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 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 to download
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Deaf Umrah
Yesterday
A pilgrimage with deaf Muslims and the challenge of explaining religious teaching visually
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Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest~serving PM
Thursday
Mark Coles profiles the longest-serving Israeli prime minister
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Madagascar: From famine to hope
Wednesday
Women in Madagascar defy patriarchal norms and use ‘Agro-ecology’ to feed communities
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The Romeros: Developing digital games
Monday
Game developers Brenda and John Romero embark on a major new project
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Is the revolution in Cuba over?
Last Sunday
How might Cuba’s energy crisis reshape life in the country?
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Nepal - “Shot like enemies”
Last Sunday
The Gen Z protest that led to the death of 19 young protesters.
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Bangladeshi newspapers attacked by mob
Last Saturday
Why did mobs burn the Dhaka offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo?
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Navigating the Strait of Hormuz
Last Saturday
Sailors share their experiences of navigating the Strait
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Can yoga be Christian?
Last Friday
Can yoga be Christian? We meet practitioners and teachers debating a new type of practice
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Hope and fear: India's space revolution
Wed 18 Mar 2026
India’s most ambitious mission yet is underway: to send humans into space
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How to spend billions – fast: Carney’s Defence Deadline
Tue 17 Mar 2026
Inside Canada's sprint to hit NATO’s 2% by 31 March 2026
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Mariam Issoufou: Designing a museum
Mon 16 Mar 2026
Architect Mariam Issoufou designs a new museum in Senegal
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How the Oscars went international
Sun 15 Mar 2026
The Academy Awards are increasingly nominating films made outside of America.
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Europe's night train renaissance: Still on track?
Sun 15 Mar 2026
Night trains are back, connecting Europe’s cities with the promise of green journeys
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Iran war: What's life like inside Iran?
Sat 14 Mar 2026
What life is like for Iranians during the US-Israel war with Iran
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Women and the future of Formula 1
Sat 14 Mar 2026
Three young women competing in F1 Academy discuss speed, ambition and sexism
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The naked monks
Fri 13 Mar 2026
In parts of India, Jain monks permanently renounce all possessions, including clothes
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The women of IS: Part three
Thu 12 Mar 2026
What do developments in the Middle East mean for those in Syrian detention camps?
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The women of IS: Part two
Wed 11 Mar 2026
How governments are drawing the line on repatriation of refugees from camps in Syria
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The women of IS: Part one
Tue 10 Mar 2026
What next for the women and children living in Syria’s detention camps?
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Ukraine: The war behind the war
Mon 9 Mar 2026
Serhiy Laziuk’s job is to bring families news of loved ones who are killed or missing
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Graffiti across continents
Sun 8 Mar 2026
When graffiti artist Wise Two travels from Kenya to Mexico how does his style evolve?
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Inside Russia’s ‘Youth Armies’
Sat 7 Mar 2026
How Russia is making soldiers out of Ukrainian children
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Iranians in London
Sat 7 Mar 2026
What do Iranians living in London think about the war in their home country?
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Leaving Isis: Is redemption possible?
Fri 6 Mar 2026
A former Isis recruit reflects on radicalisation, faith, regret and redemption
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Forty-eight hours in Isfahan
Thu 5 Mar 2026
Iranians describe seeing armed forces loyal to the Islamic regime kill protesters
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Namibia’s hydrogen superpower dream
Wed 4 Mar 2026
What impact will a green hydrogen project have on Namibia’s environment and unemployment?
