The Documentary Podcast Podcast
Hear the voices at the heart of global stories. Where curious minds can uncover hidden truths and make sense of the world. Documentary storytelling 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. The best of documentary storytelling from the BBC World Service.
From conflict in the Middle East to the advance of AI, 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 to download
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Has Ghana's ‘Year of Return’ been a success?
Sun 10 Aug 2025
In 2019 Ghana's tourism board encouraged people to return to Ghana but has it worked?
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Why are Chinese micro-dramas so popular?
Sat 9 Aug 2025
What's behind the success of a Chinese short form video trend that has expanded globally
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Israelis and the war in Gaza
Sat 9 Aug 2025
Israelis discuss the war in Gaza and their fears for the hostages being held
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Freddie’s second verse
Fri 8 Aug 2025
Freddie left fame behind to follow Buddhism and find stillness in Hong Kong
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The Engineers: Exploring the human
Thu 7 Aug 2025
Innovations in neuro-science, blood-bubble drug delivery and ingestible electronics
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New Zealand: Heading across the ditch
Wed 6 Aug 2025
What will New Zealand's rapidly changing demographics mean for the country's future?
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Waiting for my Dad - Ukraine's children of the missing
Tue 5 Aug 2025
A pioneering summer camp for Ukrainian children with missing parents
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Luke Jerram: A good yarn
Mon 4 Aug 2025
Artist Luke Jerram creates a big ball of yarn to roll through the streets of Bradford
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Why a South Korean church bought a village in Paraguay
Sat 2 Aug 2025
How the remote rural village of Puerto Casado ended up at the centre of a land dispute
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Hunger in Gaza
Sat 2 Aug 2025
Doctors and journalists share their experiences of the struggle to get enough food
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Bergen-Belsen: Among graves, we were born
Fri 1 Aug 2025
Two women born in Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons Camp return to their birthplace
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Controlling nature's data
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The London tech firm creating a huge genome database which can help create new products
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The JNIM branch of al-Qaeda
Wed 30 Jul 2025
The JNIM branch of al-Qaeda is one of the world's deadliest jihadist groups
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Can Greenland go it alone?
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Many Greenlanders would like full independence from Denmark – but can they afford it?
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Marina Tabassum: Designing London's Serpentine Pavilion
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Memories of Bangladesh inspire Marina Tabassum's design for London's Serpentine Pavilion
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The shooting of India’s biggest hip hop star
Sat 26 Jul 2025
Inside the world of Punjabi rap and gangsters
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The hidden pain of fibroids
Sat 26 Jul 2025
Why is uterine fibroids, a problem that affects millions of women rarely talked about?
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Rāgas and Redemption: Alam Khan’s Spiritual Legacy
Fri 25 Jul 2025
Alam Khan wrestles with carrying his father’s sacred musical legacy
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The battle for Bangladesh: Eye Investigations
Thu 24 Jul 2025
BBC Eye investigates the deadly uprising that led to the downfall of Sheikh Hasina
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Vancouver's mental health crisis
Tue 22 Jul 2025
A deadly attack in Vancouver prompts a conversation about mental health in the province
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Wynton Marsalis: The sound of democracy
Mon 21 Jul 2025
The creative process of Pulitzer Prize-winning trumpeter and bandleader Wynton Marsalis
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The mystery of the ‘tula boy’
Sat 19 Jul 2025
How a South Korean boy ended up in Colombia and what happened to him next
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Landmines
Sat 19 Jul 2025
Civilian and military survivors share their experiences plus the lives of three deminers
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Escaping North Korea
Fri 18 Jul 2025
Danny Vincent meets North Korean defectors embracing Christianity in the South
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Returning Germany’s stolen skulls
Thu 17 Jul 2025
Thousands of human remains are held in German museums. Why can’t they go back?
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Myanmar’s Scam Centres
Tue 15 Jul 2025
Thousands are being forced to work in Myanmar's illegal scam centres. Can no one stop it?
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Anatomy of a scene
Mon 14 Jul 2025
Film critic Antonia Quirke is cast in a small part in a folk horror movie
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Dying for a transplant
Sun 13 Jul 2025
British-Nigerian comedian Emmanuel Sonubi examines organ donation trends around the world
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The Romanians choosing life in the hills
Sat 12 Jul 2025
A growing number of Romanians are choosing to move to the countryside. Why?
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Why it's good for men to talk
Sat 12 Jul 2025
How male friendships and support groups improve relationships and mental health
