The Documentary Podcast
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. The best of documentary storytelling from the BBC World Service.
From China’s state-backed overseas spending, to on the road with Canada’s Sikh truckers, to the front line of the climate emergency, we go beyond the headlines.
Each week we dive into the minds of the world’s most creative people, take personal journeys into spirituality and connect people from across the globe to share how news stories are shaping their lives.
From China’s state-backed overseas spending, to on the road with Canada’s Sikh truckers, to the front line of the climate emergency, we go beyond the headlines.
Each week we dive into the minds of the world’s most creative people, take personal journeys into spirituality and connect people from across the globe to share how news stories are shaping their lives.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 13, 2019 • 50min
Cuba's digital revolution
Explore Cuba's digital revolution as citizens embrace social media, challenge government, and express themselves online. Meet political podcasters, activists, gamers, and journalists navigating a changing media landscape. Discover the power of social media to transform Cuba's communication and potentially the country itself.
Oct 10, 2019 • 27min
Nigeria: sex for grades
Investigative journalists uncover rampant sexual harassment and abuse by university lecturers in Nigeria. Undercover recordings reveal the disturbing normalization of 'sex for grades' and the manipulation of vulnerable students. The podcast highlights the urgent need to address this epidemic and protect young women on campus.
Oct 9, 2019 • 27min
Translating for mum and dad
Psychologist and former child migrant, Humera Iqbal, discusses the crucial role of young migrant translators in the UK, exploring their challenges and responsibilities. Topics include language choices in healthcare, translation duties for parents, and the bond formed through interpretation within families.
Oct 8, 2019 • 27min
Passport to paradise
Explore the controversial citizenship schemes in Vanuatu, raising questions about transparency and economic impact. Delve into the ethical dilemmas of selling statehood through passport sales and the concerns over growing Chinese influence in the region.
Oct 3, 2019 • 26min
Undercover with the clerics: Iraq’s secret sex trade
Discover the controversial practice of 'pleasure marriages' in Iraq, where clerics exploit vulnerable women for sexual gratification. Dive into the heartbreaking stories of women coerced into temporary marriages, risking their lives and future. Uncover the dark world of clerical exploitation in Iraq's secret sex trade, where even child marriages are normalized. Hear the denouncement of these practices by religious leaders, while women continue to suffer in silence.
Oct 1, 2019 • 28min
How to buy your own country
Exploring the lucrative world of citizenship schemes, from buying passports for security to the complexities of obtaining multiple nationalities. Hear stories of cross-border families and the business of purchasing citizenship from countries like Vanuatu and Gambia. Dive into diverse narratives featuring women musicians, individuals battling schizophrenia, and confronting street harassment, with a sponsor segment showcasing affordable fashion essentials.
Sep 29, 2019 • 51min
America's child brides
The podcast delves into the controversial topic of child marriage in America, highlighting the alarming fact that in 17 states there is no minimum age for marriage. It shares powerful stories of individuals like Fatima who were forced into marriage at a young age, as well as advocacy efforts to raise the minimum marriage age to 18. The podcast also explores the disturbing trend of men marrying children to avoid rape charges and the challenges faced in pushing for legislative change.
Sep 26, 2019 • 27min
Chile’s Stolen Babies
A Chilean man searches for his mother after being adopted overseas during Pinochet's regime. Many mothers were pressured to give up their children. The investigation includes judges, social workers, and nuns. Families are reconnecting after decades of separation. Mothers are reunited with children they thought were dead.
Sep 24, 2019 • 28min
The imam and the artist
A podcast delving into the life of Imam Abdullah Haron, an anti-apartheid Muslim cleric in South Africa who died in police custody. His family seeks justice, questioning the official cause of death. The story follows a visual artist creating artwork to honor the imam's legacy and shed light on the injustices of the past.
Sep 22, 2019 • 50min
World War Two: The economic battle
The story of World War Two is usually told in terms of heroism on the battlefield, but perhaps the most important struggle was the economic battle. Across the world countries were fighting to feed their populations, maximise production from their factories and fund their armies. To mark the 80th anniversary of the start of World War Two, economist Duncan Weldon examines how the economies of the European powers, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Soviet Union, set the scene for the conduct of the war in 1939 and 1940.
