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The dynamics of a cult? Fragile actors are deconstructed by their mentor. Forbidden from discussing it with the outside, instructed to rid their lives of anyone who questions the method.

Pope Francis responds to questions from around the world, discussing topics including ecology, immigration, consumerism and social justice.

Is the WHO sick? The filmmaker and mother Lilian Franck reveals clandestine influences by the tobacco, pharmaceutical and nuclear industries on the organization. She shows a frightening portrayal of our present society, in which governmental politics is becoming obsolete. "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane." - Martin Luther King

On the front line of the Syrian war, a 30-year-old commander leads her female battalion to retake an ISIS-controlled city and emerges severely wounded, forcing her to redefine herself in this empowering tale of emancipation and freedom.

A life-like doll is talking on the phone in an entirely black space. A pantomime in which a cinema becomes a piece of theater. The viewer can only interpret the body language. One recognizable gesture leads to another, yet the underlying script remains a mystery.

A young pigeon fighter in Cairo leads his neighbourhood into the final battle. While pigeons may symbolize peace, here they reflect martial spirit and pride.

Ruth Beckermann documents the process of uncovering former UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim’s wartime past. It shows the swift succession of new allegations by the World Jewish Congress during his Austrian presidential campaign, the denial by the Austrian political class, the outbreak of anti-Semitism and patriotism, which finally led to his election.

A person enters the frame dressed up as a bird. In a dressing room, John Malkovich sheds the costume of Casanova. A young woman's skirt is just as orange as the beak of a zebra finch singing in a cage. White lilies stand at the foot of a statue of the Virgin Mary, red roses in front of the window of an SM studio. There the quiet game of submission in exchange for money, in a museum an embrace, a poem whispered in the ear. Children playing in a forest in autumn. A forest in summer, framed by light. An orgasm and a dance.

A portrait of Jan "Monchi" Gorkow, front man for the punk band Feine Sahne Fischfilet, and his campaign against racism and right-wing extremism.

At the age of 21, Vasily Vlasov became the youngest parliamentarian in the Russian Duma. Given his abundant confidence and self-assured manner, he could have been a refreshing new voice.

A meaningful account of the personal and professional life of the great Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007) that explores his film legacy, with interviews with his closest collaborators and a new generation of filmmakers.

Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz 1992-2017. The end of the GDR gave rise to new artistic freedoms in reunited Berlin. Shortly after the fall of the Wall, rebel director Frank Castorf was appointed artistic director of the Volksbühne. His way of working altered the public’s perception of this theater. The chronological history of the Castorf era between 1992 and 2017 is told here in excerpts from the productions and in a series of conversations conducted on the long sofa in the theater's foyer.

A 30 years odyssey: the world's most intriguing artists and thinkers from the fields of visual art, music, filmmaking, acting, literature, philosophy, politics, business and science, are asked the same question: "Why are you creative?"

An independent documentary exploring the early life, artistic vision, and cultural impact of rapper Lil Peep, focusing on his formative years and emotional world.

In this docudrama Rosa von Praunheim looks into Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s sexual orientation, especially into his erotic experiences during his travels in Italy. Contrary to the common belief, von Praunheim argues that Goethe was not a heartbreaker and conqueror after all. It was only in Italy, that he had diverse sexual experiences, not least with men. Von Praunheim bases his assumption on letters written by Goethe to his friend Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi about these sexual encounters. Some of the content of these letters is re-encated in the film. At the same time, historians and linguists analyse and classify the letters into their historical context.

A year of decisions. The country and the city are on the brink, the future is open, no one knows where the journey will take us. The First World War has been over for a good ten years, the defeat not understood, the republic a permanent state of emergency. History has only granted it four golden years. The splendor is based on credit and is already threatening to fade. There are 15 parties in the Reichstag, from the far left to the extreme right, and every government is an impossible coalition.

A deep dive into the hidden industry of digital cleaning, which rids the Internet of unwanted violence, porn and political content.

Melting glaciers, gullied seas, the financial markets are about to collapse. Spectacular images of how growth continues to be blinding. Outside you can hardly see anything because of the smog and the smoke screen.

Director Annekatrin Hendel delivers a portrait of three generations of Brasches as a microcosm of societal tensions being carried out on a large scale — between East and West, art and politics, communism and religion, love and betrayal, utopia and self-destruction.

This portrait for the comedian's 70th birthday also shows the artist from his sensitive side. He talks about his failed marriages, his religious upbringing and how he actually wanted to be a serious musician, but that comedy was ultimately more popular with audiences. In addition, many companions from Otto's early youth as well as later prominent companions have their say.

On September 15, 2008, the financial world faces its worst crisis since the end of the Second World War. Lehman Brothers, one of the world's largest investment banks, goes bankrupt. Savings banks and their customers in Germany are particularly hard hit. Landlords Claudia and Torsten Büttner also lose all their savings as a result of the crash and are unscrupulously cheated by their bank advisors. They include savings bank employee Arno Breuer, who reluctantly sells Lehman certificates, and young online banker Nele Fromm, who is driven by ambition and potential bonuses.

On November 20, 1979 at 5:30 in the morning, hundreds of armed men take over the Grand Mosque of Mecca, transforming the holiest shrine of Islam into a fortress and a trap for almost 100,000 pilgrims inside. This was the beginning of the siege of Mecca…

Documentary about the German sex industry after the German reunification.

The exiled Austro-German musician and composer Artur Schnabel was a giant of his time, but in Germany today he is nearly forgotten. Pianist and Schnabel devotee Markus Pawlik (in collaboration with baritone Dietrich Henschel and the Szymanowski String Quartet) brings Artur Schnabel's greatest compositions back to Berlin with a filmed commemorative concert. Along the way, Pawlik visits the places, landscapes, and history that shaped Schnabel's life and music. "Artur Schnabel: No Place of Exile" rediscovers an essential artist displaced by the catastrophe of the two World Wars and the Holocaust and inspired by the possibilities of modernism.

From massive waves to melting ice, filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky travels around the world to capture stunning images of the beauty and raw power of water.

West Germany in the 1970s. Many artists, journalists and intellectuals were branded as sympathizers of Baader-Meinhof's left-wing terrorism. The parents of the director, too: Margarethe von Trotta and his stepfather, Volker Schlöndorff. With extensive archive materials and film clips as well as Margarethe von Trotta's private diaries the film portrays one German family and the society of the time.

All Creatures Welcome explores the world of hackers and nerds at the events of the Chaos Computer Club, Europe's largest hacker association. The film dispels common clichés and draws a utopian picture of a possible society in the digital age.

Television entertainment in the southwest from 1954 to the present day: Frank Elstner recalls the best moments, the great shows and the famous stars of television entertainment from the beginnings in the 1950s of SDR, SWF and SR to today's SWR television program. The retrospective with many excerpts shows the great show hosts, such as Joachim "Blacky" Fuchsberger, Michael Schanze and Paola and Kurt Felix. Memories of the legendary music galas such as "Bonsoir, Kathrin" with Caterina Valente, "Baden-Badener Roulette" from the Kurhaus with the world stars of the time or the various hit shows. In addition, interviews with contemporary witnesses who worked in front of or behind the scenes offer insights into one or two exciting moments in television history.

Documentary about the football ultras subculture in Germany.

In a 30-minute workshop talk, actress Iris Berben remembers her early leading role in the German film "Supergirl - Das Mädchen von den Sternen" (1971) by director Rudolf Thome in detail. "When I saw the movie again, it sent me on a wonderful journey," recalls the actress. It was a journey back to her beginnings. "It's a wonderful coincidence that young German film also began at this time." For Iris Berben, the re-watching of "Supergirl" became a melancholy look back, in which she observed herself as a young actress in the role of the mysterious alien Francesca Farnese as well as seeing all her colleagues again, including above all Marquard Bohm (1941-2006), this "wonderful madman", with whom she had already played in her first feature film "Detektive" (1969), also directed by Rudolf Thome.

German Documentary on Clint Eastwood

Tim, Michael, and Dennis are artists, photographers, and filmmakers. They have one goal: to travel to Antarctica, capture the adventure on camera, and turn it into a feature film. They are willing to risk everything to achieve this goal. Without a production company or concrete buyers, but with a great deal of recklessness and two years of unpaid investment time, they set off for Antarctica. This is the only way they can find out whether you can really achieve anything if you want it badly enough. They want to capture their journey with all its ups and downs.

British author Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is the world's most translated author: her heroes, private detective Hercule Poirot and amateur sleuth Miss Marple, are known the world over. But who is the woman behind her bestsellers? A biographical search for clues, the unraveling of an iridescent personality whose existence and works were shaped by the tragic history of the 20th century: the eventful life of the Queen of Crime.

Filmed just over a century after the first tank battle in 1918, this documentary series explores how the vehicles forever changed warfare.

Docudrama examining the life of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who founded the Republic of Turkey from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. Monuments to him can be found in every city; the anniversary of his death is commemorated every year; derogatory words about him are punishable by law. Rarely has a politician changed a society so radically in such a short time as Atatürk did Turkey.

Traces the story of an extreme athlete, past and present; but also explores the psychology behind life, death, risk and the confrontation of fear.

In Brussels, Belgium, the Royal Museum of Central Africa is undertaking a radical renovation, both physical and ethical, to show with sincerity, crudeness and open-mindedness the reality of the atrocities perpetrated against the inhabitants of the Belgian colonies in Africa, still haunted and traumatized by the ghost of King Leopold II of Belgium, a racist and genocidal tyrant.

An account of the short life and the astonishing and provocative work of the Austrian painter Egon Schiele (1890-1918), seen through the peculiar point of view and the critic voices of the women who defined the paramount milestones of his existence: Gerti, his sister; Wally, his main model and lover; and Edith, his wife. A brief story of love, hate, betrayal and misfortune.

Documentary about German soccer manager Rudi Assauer, who'd shaped an era at Schalke 04 Football Club by achieving athletic success as well as saving the license to compete in the Bundesliga in economically difficult times.

The anonymous concrete construction “Excelsior” is just a stopover for many of its inhabitants. Soon, life will get better and everyone tries to get ahead in his own way: with “Invisible Make-up”, the 49-year-old Michael wants to re-connect with his previous success as a call boy. Claudia’s days as a dancer are over, but a series of new photos are supposed to help her get back on stage. Norman wants to help others find happiness with his start-up “ChangeU” and help himself to a new sportscar. Hardly anyone can escape the temptations of success.

Are the '68ers still alive? Yes - by and large. Many people think of Rudi, Daniel, Uschi & Co. when they hear "68" - of the student revolt against rigid structures, against the Vietnam War and emergency laws and for democratic socialism, peace and free love. But 1968 was much more than that. This one year changed the world. Great personalities are shot, but 1968 also stands for beauty and progress: kenhaus - alive. Twiggy,The show takes a look back at 1968. With exciting, tragic and often bizarre original material, it wanders through this very special year, supported by celebrities who lived through 1968 as young adults, teenagers or children, including Hannes Jaenicke, Christine Westermann, Achim Reichel, Uschi Nerke, Katja Ebstein, Claudia Roth, Jürgen Trittin and Wilfried Schmickler.

A year through the distant eyes of meteorological satellite Himawari-8 – a hypnotic stream of Earth's beauty, fragility and disasters. Animation of satellite irradiation scan measurements, scientific data by meteorological satellite Himawari-8 courtesy of JMA/BoM/NCI

The film explores the turbulent lives of homeless persons in Cologne, Germany. Through their personal belongings the homeless share with the viewer their memories and emotions, and provide insight into the secrets of survival on the street.

In focusing his attention on the competitors of Mr Gay Syria, director Ayse Toprak shatters the one-dimensional meaning of “refugee”. Using the pageant as a means of escape from political persecution, the organiser Mahmoud — already given asylum in Berlin — hopes to offer the winner a chance to travel as well as bring international attention to the life-threatening situations faced by LGBT Syrians.

Nobody captured the atmosphere of 1990s Berlin better than German photographer Daniel Josefsohn, who died in 2016 at the age of 54, leaving his mark in advertising with his irreverent aesthetic and punk sensibility. It was his spontaneous, imperfect images shot for an MTV campaign in 1994 that first made him famous.

In the Siberian countryside, marriage is traditionally seen as the greatest happiness for a woman. But the 80-year-old Dorotchka has always remained alone. At the kitchen table, she contemplates life, love, regret and loneliness – has she may be brought this fate upon herself? Olga Delane was born in Siberia. At the age of 16, she moved to Germany with her family. The director explores the views of Siberian people on life, love and marriage.

One of the first US born conductors to receive worldwide fame, Leonard Bernstein is an exceptional composer and certainly not only due to The West Side Story. Instead of concentrating exclusively on his most famous work, Thomas von Steinaecker sets out to paint a complete picture of Bernstein. Thus, the documentary focusses on the American’s less known later works and on three compositions in particular: his Mass, the musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the great final opera A Quiet Place. The film paints a vivid picture of the multitalented Bernstein, struggling with his role as composer and conductor, tackling the tension between successes and flops, between the politics of his time and his own liberal humanitarian claim. It looks back on Bernstein’s major achievements, such as his acclaimed conducting of Mahler and his involvement in the Young People’s Concerts, and it shows Bernstein’s work with young aspiring musicians as well as his political commitment.

The largest pinball event in Europe ever takes place. The largest hall that Gladbeck has to offer is used for this. There are approx. 150 devices in it. The documentary accompanies Gladbeck's Kevin Abramcyk and his friends. For them, the event will make their dream come true. There they run into Ralf Richter - a Ruhrpot icon. It couldn't get any better for the friends. The world's best pinball players fight for the title here.

Sir Simon Rattle was chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker for 16 years, and the length of this time alone gives his tenure the feeling of an “era”. But also in a qualitative sense, this was a special chapter in the history of the orchestra. This is shown in Eric Schulz’s documentary, which traces the many highlights and achievements of Sir Simon’s Berlin years in interviews, concert excerpts and archive material. The relationship between upholding tradition and innovation is just as much a theme of this documentary as the collaboration between the conductor with his creative powers and his self-assured orchestra. And this much is certain: the fact that the British conductor quickly became one of the most recognizable faces of the Berliner Philharmoniker and the city of Berlin itself means that for them, the Rattle era will remain in the memory for many years to come.

Accompanies three soldiers that are trying to find a way back to life with the help of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD. Where the conventional medicine is limited, Claudia Swiercek fills the gap with her horses.

For the members of the student fraternity "Corps Germania" it is a living democracy and a school for life - for outsiders, it is a claustrophobic, hierarchical microcosm with strict rules and strange rituals. What are these young men searching for?