The episode is about the “tula boy” mystery: a Korean child allegedly smuggled into Colombia during the Korean War, and how his identity and family history were rediscovered decades later.19 Jul 2025 · 18 min · 12 chapters
LandminesEpisode “Landmines” (BBC World Service, BBC OS Conversations) discusses the ongoing human and political impact of anti-personnel landmines and the work of deminers.19 Jul 2025 · 23 min · 10 chapters
Escaping North KoreaNorth Korean Christian defectors’ escape from North Korea, the role of underground Christianity in China, and how the Kim regime functions like a quasi-religion.18 Jul 2025 · 27 min · 16 chapters
Returning Germany’s stolen skullsThe BBC documentary “Returning Germany’s stolen skulls” follows Zablon Kiewelu’s attempt to repatriate his grandfather Akide Kiewelu’s skull from Berlin to Tanzania, after German colonial forces…17 Jul 2025 · 26 min · 14 chapters
Myanmar’s Scam CentresBBC World Service investigation into Myanmar scam centres near Thailand’s border, where trafficked migrants are forced to run fake online investment/crypto scams; the episode also alleges involvement…15 Jul 2025 · 27 min · 12 chapters
Anatomy of a sceneAntonia Quirk recounts her experience acting in Athena Rachel Sangari’s film Harvest, focusing on how a specific fight scene (Agnes Carr vs.14 Jul 2025 · 26 min · 12 chapters
Dying for a transplantOrgan donation and transplantation—why demand far exceeds supply, and how countries handle donor consent, allocation, cost, and public trust.13 Jul 2025 · 49 min · 25 chapters
The Romanians choosing life in the hillsRomanians leaving hot city apartments for countryside “choosing life in the hills,” driven by pandemic lifestyle changes and desire for space, safety, lower consumption, and sustainability; plus two…12 Jul 2025 · 27 min · 10 chapters
Why it's good for men to talkMen discussing why it’s hard to share emotions and how stigma harms mental health; includes examples of suppressed feelings, a friend’s suicide, and how men’s support groups help.12 Jul 2025 · 25 min · 11 chapters
France’s new ChristiansHeart and Soul (BBC World Service) explores why France—highly secular, with 8 in 10 saying they have no religion—has seen sharp growth in adult baptisms (about 10,000 adults at Easter, up 45%…11 Jul 2025 · 26 min · 12 chapters
Ark of the dry landsHow farmers in Morocco and scientists at ICARDA (International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas) use ancient “land races,” drought- and disease-tolerant seeds, and long-term gene banking…10 Jul 2025 · 26 min · 16 chapters
Bonus. World of Secrets: The Killing CallBBC World of Secrets Season 8, Episode 1 “The Killing Call,” a two-year investigation into the killing of Indian Punjabi music star Sidhu Musiala (Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu), including his rise to fame,…9 Jul 2025 · 36 min · 12 chapters
Re-homing France’s immigrant workersFrance is demolishing “foyers” (workers’ hostels) for immigrant men and replacing them with “résidences sociales” or other social housing, raising fears of eviction, higher rents, and the loss of…8 Jul 2025 · 27 min · 11 chapters
Max Kidruk: Imagining the future in a science fiction trilogyBBC “In the Studio” interview with science-fiction author Max Kidruk about his Martian trilogy The New Dark Ages (Volume 2: Collapse).7 Jul 2025 · 26 min · 10 chapters