Kung Fu Brothers

A film about fireworks, the people who make them and the cultures behind them across the globe.

Taiwan - Angst vor der Invasion

September 2019. China inaugurates the largest airport terminal in the world, which covers 700,000 m2, the equivalent of 98 football pitches. Built in 5 years, it embodies the jewel of Chinese modernity but also of French know-how. Go behind the scenes of a pharaonic construction site.

Guangzhou, a.k.a. Canton, is southern China’s centuries-old trading port. Today the booming metropolis of 14 million is a mecca of mass consumption, its vast international trading centers crammed with every “Made in China” good imaginable. Every year more than half a million Africans travel to Guangzhou where they buy goods to sell back in Africa. Over time, some have chosen to stay, and for these Africans China looks like the new land of opportunity, a place where anything is possible. But is it? Featuring a dynamic cast of men and women from Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, GUANGZHOU DREAM FACTORY weaves the stories of Africans chasing alluring, yet elusive, “Made in China” dreams into a compelling critique of 21st century global capitalism. Following a filmmaker’s journey from Ghana to China and back to Africa, GUANGZHOU DREAM FACTORY provides a rare glimpse of African aspirations in an age of endless outsourcing.

Based on three different places, the film portrays the infractions to which people living in modern day China are subjected due to rapid developments: in the deceptively idyllic Yangshuo in the rainy south; in the apocalyptic coal mining site of Wuhai in the parched north; and in Chongqing, the urban behemoth on the Yangtze River. The protagonists give their accounts of the unsurmounted past, the precarious present and their tentative steps into the future. The film thus paints a complex image of the mental state of the people in this complicated country.

Draussen bleiben

Taiwan is at the heart of a struggle between two nuclear powers – China and the United States - and there are fears it will become the next global conflict. President Xi Jinping insists Taiwan is part of China and must re-unify with the motherland. But Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, says the island is already independent and must maintain its freedom and democracy. Jane Corbin investigates how the Taiwanese government and young people are fighting what they say is Chinese disinformation, cyber attacks and dirty tricks.

See Grand Master Helio Gracie's historical battles against Japanese Jiu-Jitsu champions Kato and Kimura, which took place in the 1950's. Also watch the 1975 Team Gracie vs. Team Karate challenge, which took place on tile flooring, where Rorion, Relson, and the legendary Rolls Gracie were pitted against various karate black belts. Plus, Rorion in the first publicized NHB match in the US, where he fights a world-renowned Kickboxing champion who asked to keep his identity unknown. It also includes many fights of Gracie Jiu-Jistu students as well as the grueling match between Rickson Gracie and the feared brawler "King Zulu". Bonus Footage includes: The unedited footage of Helio Gracie's classic match with Kato. Also, see what is like a day with Helio Gracie at his ranch in Brazil. Plus, and the young gun Ralek Gracie in his first real fight!

This DVD documents many fights which occurred in the years just prior to Rorion's creation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Including Royce Gracie's first fight with Jason De Lucia (The second match was in UFC II) and the Hapkido master who fights Rorion can't seem to understand why he keeps getting choked out. You will also see Royler and Royce Gracie compete in black belt judo competitions and prove repeatedly that Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is more than just a sport. Also included are some of Rickson Gracie's fights, one against a Russian which took place at the Gracie Academy and the other is the classic fight of his, on the beach in Rio de Janeiro. Bonus Footage Ryron and Rener of the new generation of Gracie's, competing in incredible matches against some of today's best grapplers: "King of the Cage" champion Joe Stevenson, Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Cassio Werneck, Todd Margolis and much more!

In the run-up, everything actually spoke against the Chinese capital as the host of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games: Beijing is neither a winter sports region nor are human rights respected in China. The IOC obviously didn't care. Topics such as sustainability, freedom of expression and climate protection were also pushed aside. It's about power and profit instead of the Olympic idea and its values. But more and more athletes are speaking up and calling for a reform of the Olympic Games. A pioneer in this matter is ARD Olympic expert Felix Neureuther, a former alpine skier, who sucked up the Olympic spirit with his mother's milk, because his parents are alpine ski legend Rosi Mittermaier, double gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, and father Christian, a ski racer, who took part three times at the Olympics. Based on interviews with athletes, experts, IOC officials and persecuted Uyghurs, Felix gets a glimpse behind the scenes of the Olympic system.

Spirit2Power is an evocative, feature-length docu-film presenting a journey into the spirit of martial arts. It is set against the backdrop of Turkey’s southern panoramic coastline with special guest appearances, featuring world champions and international specialists.

Containing never-before-seen footage spanning 20 years, this monumental documentary tells the definitive story of the rise and fall of Chinese freestyle battle rap.

How do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with violence? Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? These are some of the questions posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray. Ray examines some of the fundamental questions of our time by weaving together observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East, and the wisdom of an extraordinary spiritual leader. This is his story, as told and filmed by Rick Ray during a private visit to his monastery in Dharamsala, India over the course of several months. Also included is rare historical footage as well as footage supplied by individuals who at great personal risk, filmed with hidden cameras within Tibet.

Exploring the secrets of China to reveal the beauty of its hidden kingdoms, with unique access to locations across the country.

Joris Ivens and wife Marceline Loridan took their cameras into Pharmacy No. 3 in Shanghai, which in addition to dispensing drugs manages an outreach program of medical services, an extension of the pharmacy’s in-house medical care center.

Derrière les murs de la Cité interdite

The Chinese global machine has been invited to revitalise the ailing Swedish town of Kalmar. The town's mayor has invited a Chinese company to build a trade centre and 300 homes, but all does not go to plan. An amusing and deeply relevant film, which shows the fault lines that emerge when the tigers of the developing world try to expand into Europe.

Behind his polite exterior lies a formidable leader with a ruthless character, ready to do anything to make China the world's leading power by the People’s Republic’s centenary in 2049. This well-documented portrait of the Chinese president gives an unprecedented insight into his politics and shows how Xi Jinping's personal journey has shaped his choices as he steers China towards world domination.

China's top drama academy stages the American musical "Fame," China's first official collaboration with Broadway, as the graduation showcase for its senior class. During the eight-month rehearsal, five students compete for roles, struggle with pressure from family and authority, and prepare to graduate into China's corrupt entertainment industry.

Dan Snow, Dr Alice Roberts and Dr Albert Lin investigate a series of earth-shattering discoveries at a mighty tomb guarded by the Terracotta Warriors in China.