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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Heart and Soul: Digital grief
Fri 9 Aug 2024
Could AI versions of loved ones who have died help the bereaved deal with their grief?
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The Global Jigsaw: The Taliban’s war on women
Thu 8 Aug 2024
The group’s return to power in Afghanistan has seen the erasure of women from public life
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Bonus: The Engineers - Intelligent Machines
Thu 8 Aug 2024
We speak to three engineers at the forefront of the 'Machine Learning: AI' revolution
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Solutions Journalism: Going bananas
Wed 7 Aug 2024
Can the killer fungus Tropical Race 4 that is ravaging banana plantations be stopped?
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Assignment: The Italian town where praying is a political issue
Tue 6 Aug 2024
Monfalcone’s mayor has effectively tried to ban collective Muslim prayer in her town
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In the Studio: B-girl Ray Gun
Mon 5 Aug 2024
Australia’s top female breakdancer prepares for her debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics
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Erasing Hong Kong
Sun 4 Aug 2024
Paul French explores how Hong Kong's history is being revised and erased
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The Fifth Floor: Three years of Taliban rule
Sat 3 Aug 2024
Two BBC Afghan journalists reflect on the third anniversary of the Taliban takeover.
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BBC OS Conversations: Protests in Bangladesh
Sat 3 Aug 2024
The fears, stress and loss experienced by those both within and outside the country
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Heart and Soul: Wrestling for redemption in Jordan
Fri 2 Aug 2024
The would-be Olympic champion who is now fighting to overcome his past traumas in Jordan
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Bonus: World Book Club - Edna O'Brien
Thu 1 Aug 2024
We look back to an interview with Irish author, Edna O'brien, on her book Country Girls
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Bonus: The Global Story - Divorce
Wed 31 Jul 2024
In a bonus episode of The Global Story podcast - Divorce: The art of breaking up
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Bonus: HARDtalk - The Whistleblowers
Tue 30 Jul 2024
In a bonus episode from HARDtalk - what motivates whistleblowers?
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In the Studio: Willard Wigan
Mon 29 Jul 2024
World-renowned micro-sculptor Willard Wigan carves a tribute to Charles Darwin
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Las Patronas
Sun 28 Jul 2024
Exploring the Mexican town where the women have been feeding migrants for 30 years
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The Fifth Floor: Make-up and rebellion
Sat 27 Jul 2024
Can a woman wear make-up if she is expected to be modest?
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BBC OS Conversations: Supporters of Kamala Harris
Sat 27 Jul 2024
Chucks and pearls - the appeal to supporters of Kamala Harris
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Heart and Soul: America’s Atheist Street Pirates
Fri 26 Jul 2024
The American atheists removing illegal religious signs from streets across the states
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India's wrestling school for girls
Thu 25 Jul 2024
Young girls wrestling for justice and Olympic glory. Divya Arya finds out what it takes
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The gay activists who won an Olympic-sized battle
Wed 24 Jul 2024
The power of peaceful protest and how to affect change
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Introducing: World of Secrets S3
Tue 23 Jul 2024
The Apartheid Killer. All the victims were black and the youngest was just 12 years old
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In the Studio: Massimo Bottura
Mon 22 Jul 2024
Go behind the scenes at one of the world’s best and most creative restaurants
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The Romani holocaust: An unfinished history
Sun 21 Jul 2024
The destruction of the Roma by the Nazi state and allies and their post war fate
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The Fifth Floor: From Paris to the world, Olympics 2024
Sat 20 Jul 2024
The Olympics Games through the lens of our Fifth Floor colleagues
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BBC OS Conversations: After the attempted assassination of Donald Trump
Sat 20 Jul 2024
How the image of the bloodied and defiant former president is redefining the election
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Heart and Soul: Georgia's maverick Bishop and his peace cathedral
Fri 19 Jul 2024
We follow the communities involved in Tblisi's interfaith project - The Peace Cathedral
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Instagram's fake guru
Thu 18 Jul 2024
A story of witchcraft, sexual exploitation and human trafficking
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Assignment: A slogan and a land, part two
Wed 17 Jul 2024
Tim Whewell completes a trip across the West Bank and Israel, reaching the Mediterranean
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Assignment: A slogan and a land, part one
Wed 17 Jul 2024
A journey through the contested land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea
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Assignment: The child rescue con
Tue 16 Jul 2024
Exposed: the charity which claims to save children from trafficking and abuse
