The Documentary Podcast Podcast
Hear the voices at the heart of global stories. Where curious minds can make sense of the world. Home of 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. Home of the best documentaries from the BBC World Service.
From the impact of drought on crops, tourism and trade, to Africa's first film city, to the Romanian teenagers who built a DIY internet...we go beyond the headlines.
Each week we look at the stories shaping our world and hear voices connecting people from across the globe, asking how news stories are shaping their lives. We also follow spiritual journeys, examine the world through the lens of its media and focus on solutions to global problems.
Episodes to download
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Heart and Soul: My journey beyond death
Fri 20 Oct 2023
Exploring extraordinary spiritual awakenings that follow a confrontation with death
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Assignment: The village versus the mine
Thu 19 Oct 2023
An ancient village in northern Portugal fights plans for a lithium mine on its doorstep
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Africa’s Urban Future: South Africa
Tue 17 Oct 2023
What is the future for Africa's rapidly swelling cities?
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In the Studio: Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Mon 16 Oct 2023
Mohsen Makhmalbaf takes us behind the scenes of the making of Kandahar
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Special: My Indian Life
Sun 15 Oct 2023
“I’m in love with the mountains.” A special episode from Kalki Presents: My Indian Life
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The Cultural Frontline: How Disney redefined animation
Fri 13 Oct 2023
The 100th anniversary of the world's best-known animation studio
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Assignment: America’s hidden histories
Thu 12 Oct 2023
A new statue in Virginia shines a light on histories hidden in plain sight
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Africa's urban future: Tanzania
Tue 10 Oct 2023
The opportunities and challenges for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's commercial centre
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In the Studio: Anton Skrypets
Mon 9 Oct 2023
Producer Anton Skrypets on making his film Stay Online about the war in Ukraine
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BBC OS Conversations: Fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh
Sat 7 Oct 2023
Refugees and volunteer aid workers share stories of the situation
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Heart and Soul: Young Catholics on the Francis revolution
Fri 6 Oct 2023
The Catholic church is discussing its future but what do young Catholics want?
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Gabon’s dark football secret
Thu 5 Oct 2023
BBC Africa Eye investigates the sexual abuse of young footballers in Gabon
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Africa's urban future: Ghana
Wed 4 Oct 2023
What is the future for Africa's rapidly swelling cities?
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Will the unicorns of the sea fall silent?
Tue 3 Oct 2023
Can narwhals, which rely on echolocation, survive in an increasingly noisy Arctic?
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In the Studio: The visitors
Mon 2 Oct 2023
Australia’s colonisation, told from an Indigenous perspective
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October 1973: The war that changed everything
Sun 1 Oct 2023
The 1973 Arab-Israeli war that lasted 19 days but changed the world forever
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BBC OS Conversations: War and fatigue in Ukraine
Sat 30 Sep 2023
Fighters, families and journalists share their experiences of the conflict
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Heart and Soul: The Hare Krishna MC
Fri 29 Sep 2023
Jake Emlyn, the world’s number one Hare Krishna rapper on his journey of self-discovery
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Germany: Jail for fare-dodging
Thu 28 Sep 2023
Why travelling without a ticket on public transport in Germany could land you in jail
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Donor babies: A question of identity
Tue 26 Sep 2023
People born as a result of egg and sperm donation on finding their real identities
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In the Studio: Ken Loach: The Sequel
Mon 25 Sep 2023
On set with Ken Loach as the shooting starts on The Old Oak
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BBC OS Conversations: The floods in Libya
Sat 23 Sep 2023
Libyans share their experiences of the disaster in Derna
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Heart and Soul: Poland's nuns lifting the veil
Fri 22 Sep 2023
The former Catholic nun helping others who want to leave their religious communities
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How a war has changed a Norwegian town
Thu 21 Sep 2023
How once friendly relations between Norway and Russia have frozen in the far north
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Cricket and the maidens
Tue 19 Sep 2023
How single women cricketers are challenging the expectations of marriage in India
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In the Studio: Vhils
Mon 18 Sep 2023
Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto aka Vhils creates a 31m long mural for Unesco
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Bonus: The Explanation
Sun 17 Sep 2023
What is a war crime? How is it different to a crime against humanity and genocide?
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Remembering Buthelezi
Sun 17 Sep 2023
The BBC's Audrey Brown looks back at the life of South Africa's Zulu leader
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BBC OS Conversations: The earthquake in Morocco
Sat 16 Sep 2023
Survivors, volunteers and rescue workers share their experiences
