FRONTLINE/World - Reports | PBS

China: Kung Fu English

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

Xinjiang province in remote western China is best known for the Taklamakan desert and the struggle for autonomy among the region's Muslim Uighur people. It's also considered a provincial backwater looked down upon by the Western influenced provinces in the east. Xinjiang native Jake Yong set out to change that perception by teaching himself -- and others -- to speak English.

The Arrest of Radovan Karadzic

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST

Hasan Nuhanovic lost his father and brother at Srebrenica. FRONTLINE/World spoke to him from Sarajevo about the capture this week of the man who ordered the massacre.

Burma: After the Storm

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST

Capturing recent, dramatic footage inside Burma, our correspondent shares his video diary and talks about the mood among dissidents there.

Zimbabwbe: On the Brink

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

As Zimbabwe teeters on the edge of despair, our correspondent in Harare describes how opposition supporters and journalists are trying to escape Mugabe's wrath.

India: Design Like You Give a Damn

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

FRONTLINE/World reporter Singeli Agnew travels to Tamil Nadu, India, to see the work of Architects for Humanity, a nonprofit that links local communities in need with a network of architects excited to help.

Asia and Africa: Living on the Edge

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

For the last year and a half, reporter Martin Smith has been investigating global climate change for Heat, a two-hour FRONTLINE broadcast to air this fall. In "Living on the Edge," Smith travels to the foothills of the Himalayas, to parched areas of Eastern Africa and to the Namibian coast to share some devastating field notes from this looming environmental catastrophe.

Jesus in China

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

In this joint project of FRONTLINE/World and the Chicago Tribune, reporter Evan Osnos investigates how Christianity is sweeping China and could potentially transform the country at an explosive moment in its development.

China: Out of the Rubble

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

Washington Post video journalist Travis Fox talks about covering China's earthquake and the difficulties of filming under the government's watchful eye.

South Africa: Go Away and Fight Mugabe!

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 21:00:00 EST

When riots erupted in a South African township directed mainly at Zimbabwean refugees, a young American filmmaker captured the tensions and violence.

Mozambique: Guitar Hero

Tue, 27 May 2008 21:00:00 EST

Most rock stars don't sing about hygiene and sanitation. Then again, not many live and work in Niassa, a remote province in one of the poorest countries in the world. FRONTLINE/World reporter Marjorie McAfee travels to Mozambique to meet Feliciano dos Santos, Afro-pop bandleader by night, nonprofit health and environmental activist by day.

Guatemala: The Secret Files

Tue, 27 May 2008 21:00:00 EST

FRONTLINE/World and PRI's "The World" radio correspondent Clark Boyd travels to Guatemala to see how an unlikely partnership between human rights investigators and a Silicon Valley nonprofit called Benetech is saving a lost chapter of the country's history.

Mexico: Crimes at the Border

Tue, 27 May 2008 21:00:00 EST

In a joint project with The New York Times, FRONTLINE/World correspondents Andrew Becker and Lowell Bergman investigate the rapidly expanding business of smuggling humans across the U.S.-Mexican border. They follow the dramatic story of an American border guard tempted by money and sexual favors to join a smuggling operation, and explore what the U.S. government is doing about the problem.

India: The Cost of Yellowcake

Thu, 08 May 2008 21:00:00 EST

The Indian government has been mining low-grade uranium on tribal lands for decades, but it plans to expand production so that nuclear power will eventually meet a quarter of India's energy needs. The risks of pursuing that policy made international headlines in 2006 when a uranium waste pipeline burst in the east of the country, creating a devastating spill. FRONTLINE/World Fellow Sonia Narang reports on how the mines are affecting the health and traditions of villagers, and forcing thousands off their lands.

Tortillanomics: Food or Fuel?

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:00:00 EST

Mexico is among many countries worldwide dealing with unrest caused by rising food prices. FRONTLINE/World reporter Malia Wollan discovers that increasing demand for corn-based biofuel in the United States is driving up the cost of Mexico's staple food, the tortilla.

Mexico: The Business of Saving Trees

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST

Jason Margolis, who first reported this story for PRI's radio program The World, travels with producer Loren Mendell to the heart of rural Mexico to discover how a former schoolteacher is using the commodity of carbon to revitalize and entire region.

Chile: The New Nazis

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST

Chile once harbored Nazi fugitives and has a history of racial discrimination, but its predominantly mixed-race population makes in an unexpected home for a new-Nazi movement. Lygia Navarro examines why some brown-skinned working class kids have bought into Hitler's ideology.

Pakistan: State of Emergency

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST

In a joint project between FRONTLINE/World and the Christian Science Monitor, David Montero investigates a mysterious Taliban cleric who has been waging war against the Pakistani government in the mountainous former tourist haven of Swat Valley. Montero also reports from the capital, where President Pervez Musharraf is battling moderates who demand that he restore democracy and step down.

Russia: Putin's Plan

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST

On the eve of the March 2 presidential election, FRONTLINE/World reporter Victoria Gamburg follows Russia's democratic opposition as it attempts to campaign against the most popular president in the country's modern history. While President Putin has named Dmitri Medvedev as his successor, he is expected to stay very much in control.

Cuba: The Art Revolution

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST

Natasha Del Toro travels to Cuba to see how visual artists have managed to create an art revolution in a country where political free speech has been largely supressed. There, she meets Los Carpinteros, whose huge sculptures are world renowned and command high prices on the international art market.

Nigeria: God's Country

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST

In 2007, photographer Seamus Murphy traveled to Nigeria to explore religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in the country''s fertile "middle belt." In this audio slideshow, Murphy describes the dramatic images he captured in the region as the two groups searched for redemption and battled for souls.

Ecuador: Flower Power

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST

On the biggest day of the year for giving (and receiving) flowers, FRONTLINE/World reports from Ecuador, one of the largest suppliers of cut flowers to the U.S., to find out how the long-stem rose is going "green."

China: Green Dreams

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:00:00 EST

The village of Huangbaiyu in rural northeast China was supposed to be a model for energy-conscious design. But the joint China-U.S. project to initially build 400 sustainable homes went awry. Timothy Lesle investigates.

Indonesia: Wham! Bam! Islam!

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:00:00 EST

Last season, FRONTLINE/World ran a story from the Middle East that introduced viewers to the fastest selling comic book in the Arab world, The 99. In this follow-up, reporter Isaac Solotaroff followed the comic book's creator to Indonesia, where he is trying to sell his work to the largest Islamic country in the world.

South Africa: An Everyday Crime

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:00:00 EST

This week's Rough Cut is a disturbing story. It deals with a sensitive and personal subject -- rape and sexual assault. Elena Ghanotakis reports from Cape Town, South Africa, home to extreme disparities between rich and poor and the highest levels of sexual violence in the world.

Darfur: Genocide in Slow Motion

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 21:00:00 EST

In this unflinching portrait of the continuing humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Danish photojournalist Jan Grarup documents the human toll of the genocide in a sprawling displacement camp, home to some 100,000 people.

Philippines: Have Degree Will Travel

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:00:00 EST

FRONTLINE/World reporter Barnaby Lo travels to the Philippines to report on the damaging effects of a medical brain drain in the country, where last year alone, 12,000 Filipino nurses left for more lucrative careers abroad.

Haiti: Belo's Song of Peace

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:00:00 EST

In this week's Rough Cut, reporter Natasha Del Toro takes a musical adventure to Haiti to cover a chaotic first-time music festival during rainy season in a country where nothing works.

On the Edge of the Crescent

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:00:00 EST

Photographer Ryan Anson documents the grievances shared by Muslim minorities in the Philippines and southern Thailand.

Cambodia: Care and Comfort

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST

Cambodia has the highest rate of AIDS in Asia. But in recent years Buddhist monks have taken up the cause of caring for AIDS patients and trying to prevent the spread of the disease through education.

India: A Second Opinion

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST

FRONTLINE/World correspondent T.R. Reid explores the ancient Indian health care system of Ayurveda to see if there is a better way than artificial joint replacement to treat his injured shoulder.

Egypt: Extraordinary Rendition

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:00:00 EST

Four years ago, award-winning journalist Stephen Grey left his job at The Sunday Times in London to investigate one of the darkest sides of the Bush Administration's war on terror -- the CIA's controversial rendition and interrogation program.

China: Undermined

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 21:00:00 EST

China's churning economy runs on coal. But coal mining in China is a dangerous business, killing an average of thirteen miners every day. Digging for coal is also literally undermining whole villages, as Duane Moles reports in this week's Rough Cut video.

Tibet: Eye Camp

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:00:00 EST

Cataracts are the leading cause of preventable blindness in the world. In Tibet, where many people live at 15,000 feet, the disease is epidemic. After meeting with the Dalai Lama and struggling with his own religious identity, American Dr. Marc Lieberman, set out to help. "Eye Camp" follows his mission to restore vision at the top of the world.

Dubai: Night Secrets

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 21:00:00 EST

Known as the Las Vegas of the Persian Gulf, Dubai is a boomtown where men outnumber women three to one. Prostitution is illegal but rampant. Photojournalist Mimi Chakarova goes undercover to investigate.

Pakistan: Disappeared

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:00:00 EST

Amina Masood Janjua was an ordinary Pakistani housewife, proud of her country and loyal to its military. But all that changed in July 2005, when her husband never came home. David Montero reports on how her campaign to find her husband sparked national protests challenging Pakistan's feared intelligence agency, the ISI, and led to events that would severely test Musharraf's power.

Congo: On the Trail of an AK-47

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 21:00:00 EST

Since 1998, 4 million people have died in conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, more than in any other conflict since World War II. Despite a small arms trade embargo, Congo is awash in AK-47s, the weapon of choice for warring militias, and manufactured increasingly these days in China. Benjamin Pauker reports on China's growing influence in Africa.

North Korea: In Black and White

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 21:00:00 EST

Photographer Dong Lin has visited North Korea several times in recent years trying to glimpse life in this secretive state. As North and South Korea plan for a rare summit this Fall, we offer a black-and-white portrait of the North, taken surreptitiously and under constant watch, in a country long known for its isolation and paranoia.

Iraq: The Alcohol Smugglers

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 21:00:00 EST

With Iraq mired in a chaotic civil war, those who can get out are doing so. According to the latest United Nations figures, 50,000 Iraqis a month are now leaving their country. Those who remain try to survive any way they can, like the resourceful Kurdish smugglers in this week's Rough Cut.

Thailand: Women for Peace

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:00:00 EST

It's a conflict that may be one of the least known in the world, but since 2004 more than 2,000 people have been killed in southern Thailand where Muslim insurgents have been fighting for a separate state. Aaron Goodman reports from the region on a group of women offering solace to both Buddhists and Muslims caught up in the violence.

Philippines: The Black Stain of Oil

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:00:00 EST

The islands affected by last year's oil spill in the Philippines are part of an important marine biosphere and known for their breathtaking beauty. News of the oil tanker sinking hardly caused a ripple in U.S. mainstream media but FRONTLINE/World reporter Jason Margolis went to investigate what is being called the worst environmental disaster in Philippine history.

Ghana: Baseball Dreams

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:00:00 EST

Trying to become a baseball star in a small, poor country in West Africa, where soccer is the sport of choice, is a tall order. But as reporter Zachary Stauffer discovers in this week's Rough Cut, Ghana has some true believers in America's game.

Kashmir: A Troubled Paradise

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:00:00 EST

In a vivid FlashPoint slide show, Getty photojournalist Ami Vitale presents a portrait of "a magnificent but cursed landscape." Her images of Kashmir, taken over a period of five years, reveal the beauty and the violence in a place claimed by both Pakistan and India.

Uganda: The Condom Controversy

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:00:00 EST

"You must learn how to say no," booms Ugandan evangelical minister Martin Ssempa. "Say 'I do not want to have sex. I have chosen not to have sex.'" So begins this week's Rough Cut, which looks at the controversy over U.S. funding for AIDS relief in Africa. We meet Ssempa, preaching to a classroom of students in Uganda's capital, Kampala. He's among a growing number of voices in the country who are teaching an abstinence-only approach to combat the spread of HIV.

Cambodia: The Silk Grandmothers

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 21:00:00 EST

Cambodian silk making is a traditional art that has been passed down through generations from mother to daughter. But when Japanese craftsman and businessman Kikuo Morimoto found that the practice was in danger of disappearing after decades of violence in the country, it became his life's mission to revive the lost art.

Kuwait: The 99

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 21:00:00 EST

Move over Batman and Superman; the most popular comic book in the Arab world today is The 99, tales of Muslim superheroes based on Islamic culture. It was created by Naif al-Mutawa, a 36-year-old from Kuwait who was educated in the United States. FRONTLINE/World reporter Isaac Solotaroff follows al-Mutawa as he markets his comics across the Middle East, hoping to spread a moderate, modern image of Islam.

Tanzania: Hero Rats

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 21:00:00 EST

For the past seven years, Bart Weetjens has been running a unique lab in Tanzania, where he trains rats to sniff out deadly unexploded landmines. Although dogs have traditionally been used to help humans detect mines, Weetjens realized that rats are lighter, cheaper to maintain and less susceptible to disease. In "Hero Rats," FRONTLINE/World reporter Alexis Bloom accompanies Weetjens to work in Mozambique to watch his trained rodents in action.

Faroe Islands: A Message from the Sea

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 21:00:00 EST

For more than 1,000 years, the people of the Faroe Islands have hunted pilot whales, and whale meat continues to be an important part of their diet. Yet, the islanders now face a new threat: A landmark 20-year study of Faroese children has found that high levels of methyl mercury and other contaminants in the whale meat are harmful to a child's neurological development.

Indonesia: After the Wave

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 21:00:00 EST

On December 24, 2004, the Indonesian province of Aceh was hit by the massive tsunami that killed 170,000 people and devastated villages and towns. In the wake of the catastrophe, the Indonesian army and local separatist rebels ended their decades-long war, which took 15,000 lives. In After the Wave, FRONTLINE/World correspondent Orlando de Guzman travels to Aceh to explore the prospects for continued peace

India: A New Life

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 21:00:00 EST

"A child on the street is what we call a roofless and rootless kid," says Father Thomas Koshy. For the past 17 years, the Salesian priest has been working in southern India providing education, shelter, and better opportunities to India's growing number of street children. As this report shows, many quickly become addicted to life on the street and find it hard to leave.

Ecuador: Country Doctors

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 21:00:00 EST

Frustrated by his country's lack of healthcare for the poor, especially those in rural areas, Dr. Edgar Rodas started an organization of volunteer Ecuadorian doctors who trek high into the Andes and deep into the Amazon, performing surgeries on a hospital truck and boat. Watch these dedicated doctors in action in our latest video about individuals trying to make a difference in the world.

Nepal: A Girl's Life

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 21:00:00 EST

While trekking in Nepal in 1998, American John Wood saw that many children couldn't afford to go to school and that schools in the poorest rural areas had a chronic shortage of books. It was a transformational experience for Wood that spurred him to start a literacy program called Room to Read. This week's Rough Cut tells the story of Wood's nonprofit that now helps to educate millions of children in the developing world and visits some of the Nepalese communities his program has helped.

Liberia: Give Peace a Chance

Thu, 31 May 2007 21:00:00 EST

Every family has its secrets. Josef Sawyer found his in a drawer. As a boy living in suburban Massachusetts during the 1980s, he found a videotape stored among a collection of home movies and photographs. Watching the tape, Sawyer witnessed a murky, chaotic scene: A group of ragged soldiers, drinking beer and shouting, were torturing a man.

China: The New Wave

Thu, 24 May 2007 21:00:00 EST

Reporter Joshua Fisher takes a cinematic journey to China where he meets with the country's new wave of independent filmmakers. Known as the "Sixth Generation," the group flouts censorship to tell gritty contemporary stories about the country's rapid modernization and the millions of migrants living at its margins.

Russia: Putin vs. NGOs

Thu, 17 May 2007 21:00:00 EST

I have traveled to Russia three times in the past year to investigate the Kremlin's crackdown on independent voices. I first grew interested in the topic in 2006, when I read about a new NGO (non-governmental organization) law that limited the ability of nonprofit organizations to operate freely in Russia.

Russia: Island on the Edge

Thu, 17 May 2007 21:00:00 EST

Sakhalin Island is what international oilmen might call a "hardship post." It is on the very edge of the Russian Far East The narrow, 600-mile-long island is populated by only half a million people, and its seasons are severe even by Russian standards. But underneath the surface of the island and the surrounding seas is enough oil and gas to power the United States for as much as a decade.

Uganda: The Return

Thu, 10 May 2007 21:00:00 EST

I was always fascinated by the Indian traditions my family has preserved, even though my parents have never visited India. They were born in Uganda. In 1972, my parents were expelled from the country by the notorious dictator Idi Amin. By traveling to Uganda, I thought it would help me better understand my parents and, more profoundly, myself. I also wanted to investigate the racial dynamics in the country since the expulsion and discover which side -- if any -- I would "side" with: the Asians or the blacks ... or both.

POSITHIV: AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

Thu, 03 May 2007 21:00:00 EST

Since 2002, photographer Pep Bonet has documented Medecins Sans Frontieres' ARV (anti-retroviral) program in six Sub-Saharan African countries: Zambia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Africa and Kenya. In this audio slide show, Bonet talks about the project and the images he captured.

India: The Missing Girls

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 21:00:00 EST

In 2006, when my wife and I traveled to India to live and work, the one issue that kept grabbing our attention was northern India's deep cultural preference for sons over daughters. The desire for sons can be so great, that some families, after having a girl or two, will abort female fetuses until they bear a son. The practice is called female feticide or sex selection.

Mongolia: Land Without Fences

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:00:00 EST

Half of Mongolia's two million population still practice the ancient tradition of nomadic herding. Families have kept these herds -- mostly goats, sheep, and horses -- for generations, and parents often bequeath hundreds of animals to their children. Through my study-abroad program, I found myself living and working with such families, experiencing their grueling lives for a few weeks at a time. (more)

France: The Precarious Generation

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:00:00 EST

Election season in France this year has provided high drama. As the French head to the polls, they are not simply choosing their next president but choosing an identity. The country is facing deep schisms over economic and social policy, and each candidate represents a very different future for the Gallic nation of 61 million people.

Paraguay: Sounds of Hope

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 21:00:00 EST

In "Sounds of Hope," FRONTLINE/World reporter Monica Lam journeys to Paraguay to meet Luis Szaran, a famous musician and social entrepreneur who has dedicated himself to helping redeem the lives of poor and neglected children through music.

Afghanistan: The Other War

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 21:00:00 EST

As President Bush pledges another $10 billion to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan, and a spring offensive is expected against a resurgent Taliban, FRONTLINE/World correspondent Sam Kiley reports from the frontlines of the conflict, where dual battles are being fought to win the trust of the Afghan people and combat the extremists living among them.

News War: Requiem

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:00:00 EST

At a time when fair and accurate news coverage is more essential than ever, 2006 marked one of the deadliest years on record for journalists. Surprisingly, despite the fierce fighting in Iraq, most of the slain journalists did not die in combat. They were deliberately targeted, hunted down, and murdered for investigating corruption, crime, or human rights abuses in countries around the world. In Requiem, FRONTLINE/World essayist Sheila Coronel looks at the dangers journalists confront as they try to tell their stories and pays special tribute to reporters working in the Philippines, Russia, Turkey, Zimbabwe, China and Iraq who have been killed, jailed, or exiled for daring to speak truth to power. (more)

News War: War of Ideas

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:00:00 EST

In the fourth hour of News War, FRONTLINE/World reporter Greg Barker travels to the Middle East to examine the rise of Arab satellite TV channels and their impact on the "war of ideas" at a time of convulsive change and conflict in the region. His report focuses on the growing influence of Al Jazeera, and the controversy around the recent launch of Al Jazeera English, which U.S. satellite and cable companies have declined to carry. Barker also visits the "war room" of the State Department's Rapid Response Unit, which monitors Arab media 24 hours a day, and meets with U.S. military officers whose mission is to engage the Arab news channels in debate. (more)

South Korea: Everyone's a Journalist

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:00:00 EST

FRONTLINE/World reporter Vanessa Hua travels to the ultra-wired metropolis of Seoul, South Korea, to report on OhmyNews, the world's largest citizen journalism site, and to explore whether such a model could be replicated in the United States.

Panama: The Last Medicine Woman

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:00:00 EST

In this week's Rough Cut, producer Joe Rubin and Colombian reporter Paula Botero enter the world of the shamens, or medicine women, who comb the rich canopy of Panama's rain forests gathering plants with powerful healing properties. Known simply as "Neles'' and members of Panama's Kuna Indians, the women have passed down their knowledge of hundreds of plants through generations. But as the modern world and modern science encroaches, their practices and traditions are fast disappearing.

Somalia: A Reporter's Search for Al Qaeda

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 21:00:00 EST

This week's Rough Cut recounts a war reporter's search for Islamist extremists harboring in Somalia and with links to Al Qaeda. On his intrepid journey into the south of Somalia, Dominique Christian Mollard, a veteran news reporter with the Associated Press, reveals a shadowy and dangerous country blighted by years of anarchy.

Russia: Moscow's Sex and the City

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:00:00 EST

Moscow's version of Sex and the City explores what it means to be a young, single woman in modern-day Russia. Traveling to Moscow, filmmaker and FRONTLINE/World reporter Victoria Gamburg introduces us to the fictional characters and the stars of Russia's popular TV series, Balzac Age, and reveals how the show compares with the real-life experiences of single women making a life for themselves in Moscow.

Canada: The Cell Next Door

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:00:00 EST

In a story close to home, FRONTLINE/World and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation go inside a homegrown terrorist cell accused of planning mass destruction and murder on North American soil. The Cell Next Door retraces events leading up to last year's arrests in Toronto of 18, mostly young, Muslim men - who are now standing trial -- and talks to the radical Muslim informant within their ranks who helped foil the attacks.

Moldova: The Price of Sex

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:00:00 EST

"Flash Point" is a new series of online slideshows that will present the work of up-and-coming as well as established photojournalists. In the series debut, "The Price of Sex," documentary photographer Mimi Chakarova looks into the lives of young East European women trafficked into the sex trade.

Iraq: Law and Disorder

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 21:00:00 EST

This will be the third "Rough Cut" Karzan Sherabayani has produced for FRONTLINE/World from his native city of Kirkuk. To show what residents and the police must face in an increasingly violent city, Sherabayani goes on patrol with the city's police chief, a man he introduces as the most-wanted policeman in Kirkuk, because of the many insurgents who would like to kill him.

Pakistan: This Is Your Wife

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:00:00 EST

In this week's "Rough Cut," we travel to Pakistan to celebrate a wedding. Reporter Kim Perry first met the Asghars, a well-to-do Pakistani-American family living in California, in late 2005. When family matriarch Robina Asghar told Perry that her eldest son Tabriz was about to marry in Pakistan to a woman he barely knew, she invited Perry along. What follows is an affectionate portrait of a young man caught between his parents' cultural expectations and his own sense of himself as a 21st century American.

Nepal: Caught in the People's War

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 21:00:00 EST

Before a peace deal was reached this November, FRONTLINE/World reporter Aaron Goodman traveled to Nepal to see what was tearing the country apart. He also wanted to know how journalists were able to report about the conflict after the government virtually shut down the media in 2005. Goodman follows Guna Raj Luitel, a Nepalese reporter, who has made it his mission to cover all sides of the conflict for his newspaper the Kantipur Daily.

Congo: Hope on the Ballot

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 21:00:00 EST

Since gaining independence in 1960, the Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered through decades of dictatorship and war. In July 2006 the country went to the polls in the first democratic vote in more than 40 years. Reporter George Lerner travels to Congo to find out how people are reaching beyond a legacy of violence and what these historic elections represent.

Uganda: A Little Goes a Long Way

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 21:00:00 EST

Continuing our series on social entrepreneurs, FRONTLINE/World travels to Uganda to explore the impact of microfinance and, in particular, how one San Francisco-based nonprofit is using the Web to forge a more direct connection between lenders in the U.S. and borrowers in developing countries.

Burma: State of Fear

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 21:00:00 EST

FRONTLINE/World reporter Evan Williams travels undercover to Burma to expose the violence and repression carried out by Burma's government against its own people. Williams, who was banned from the country for reporting on the democracy movement 10 years ago, meets secretly with the dissidents still pushing for change, and gathers evidence of the atrocities and slave labor that is helping keep the regime in power.

Chicago: Little Mexico

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 21:00:00 EST

Elvira Arellano is an illegal Mexican immigrant living in Chicago with a deportation order -- and a 7-year-old American-born son. As a first-generation Polish immigrant who lived in Chicago for nearly 25 years, reporter Marian Marzynski brings a unique perspective to the story of migration to the United States, interweaving Arelleno's story with Chicago's history as an immigrant city.

China Diaries: Part 1 and Part 2

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 21:00:00 EST

When filmmaker Brent E. Huffman took a six-month assigment in remotest western China, he knew it would be no ordinary adventure. There with his Chinese-born producer wife, Xiaoli, to film endangered wildlife and minority cultures, Huffman kept a diary and captured images of the beauty of China's last untouched wilderness as well as some of the most polluted, decimated landscapes on the planet. (more)

Vacation From War

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 21:00:00 EST

In this week's Rough Cut, we head to the Persian Gulf on a military tour with Chicago rock band Hello Dave. Traveling with the group to six bases in five Muslim countries over 11 days, filmmakers Aliza Nadi and Cerissa Tanner capture an intimate and unstructured portrayal of soldiers snatching a few days' R&R before returning to duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Cuba: The Art Revolution

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 21:00:00 EST

Cuba has a long and rich heritage in the arts, but during the last two decades, the visual arts have become a cultural phenomenon. In this week's Rough Cut, filmmaker Natasha Del Toro travels to Cuba to meet two of its most acclaimed artists and find out why art is at the center of Cuban society.

Bosnia: Divided We Stand

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 21:00:00 EST

In our latest Rough Cut from Bosnia, we recall the tragedy of the civil war in the 1990s, but also focus on a new post-war generation of young people looking for ways to move on. Traveling to the ancient Ottoman city of Mostar, a place still very much divided along ethnic lines, our reporter discovers the community has found an unlikely hero to bring them closer together.

Iraq: The Fight Over Kirkuk's Oil

Thu, 24 Aug 2006 21:00:00 EST

In his second Rough Cut report for FRONTLINE/World, Kurdish exile Karzan Sherabayani returns to his hometown of Kirkuk to investigate Iraq's growing oil crisis. With insurgents targeting fuel supplies and Iraqi oil output down to a trickle, Sherabayani reports on the rising tension and violence over the country's most valuable asset.

Libya: Out of the Shadow

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 21:00:00 EST

Libya is not the first place that springs to mind as a hot-ticket destination. But much has changed in the country in recent years as Libya and its leader Colonel Gaddafi have returned to the diplomatic fold. Who better to explore the mysteries of present-day Libya than our roving world-music reporter Marco Werman? And what better way to get inside the country than to tag along with the 10,000 astronomy enthusiasts who descended on Libya earlier this year to watch the solar eclipse?

Italy: One-Way Ticket to Europe

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 21:00:00 EST

As Europe grapples with the rising numbers of migrants arriving to its shores, this week's Rough Cut/Fellows report travels to the small Italian island of Lampedusa, off the Libyan coast, where hundreds of African migrants arrive daily through the summer in search of a better life. The story offers an unsettling glimpse of life for these new immigrants and exposes how complex and divided the issue of illegal immigration has become.

India: A Pound of Flesh

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 21:00:00 EST

In this week's Rough Cut, Samantha Grant heads to Chennai in southern India to explore the illicit kidney trade. Traveling between India's high-tech center of Bangalore and the slums to the south, Grant spoke to government officials, doctors, kidney brokers and donors to try to find out why so many people are still getting paid to give up their kidneys even though a law was passed 12 years ago to heavily regulate the practice.

Zimbabwe: Shadows and Lies

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 21:00:00 EST

FRONTLINE/World goes undercover in Zimbabwe to reveal what has happened to a country once regarded as a beacon of democracy and prosperity in Africa. Posing as tourists, reporter Alexis Bloom and producer Cassandra Herrman find a population struggling with hunger and poverty, and living in fear of a government that has become a brutal dictatorship. (more)

Germany: Heart of Berlin

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 21:00:00 EST

In this week's Rough Cut, "Heart of Berlin," a struggle to leave the past behind unfolds. Filmmaker Jason Spingarn-Koff, who lived in Berlin 10 years ago, travels back to the city to look at a movement to save the Palace of the Republic -- a landmark building that has alternately been called a national treasure and a national eyesore. Find out why some want to raze and others want to redefine this Socialist icon.

Chile: Karina's Story

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 21:00:00 EST

If you didn't know what you were watching, the opening scenes of this week's Rough Cut might look like the rushes from a film by Pedro Almodovar. Our stories come in a variety of styles; this time around, we present a cinema verite piece, a "day in the life," narrated by its main character, a transgender hairdresser living in Santiago, Chile.

Palestinian Territories: Inside Hamas

Tue, 09 May 2006 21:00:00 EST

FRONTLINE/World correspondent Kate Seelye travels across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to investigate Hamas, the militant Islamist group responsible for scores of suicide bombings and missile attacks on Israel -- and the surprise winner of January's Palestinian elections. Gaining access to Hamas's political leadership and to its secretive military wing, Seelye builds a portrait of an organization teetering between a political awakening and a familiar cycle of bloody resistance. (more)

Poland: Chopin's Heart

Tue, 09 May 2006 21:00:00 EST

Filmmaker Marian Marzynski visits his native Poland to witness the 15th Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw. "Like every child growing up in Poland, I was raised with the music of Chopin," says Marzynski, who survived the Holocaust in Poland as a young boy. Eight hundred contestants, from 19 countries, sign up for the nail-biting musical marathon, which provides exquisite music and plenty of surprises. (more)

Bolivia: On the Road With Evo

Thu, 04 May 2006 21:00:00 EST

In this week's Rough Cut, we present an insightful, and very timely, portrait of Evo Morales as he campaigned for the presidency last December. Like any good campaign film, "On the Road With Evo" combines public performance with private moments and helps to explain Evo's popular appeal.

Japan and China: The Unforgotten War

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 21:00:00 EST

All it took was a few sentences in a Japanese history textbook last year to spark the biggest protests China had seen since 1989. Why did a dispute over the history of a World War II era massacre trigger such outrage? Explore the growing rivalry between China and Japan in a new video by FRONTLINE/World Fellows Emily Taguchi and Lee Wang.

Bosnia: The Men Who Got Away

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:00:00 EST

Ten years after the end of the war in Bosnia, the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II, FRONTLINE/World reporter Jennifer Glasse travels to Bosnia, Serbia and the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague looking for answers to why the two men most responsible -- former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic and histop general Ratko Mladic -- are still at large. (more)

Israel: The Unexpected Candidate

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:00:00 EST

In the wake of a stunning electoral victory by the militant Palestinian group Hamas and with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a deep coma, veteran producer Ofra Bikel travels to Israel on the eve of the March 28 elections to take the measure of Ehud Olmert, the man widely expected to succeed Sharon. (more)

France: Soundtrack to a Riot

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:00:00 EST

In this week's Rough Cut, producer Camille Servan-Schreiber and reporter Marco Werman go to Paris to talk to a multitude of rappers -- some successful, some rapping in their living rooms -- to find out what lay at the heart of last year's riots and how this anger has been expressed in today's rap rebellion.

Northern Ireland: Uneasy Peace

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:00:00 EST

In a journey to Belfast, once infamous for riots and bombs, Niall McKay finds that the hardwork of forgiving has begun. His Rough Cut video introduces Catholics and Protestants who are trying to heal their communities and find ways to talk to each other across old divides.

Pakistan: Cold Comfort

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 21:00:00 EST

In this week's Rough Cut, FRONTLINE/World reporter Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy travels to the center of the quake zone, where she talks with survivors and takes us into the makeshift hospitals and Islamic relief camps. Amid the already heated politics of the region, she finds a mix of medicine and religious ideology being dispensed.

Colombia: The Coca-Cola Controversy

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 21:00:00 EST

Citing charges that the soft drink company was complicit in the violent repression of a union at several of its bottling plants in Colombia, the University of Michigan and New York University recently canceled their contracts with Coke. FRONTLINE/World Fellows Rob Harris and Tovin Lapan travel to Colombia to investigate. Watch their video report. (more)

Iraq: Saddam's Road to Hell

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 21:00:00 EST

As Saddam Hussein faces trial for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and the country he once ruled slides into potential civil war, veteran filmmaker Gwynne Roberts and a team of human rights investigators set off on a dangerous journey across Iraq to find out what exactly happened to 8,000 Kurdish men and boys who went missing in the early years of Saddam's rule. (more)

Brazil: Jewel of the Amazon

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 21:00:00 EST

Who should control what may become the richest diamond mine in the world? Join FRONTLINE/World reporter Mariana van Zeller as she journeys deep into the Amazon rain forest where an indigenous tribe, the Cinta Larga, and wildcat miners are fighting over the Amazon's latest treasure: diamonds. (more)

India: Calcutta Calling

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 21:00:00 EST

What happens when three teenage girls living in Minnesota decide to visit the land of their birth? All three were adopted as infants from an orphanage in Calcutta, India. In this week's Rough Cut video, Sasha Khokha follows the girls back to South Asia, as they explore their roots, with curiosity and trepidation.

Colombia: This Little Old Town

Tue, 03 Jan 2006 21:00:00 EST

Decades of violence -- much of it tied to the drug trade -- have ravaged Colombia. Fighting between leftwing guerillas, right-wing paramilitaries, and government soldiers has forced many civilians to flee their villages. But in this week's Rough Cut video, reporter Deborah Correa joins a group of refugees determined to reclaim their hometown, war or no war.

Norway: Reindeer Men

Tue, 20 Dec 2005 21:00:00 EST

For those raised on visions of Santa Claus and his flying reindeer, this week's Rough Cut offers a bracing reality check as we journey into the fabled Arctic land of reindeer herders. The modern world is closing in on these nomadic people with recreational snowmobilers, mining companies, even NATO military bases encroaching on their remote, centuries-old way of life.

Brazil: Cutting the Wire

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 21:00:00 EST

Nearly half of Brazil's farmland is owned by 1 percent of the population -- a glaring inequality in a nation known for its stark division between rich and poor. This week on Rough Cut, we travel to a dusty patch of rural Brazil where FRONTLINE/World Fellows Adam Raney and Chad Heeter witness a land occupation by a thousand poor people and activists who take over a strategic corner of a ranch about an eight-hour drive west of Sao Paulo.

Tuvalu: That Sinking Feeling

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 21:00:00 EST

There's trouble in paradise. A small island nation in the South Pacific, Tuvalu, is threatened by rising ocean levels believed to be caused by global warming. FRONTLINE/World reporter Elizabeth Pollock travels into the heart of Polynesia, just south of the Equator, to see if the people of Tuvalu will have to abandon the islands they have inhabited for 2,000 years.

Japan: The Slow Life

Tue, 22 Nov 2005 21:00:00 EST

Tokyo's "bright lights, big city" energy is a beacon to Japanese and foreign tourists alike, but some young Japanese are choosing to slow down, drop out and grow rice. FRONTLINE/World reporter Jason Cohn follows these urban refugees back to the land that others have abandoned.

The Curse of Inca Gold

Tue, 25 Oct 2005 21:00:00 EST

The Yanacocha gold mine in Peru is run by Newmont Mining Corporation of Denver, Colorado, the largest gold mining company in the world. FRONTLINE/World and New York Times reporter Lowell Bergman investigates a bitter ownership battle over the mine, environmental problems, and growing local opposition to the mine's expansion. The story provides, says Bergman, a case study of "how a multinational company does business in a developing country rife with corruption." (more)

Ukraine: A Murder in Kyiv

Tue, 25 Oct 2005 21:00:00 EST

Just a year ago, in November 2004, Ukranians poured into Kyiv's Independence Square, demanding democratic change. The nonviolent Orange Revolution ousted the old regime. Now a young widow returns from exile, hoping the new government will dare to arrest those who ordered the killing of her journalist husband -- even if the trail leads to former President Kuchma himself. (more)

South Africa: The Play Pump

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 21:00:00 EST

In rural villages across South Africa, some 5 million people don't have access to clean drinking water. In this week's Rough Cut, Africa correspondent Amy Costello brings us a surprisingly upbeat tale about Trevor Field, a canny entrepreneur who decided to tackle South Africa's water woes in his own novel and enterprising way.

Weight of the World

Fri, 09 Sep 2005 21:00:00 EST

In newly opened gyms in downtown Kabul, young men are rebuilding Afghanistan one muscle at a time. They are pumping iron and dreaming of Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is not what you'd expect to find in Afghanistan, a country that is still one of the poorest in the world and remains an unsettled and perilous place after 25 years of war. But some 35 gyms have sprouted in the capital city since U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban in 2001.

Occupied Minds

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 21:00:00 EST

Occupied Minds is the personal odyssey of two journalists -- Jamal Dajani, a Palestinian American, and David Michaelis, an Israeli citizen -- who travel together to Jerusalem, where they were both born, "to face the hard realities of our shared land." Their journey is a road trip across a grim and divided landscape, but it is leavened by gallows humor and a heartfelt desire to find solutions.

Samurai Surfers

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 21:00:00 EST

Angel Rodriguez, aka "El Doctor," is a former accountant turned full-time surfer and coach of Puerto Rico's surf team. He's also a tenacious defender of his marine environment. Just ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that made the mistake of dumping harbor dredge on El Doctor's favorite surf spot. FRONTLINE/World reporter Sachi Cunningham, herself a surfer, ventures to the Caribbean island to tell the tale of El Doctor and his cadre of surfer activists.

This Land is Ours

Tue, 16 Aug 2005 21:00:00 EST

FRONTLINE/World reporter Sarah Colt travels to Namibia to take an intimate look at some of the black and white farmers struggling over who should own Namibia's farms and cattle ranches. The conflict over land reform in Namibia is a continentwide debate in microcosm: Given Africa's history of colonialism, and its ongoing disparities in wealth between blacks and whites, how is it possible to redress those inequities fairly without causing economic collapse?

Murder in St. Petersburg

Mon, 01 Aug 2005 21:00:00 EST

On Rough Cut this week, we present Kelly Whalen's report from St. Petersburg, Russia. "Murder in St. Petersburg" is the story of Nikolai Mikhailovich Girenko, a prominent defender of minority rights, who was gunned down in his home in the summer of 2004. His death was mourned by human rights defenders around the world. More than a year later, his murder remains unsolved.

Seeds of Suicide

Tue, 26 Jul 2005 21:00:00 EST

Suicide by pesticide: It's an epidemic in India, where farmers try to keep up with the latest pest-resistant seeds only to find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle of pesticides that don't work, drought and debt. Since 1997, more than 25,000 farmers have committed suicide, many drinking the chemical that was supposed to make their crops more, not less, productive.

The Women's Kingdom

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 21:00:00 EST

On Rough Cut this week, you'll meet Lamu and several extraordinary Mosuo women as we travel to "The Women's Kingdom" in southwest China, not far from the Tibetan Buddhist city the Chinese have renamed Shangri-La. Reporter Xiaoli Zhou, who comes from Shanghai, told us she had always wanted to visit the Mosuo region to see for herself how much freedom a woman might enjoy in China.

Dark Shadows

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 21:00:00 EST

The 10th anniversary of the worst massacre in Europe since World War II has focused the world's skittering attention on the unfinished business of the Balkan war. Thousands gathered this week in Bosnia to commemorate the Srebrenica massacre, when Bosnian Serb soldiers killed at least 7,000 Muslim men and boys.

Cursed by the Gods

Tue, 05 Jul 2005 21:00:00 EST

FRONTLINE/World reporter Jonathan Jones and producer Krista Mahr journey to Sri Lanka's eastern coast, one of the most ravaged areas, to see how people are coping with twin disasters: the tsunami and a civil war that has wracked the country for decades.

Return to Kirkuk

Tue, 28 Jun 2005 21:00:00 EST

Karzan Sherabayani is a Kurdish exile living in Britain, an activist and an actor. Twenty-five years ago, when he was 19, Sherabayani escaped from Iraq, where he had been imprisoned and tortured by Saddam Hussein's secret police. In January 2005, he returned to his hometown, Kirkuk, to vote in the first national elections since the overthrow of Saddam's regime. Swiss producer Claudio von Planta went with him to film the story for the BBC. His 16-minute film, "Return to Kirkuk," has never been shown in the United States.

Nuclear Underground: Part 3

Tue, 21 Jun 2005 21:00:00 EST

The most elusive character in the case of the U.S. nuclear triggers shipped illegally to Pakistan is Islamabad businessman Humayun Khan. Khan has been indicted by the U.S. Justice Department but he remains free in Pakistan, where he insists he is innocent. His South African collaborator, Asher Karni, has already pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing in a Brooklyn prison.