Protests have continued on an unprecedented scale and internet activists have awakened a politicised middle class. But with its bloody history, can a Russian revolution cut through the Kremlin's iron grip? "The opposition has no chance to be registered; as a party or a candidate", Boris Nemsov, Co-President of the People's Freedom Party, tells us. The opposition are required to jump through endless hoops to qualify and if they do they are simply told there are "formal registration errors". And the Kremlin has even more powerful tools it can use to silence its critics. Yevgenia Chirikova had her children taken and was thrown in jail, until petitions by thousands of supporters caused her charges to be dropped. "I understood then that in our country everything can happen. We still have political prisoners." The opposition aren't backing down though. In fact many are turning to new methods. Inspired by the Arab Spring, Timothy Tsvetkov has been waking people up to corruption through social networking. Already he has beaten the Government's censorship and brought the middle classes into the political arena. According to Boris Nemtsov, this Russian awakening could mean trouble. "We can never have a velvet revolution in this country. Our revolutions are bloody, brown and red."
As Sunni-led violence returns to Iraq we take a look at life in the Sunni heartland of Tikrit. The population are deeply unhappy with the Shia government and are blaming their troubles on its rampant corruption.
Iraq may be safer but not much has changed since the country became democratic. Underdevelopment is evident throughout the country. A fifth of the population cannot read or write and many are unemployed. "We don't produce anything. We need private investors from other countries for development", says one man. Tax revenues barely exist and much of the money disappears through corruption: "no one trusts the government". Al Qaeda remains a threat and lack of funding means that security forces are stretched to the limit. In al Alam, people want more autonomy and independence from the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad. The mistrust is partly because the Sunnis are degraded from power and with US troops now out of the country this political-sectarian conflict may again escalate into violence. The Iraqi government has also been unable to deliver any progress, despite billions of dollars in foreign aid. For Yasim al Juburi, the chairman of the al Alam municipal council, the situation is bleak. "What has Iraq achieved? The answer is nothing". AXIOM, Lennart Berggren
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Kyrgyzstan - Bride Kidnapping
- 33' min 19'' sec [30 January 2012]
Follow us on a curious adventure to Kyrgystan, where bride kidnapping is a proud tradition. As women struggle to preserve their autonomy, the controversial practice is seeing a surge in popularity.
A young woman is washing her hands under a water pump when three men surround her from behind. They reach out and grab her. She screams, kicks, struggles and cries as her future husband watches on. This is romance Kyrgyz style. "When we met for the first time he asked me, should I send my parents or should I just kidnap you? I replied, don't do it, I have a boyfriend." But reluctance on the bride's side is no obstacle. "The second time we met, they just kidnapped me", the woman tells us as she sits next to the man that is now her husband. This is no fringe tradition: the majority of marriages in rural Kyrgyz areas result from it. In many instances it is decided between both families and the girl may even know.Technically illegal, degrading and often violent, it isn't usually a recipe for happily ever after. Unsurprisingly, "spousal abuse is higher in kidnap marriages. The divorce rate is higher in kidnap marriages." VBS.tv
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Scotland - Raging Torrent
- 20' min 32'' sec [30 January 2012]
A white-knuckle insight into a terrifying white water sport
Whitewater kayaking is one of the most adrenaline-filled Olympic sports. In the highlands of Scotland, we get a stunning HD insight into what it is like to brave the tumultuous rapids and steep waterfalls.
As the water thunders and smashes against the rocks below, sending up billowing clouds of spray, a kayaker holds his oar above his head and plummets over a waterfall. Through passages like this kayakers risk their lives in search of the ultimate adrenaline rush. One mistake and their beautiful dance upon the churning waters could end in disaster.
Way Beyond Productions
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Russia - The Pack Of White Wolves
- 62' min 34'' sec [1 January 2008]
Russian fears grow that neo-nazis plan to hijack Feb 4th protests
This terrifying film exposes the deadly crimes of Russian skinheads, the stories of their victims and the growing threat they pose in northern Europe - home to the world's largest population of neo-nazis.
The leader of Russia's largest neo-Nazi group argues: "Look at the situation in Europe! The damn immigrants bring their whole village and spit out 15 offspring each". He proudly shows barbaric videos posted online. In one skinheads hang an immigrant from a tree, cheering while he dies. Paradoxically, this is the country that helped defeat the Nazis at the cost of 20 million lives. World War II veteran Boris Stambler is horrified. "They kill people only because they are of a different nationality!". Worse, they have thousands of sympathisers; as many as 60% of Russians agree with the slogan 'Russia for the Russians' and many will accept murder in the name of Russian nationalism.
Small Planet
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Italy - Toxic Napoli
- 28' min 53'' sec [23 January 2012]
In Southern Italy, the illegal dumping of industrial toxic waste has become a big business for the Naples mafia. As the trade continues, the environment continues to suffer and the death toll rises. "In Acerra, people have been dying for over 20 years. They don't even live to 50", says one woman. In the Campania region some of the most polluted areas are being used for agriculture and grazing, allowing highly toxic compounds like dioxin to enter the food chain. "My daughter has already had three high-risk pregnancies and one miscarriage", says a father who is forced to live 700 meters from toxic garbage bales. Almost a million tons of rubbish are stockpiled throughout the region and behind it all is the largest criminal organization in Italy, the Neopolitan Camorra. A culture of illegality within industry and the inability of the authorities to curb the mafia's influence means that little is being done to halt this deadly toxic trade.
VBS.tv
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India - Caste Out
- 32' min 22'' sec [23 January 2012]
India's tribal Adivasi population are struggling for survival against the forces of economic growth. This devastating report examines the challenges they face, and the ways the tribes are rising to meet them.
Without caste or education, India's ancient tribes are at the mercy of mining companies, moneylenders, poverty and disease, suffering years of imprisonment and abuse at the hands of the Government. However, there are signs of hope; the Adivasi and Dalits are forming increasingly influential human rights groups. "A non-official school was opened here. We built up a group and saved money." Can they finally break out of years of oppression?
Marion Mayer Hohdahl
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Israel/Palestine - Shattered Hopes
- 13' min 45'' sec [16 January 2012]
Despite widespread upheaval across the Arab world and the ongoing statehood bid to the UN by the Palestinian National Authority, little has changed for those living under occupation in the West Bank.
For Suad Amiry, a former member of the Palestine peace delegation, the lack of progress at the UN is frustrating. "Neither the Americans nor the Europeans have been fair in telling Israel enough. We find Obama telling us we are taking short cuts." Meanwhile, life in the West Bank is still precarious, with many living in fear of attacks from Israeli settlers. "They have always come at night, in darkness to attack us. We could not even sleep because of fear", says one woman. Zakaria Zubeidi, a former militant in the Palestinian al-Aqsa Brigades wants a single state, without occupation and with equal rights, but believes this will probably never happen. "The Israeli army has come with tanks and killed our people and in doing so have taken our faith and hope". For many Palestinians it's clear that the Arab Spring is still a long way from the West Bank.
ORF
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Israel/Palestine - Sex and the Wailing Wall
- 52' min 00'' sec [18 January 2011]
The influence of the ultra-Orthodox Jews has erupted into a crisis issue in Israel as debates over the role of women intensify. At the Wailing Wall, the right of women to pray freely is violently contested.
"This is not the local custom!", shrieks a Haredi Jew as she tears a Torah Scroll from another woman's hands. The Wailing Wall is the central symbol of Judaism, but it is dominated by the ultra-Orthodox, who maintain an aggressive suppression of women who try to pray openly there. Punched, kicked and pelted with tear gas, the situation in Jerusalem is becoming symptomatic of an increasingly widespread, "fight over territory".
