Politics documentaries
Mariupol: The People's Story
In a little under three months, residents of what was a thriving Ukrainian city witnessed the deaths of women and children in a maternity hospital and bodies left abandoned on the streets. This powerful documentary filmed and told by many of the citizens of Mariupol, records the deaths of thousands and daring escapes by survivors. It’s a story of their loss, bravery, and determination.
This 2023 International Emmy Award, 2022 Peabody, and 2023 IDA Documentary Awards-winning documentary is available to watch on BBC Select.
India: the Modi Question
BBC documentary investigating tensions between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the country’s Muslim minority. Narendra Modi is the leader of the world’s largest democracy. Elected twice as India’s prime minister, he’s widely seen as the most powerful politician of his generation and considered a key ally to the US and UK. However, as this fascinating documentary series reveals, Modi has been dogged by allegations about his government’s attitude towards India’s Muslim population. But what is the truth?
Henry VIII's Enforcer: The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell
Was Thomas Cromwell a corrupt, ambitious politician or has history unfairly maligned him?
Thomas Cromwell rose from poor beginnings to become chief minister and the power behind the throne to King Henry VIII. However, falling victim to the King’s anger, he was beheaded in 1540. His greatest triumph was usurped and destroyed. Thomas Cromwell has gone down in history as an ambitious and corrupt politician. But this BBC Thomas Cromwell documentary asks, is that fact or fiction?
Hong Kong's Fight for Freedom
Hong Kong, 2019: Protests against a new extradition bill spiral into some of the worst violence the city has ever seen, as thousands of Hongkongers feel their freedom is under threat and take to the streets.
Using artificial intelligence to protect their identities, this two-part documentary series tells the extraordinary story of the uprising through the eyes of four young people at the heart of the movement.
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is perhaps the most famous constitutional document in history. Originally created to curb the wrongdoings of King John, it contributed to making everyone – including the monarch – subject to the rule of law. The document, which was inked on animal skin, had a profound influence on England and the wider world and it inspired many others, including the American Declaration of Independence and the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In this BBC documentary, renowned historian David Starkey explores the origins of the Magna Carta, and poses the question whether it is time to resurrect this document that is the symbol of individual freedom.