The story of the rise to stardom of Joaquin Phoenix, an actor of magnetic physique, tumultuous past, socially committed, who for years has offered outstanding performances.

They call themselves Fancy Bear, Cozy Bear or Voodoo Bear. Elite units of the Russian secret services are hidden behind these code names. They are among the most dangerous hackers in the world. The bears were already in the computer of then-Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2015, interfered in the US election campaign in 2016 and are currently influencing the war in Ukraine. The makers of the successful YouTube channel “Simplicissimus” in co-production with funk and SWR are back and show the destructive potential of state hacking with this documentary. With the help of leading German hackers, cyberspace experts and a lot of humor, they delicately demystify the Russian bears: Who are the people behind them? How do they operate? And what makes them so incredibly dangerous?

An analysis of the rise of the European far-right, increasingly present in both politics and everyday life: an inquisitive journey through France, Germany and Belgium.

As a bodyguard at the BKA, Helen Schilling is responsible for the security of the controversial Minister of Economics and Environment Richard Bauer at a press event. When Bauer has a seizure in front of the journalists, it quickly becomes clear: the minister has been the victim of a targeted attack. In the course of the investigation, Helen becomes involved in a highly explosive plot, behind which a war for the dominance of future genetic research and its ethical limits is unfolding.

After a 12-year marriage, Markus and Miriam have split up and share custody for their twins Elias and Emma. To be closer to his children, Markus moves in next door - with his new girlfriend Galina.

The Viennese cab driver Maggy has all kinds of problems, not least monetary ones. But suddenly Maggy's financial problems could solve all by themselves when Juliette Koons, who has been reported missing, gets into her cab with a heavy suitcase.

A 100-year-long curse must be overcome by the 16-year-old Prince Parvus to wake up the sleeping Princess Rosabella. But he doubts that he is the right person for this mission. However, plant lover Parvus does not have much left time. Together with Feerich Amon and Rosabellas thoughts that they can feel with the help of a magical mist, he has to get into the castle before he the death curse of the dark fairy Rubia has been fulfilled.

Four years after the end of the German Democratic Republic, Katarina Witt, two-time Olympic champion, is planning her comeback to prove to herself and to a united Germany that she still has what it takes. To do this, she has to team up with her former coach Jutta Müller and complete the toughest training of her life.

Kindergarten teacher Hannah lovingly creates a calendar of activities for the coming year to get her relationship with her boyfriend Simon back on track. Through a mishap, however, the calendar falls into the hands of misanthropic Jonathan, a wealthy publishing heir who sets out to find the author with growing curiosity. Miraculously, the paths of the two cross from then on, for the time being without knowing of their connection through the calendar.

In the second part of the crime series about star lawyer Anna Conti and public prosecutor Henry Mahn, the two women are once again fighting for law and justice on different sides. After Conti has found her way back into professional life with her last case, she now takes on the defense of a dazzling client: Frank Stolpe has led a double life for years and has now committed a bank robbery for which he appears to have no motive. Curious and fascinated at the same time, Conti tries to find out all the facets of this mysterious man with the help of her assistant Carlo. What can she believe about him? Henry Mahn, on the other hand, sees him as a pathological swindler who uses his manipulative skills to plunge others into misfortune.

In Portugal, during the night of April 24-25, 1974, a peaceful uprising put an end to the last government of the Estado Novo, the authoritarian regime established in 1933 by dictator António de Oliveira Salazar (1889-1970), paving the way for full democracy: a chronicle of the Carnation Revolution.

In a criminal trial at the Berlin district court, in which the accusation of rape is being heard, it is one statement against the other - a seemingly insoluble dilemma, both legally and humanly, that has enormous explosive power. Because beyond the professional and private future of two people, it is about nothing less than the values and prejudices that define us as a society. It is a case of high public attention: the well-known TV presenter Katharina Schlüter and the industrialist Christian Thiede have had a secret affair that has lasted for years, and now they are sitting opposite each other in the courtroom as hostile parties. On the witness stand, Schlüter describes how what was initially consensual sex in Thiede's apartment turned into rape. But are circumstantial evidence sufficient? Experts and witnesses are questioned, and an unexpected turn of events doesn't make it any easier for the court to decide on credibility and truth.

A portrait of American actress Uma Thurman, muse of legendary filmmaker Quentin Tarantino and courageous voice for the many victims of despotic producer Harvey Weinstein.

November 5, 2024 is election day and the USA is facing a momentous decision linked to the questions: Will Kamala Harris succeed in becoming the first woman President of the USA? Or will Donald Trump return to the White House? What consequences would a Trump victory have for the USA, the world and especially for Germany? Ingo Zamperoni, together with filmmaker Birgit Wärnke, embarks on a multifaceted journey through a country that seems more irreconcilable and polarized than ever before. The well-known Tagesthemen anchorman discusses the election-deciding issues such as inflation, migration, abortion and the Ukraine war during visits to members of his partly American family and their acquaintances, but also with celebrities such as pop star and Trump friend Kid Rock, football legend Jürgen Klinsmann, who lives in California, and the former commander of the US Army in Europe, Ben Hodges.

The incredible story of Lucrezia Borgia (1480-1519), daughter of Pope Alexander VI (1431-1503), deliberately used politically by her powerful family and historically slandered as a poisoner and incestuous femme fatale. But who was the real Lucrezia?

Leipzig, December 1734: Christmas brings the Bach family together. The first snow has fallen and the children Gottfried and Elisabeth are delighted about the arrival of their older brothers Friedemann and Emanuel. The Thomaskantor has retired to his music room. Anna Magdalena supports her husband, as there are only a few days left and his latest work, the six-part "Christmas Oratorio", must be finished on time. It is awaited with suspicion by the city council and the gentlemen of the consistory, who have long found Bach's waywardness a thorn in their side and fear that, after the premiere of the St. Matthew Passion a few years earlier, the St. Thomas Church will once again be filled with "operatic" music. With the oratorio, Johann Sebastian Bach hopes that he will finally become court composer in Dresden. And, as always, he demands that all members of the family join forces to help him. But differences of opinion are increasingly delaying the completion of Bach's most famous work.

Udo Kier was a demon, Frankenstein, murderer, lover and six times Adolf Hitler. He has starred in art films, indie classics and blockbusters. Cult directors, superstars and audiences worldwide have fallen for the Cologne native's aura and have given him an incredible career - in Europe and in Hollywood. Now the atypical international star turns 80.

A portrait of Pope Pius XII (1876-1958), head of the Catholic Church from 1939 until his death, who, during World War II, and while European Jews were being exterminated by the Nazis, was accused of keeping a disconcerting and shameful silence.

One of the most significant cases in European archaeology is the grave of the shaman woman of Bad Dürrenberg, a key finding of the last hunter-gatherer groups. From a time when there were no written records, this site was first researched by the Nazis, who saw a physically strong male warrior from an ‘original Aryan race’ in the buried person. It was, in fact, the most powerful woman of her time. The latest research shows that she was dark-skinned, had physical deformities, and was a spiritual leader. The documentary – using high-end CGI and motion capture – compares the researchers of the Nazi era, who misrepresented and instrumentalised their findings, to today’s researchers, who meticulously compile findings and evidence, and use cross- disciplinary methods to examine and evaluate them. It also substantiates the theory of the powerful roles women played in prehistoric times. The story of this woman, buried with a baby in her arms, still fascinates us 9,000 years after her death.

Chief Inspector Johannes Fischer has retired in the meantime. The last case he investigated together with his former boss Konstanze Satorius has been closed, but Fischer is still convinced that an innocent woman is in custody.

Jesus comes to the city with his friends. He inspires people with his ideas and not only stands up for minorities, but also rejects the existing elites. As a result, he is a thorn in the side of the religious and political leaders. The Passion is a story that could not be more topical. It is about murder and betrayal, but also about love and about Jesus, who has changed our world forever. On March 27, 2024, this exciting live event will return! The whole thing will take place in Kassel this year. The story of the last days of Jesus of Nazareth is brought up to date with pop songs.

Orphaned crown prince Sigismund, controlled by regent Queen Freya, climbs the Falcon dynasty's sacred tower with help from sorceress Eleonor, reawakened to magic by her adopted daughter Rapunzel, Sigi’s childhood friend. After Eleonor’s refusal to serve the queen again lands her and Rapunzel in the dungeon, Sigi helps them flee to a hidden tower only reachable via Rapunzel’s enchanted hair. But with the queen’s spies in pursuit, a final clash looms.

Gerd Meineke is a committed member of the Bundestag and member of the Parliamentary Assembly in the Council of Europe. And he has a problem: Leyla, the daughter of his partner Alina, was taken into custody as an opposition figure in her country of origin, Azerbaijan. The blogger fights there for democracy and against environmental destruction. Gerd travels to Baku as an election observer for the Council of Europe, where he wants to campaign for the release of Leyla and other political prisoners. Only on site does he realize that the government and the lobbyists of influential companies are using politicians like him to gain credibility for the ruthless, environmentally destructive extraction of critical raw materials. Leyla and her friend Valentina open his eyes to the extent of corruption that does not stop at Western European politicians. Will Gerd, together with Leyla and the help of her friend, be able to make the corruption of politics public?

A man and his ship are sunk in Lake Constance and the dead man's son is missing. For the detectives, he is the prime suspect. Until an anonymous tip-off about a prisoner hidden in a box turns up...

High school graduate Simon has a crush on lifeguard Mira. The outdoor pool in Niederwülst at the end of the 90s becomes a place of longing for the 19-year-old, far away from the pressure of family expectations.

The life of the Cologne architect Mads is as empty as his apartment. Since the death of his beloved wife, the 44-year-old has only been able to function in a reduced daily routine. A chance reunion with his best friend from his youth changes everything. The cheerful single woman René moves in with him with her children - nine-year-old Lola and six-year-old Oscar. Finally, life is coming back into his life! Although René is not even considering the good-looking, successful guy as a new partner, Mads is growing into the unfamiliar role of the perfect patchwork dad. Friends without benefits, but with children - it works amazingly perfectly! When Mads becomes interested in the fascinating Eva, who is just as cautious as he is, an unwanted complication comes into the lightness of being: René receives a medical diagnosis that requires far-reaching decisions. Although he has other plans, Mads knows what he has to do.

The small village of Jamel in the northwest of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is considered a right-wing extremist stronghold. In the past, neo-Nazis have deliberately moved here. Using right-wing slogans and symbols, they openly claim dominance over the village. In the middle of it all: the artist couple Birgit and Horst Lohmeyer. In search of a rural idyll, the Lohmeyers moved to the village in 2004, underestimating the situation there, where they encountered right-wing extremist thinking and rejection, even threats. Instead of allowing themselves to be driven away, they make a statement against it every year with the "Jamel Rocks the Forester" music festival. After their barn was set on fire, they and their festival received prominent support from the German music scene. The documentary shows that the conditions in the village are not an isolated case and that folkish landgrabs by right-wing extremists are a widespread problem, but also how music can help fight for democracy.

The relationship between the sensitive free spirit and self-proclaimed feminist Luca and his father Mathi, an old-school man with a classic understanding of his role, is complicated. Now father and son are expecting a baby at the same time. When the two of them happen to be attending the same seminar for fathers-to-be - isolated in the woods among like-minded men - their relationship dispute escalates.

Why does Doris Dörrie have a bag on her head in the interview? Consistent in the sense that in her works she always poses the question of how we want to be perceived. Dörrie takes us through the most important stages of her life, her films, her work as a mentor and teacher, and also addresses existential themes: Identity, motherhood, her role as a woman. And she talks openly about fears, setbacks and crises, such as the untimely death of her partner and cameraman Helge Weindler. "Shut up and breathe", the advice of a Tibetan lama, carries her through life - even beyond the screen.

Alongside Rembrandt and Vermeer, Frans Hals was one of the key figures in 17th century Dutch art. But unlike his contemporaries, who tended to paint gloomy or pensive pictures, Hals was entirely devoted to joy. He painted people who could barely conceal their zest for life - at a time when it was frowned upon to show teeth.

Anna Grawe is the right-hand woman of Bea Kober, a member of the Bundestag. When she learns that the public prosecutor's office is investigating her boss, she becomes suspicious. The connection to oligarch Parygin makes everything even more complicated. What Anna doesn't realize is that her daughter Larissa had an affair with Parygin.

A Bochum Schauspielhaus production. In ancient Scotland, after a victorious war, Macbeth and Banquo return home. Macbeth’s name is celebrated for his prowess in battle, and witches predict he will become king. Driven by ambition and his wife’s encouragement, Macbeth kills the king, his friends, and their families to seize power. Despite achieving the prophecy, he and his wife are overwhelmed by guilt. The second part of the prophecy will also come true, leaving Macbeth isolated and seeking liberation.

The sun is the miracle that makes everything possible - but also the greatest danger. For the first time, a feature-length documentary is dedicated to the search for the significance of our home star for mankind, science and nature. Thanks to the researchers from the American space agency NASA, who work at the Canary Islands observatories in the hottest and coldest places on the planet.

Anne Harding looks after her small fruit and vegetable farm, her teenage daughter Jamie and her mother Molly, who suffers from arthritis. Then one day John Smith, her Aunt Sally's butler, turns up on her doorstep. The widow wants to lend John to her sister Molly for six weeks. With his discreet manner, John gets to the bottom of the family's little secrets and tries to help them inconspicuously.

After a life-threatening operation, Hubert and Girwidz try to clear their minds on a mountain hike. At boundary marker 147, they come across two bodies — one on the German side and the other on the Austrian side.

An anonymous suicide threat shared on social media causes turmoil at a school. For the students, their parents and the teachers, a race against time begins: who sent the threat? While everyone is on the trail of this question, it turns out that another secret could be involved.

Oskar has been working as a guardian angel for over 30 years and is increasingly weary of his task. It's a good thing he's about to retire, or rather, be sent to heaven. But due to a moment of carelessness, two of his clients die, including Mira, who is assigned to him from now on – as an angel in training. Because of his misconduct, Oskar will be denied eternal paradise.

It's been a year since Moritz Wagner and his daughter Aluna turned their backs on Kenya and moved to Hamburg. They searched in vain for Farrah, Moritz's wife and Aluna's mother. Moritz's strenuous, sometimes traumatic job as a war photographer had put a lot of strain on their marriage. Farrah took some time off and disappeared without a trace. Now news reaches Moritz from the Kenyan police that his wife has been recovered dead from her car in Kenya. Shortly after, Farrah's sister Pascale suggests that Farrah was not the victim of an accident, but was murdered. Moritz sets off for Kenya. But when he wants to meet his sister-in-law, she dies in front of him. Moritz is now considered a suspect and has to justify himself to the Kenyan police and flee. Together with Caroline, a shirt-sleeved used car saleswoman and good friend of Farrah, Moritz sets out to find the secret behind Farrah's death. The trail leads them both to the Congo.

Ex-con Konrad Kühn smells a quick buck with the sale of a seemingly uninhabited house on the Baltic Sea. He claims to be the sole heir, but someone is living in the supposedly uninhabited house: Clara Mensen. Together with her friend Valeska, she tries everything to prevent the sale. Also because Mayor Flasskamp wants to close the deal with Kühn very quickly. He already owns the neighboring property and could finally implement his plans for a large hotel. But the two have made their plan without Clara Mensen. She discovers Kühn's true identity. And Kühn learns a secret about Clara Mensen. The two rivals suddenly have to work together to save their own skins.

The accountant Adam can hardly believe it: Shortly before his 40th anniversary at the Moser family beauty business, his boss Rob sends him off to retirement early. The job will soon be taken over by AI! To get back at the beauty guru, Adam kidnaps his wife and famous brand face Evelyn. Unfortunately, it doesn't occur to Rob to pay a ransom for her. On the contrary: the vain star surgeon wants to rejuvenate his relationship with 29-year-old beauty model Lene anyway and is even grateful to the kidnapper! When Evelyn makes it clear to Adam that without her help he will neither get the money he craves nor get out of the affair in one piece, the two of them join forces. They come up with a brazen plan to empty Rob's offshore accounts.

What happens when “old” and “new work” collide? Barbara Lucke was the grand dame of the works council at Sander Versandhaus for decades. Now, after 30 years, she is unexpectedly voted out of office, loses her leave of absence and has to return to her old job as a former clerk shortly before retirement - in the department of her son Bastian, of all places, who as an up-and-coming department head wants and needs to impress with modern leadership.

One for all, all for one! That's the motto in the tranquil village of Heiterstorf just outside Hamburg. In order to be accepted again in his hometown, which Gabriel Panski once arrogantly left behind, the family man runs the gauntlet. After a depressing movie night at the rowing club, the heart of Heiterstorf, he is suddenly the "man of the hour". The village wants to help ensure that Panski doesn't have to pay for a public-spirited heroic deed: the murder of the Hamburg real estate shark Butz, who tried to rip everyone off. Although the moneyed dynast Erna Gutdorf herself scrubbed the crime scene at the rowing club, the clues lead to Panski. Inspector Winter is always one step ahead of the hungover suspect. However, she has to realize that her perfect puzzle of clues leads to a manipulated picture. When the inspector and the suspect pull together, they stumble upon a perfidious conspiracy...

A portrait of Alexei Navalny (1976), the staunchest opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, severely poisoned in 2020, arrested in 2021 and died on February 16, 2024 in a Siberian prison camp under unclear circumstances.

A critical and objective look back at Ukraine's tumultuous and tragic history, from its mythical founding in the 10th century to the Russian invasion in 2022.

Hilde's restaurant is booming! Hilde and her colleagues can look forward to plenty of customers with their unusual meatball creations. But the cash register is not doing well at all: too many free burgers for the needy call the tax office into action. Hilde goes into a tailspin when Angie and Lore throw in the towel.

He is considered one of the most important athletes in football history. Franz Beckenbauer was the shining light of German football, won everything there was to win in club football as a player and coach, became world champion as a player and coach and, as the father of the "Summer Fairy Tale", brought the 2006 World Cup to Germany. He was also a pioneering advertising icon and an occasional singer and actor. The man whom everyone in his home country simply calls “Kaiser” shaped the image of the Federal Republic of Germany like no one else. The legendary footballer seems like a national treasure today, but little is known about the person behind the ball artist. Public knowledge of his private life is shaped by his long-term relationships with four women. The documentary, completed shortly before his death, uses archive material and prominent contemporary witnesses from sports, politics and entertainment to weave both facets into a look at a life's work with light and shadow.

The market regulates everything! Diligence and work create prosperity! Capitalism needs growth! What is the truth behind the great principles of capitalism? And how do they work in Eastern Germany - a region that has been a capitalist test laboratory for around 30 years? It is symbolic of various places in the world that are going through similar processes. Renowned economic experts answer questions. How does a large-scale settlement of a global corporation like DHL take place and what must politics make possible for this? What happens when investors pour around a billion euros into one of the largest real estate projects in Europe in the Baltic Sea resort of Binz (Prora) on the Island of Rügen and no place is created that is worth living in? And how are the people in places like Zeitz, which capitalism has obviously forgotten? The film takes you through various stations, through the strongholds of Eastern German capitalism and the places where capitalism has not yet arrived.

Bärbel Schmitz buys her husband a shirt for his birthday. When she discovers a call for help from Bangladesh in it, a story begins that will turn Bärbel and her family's regular, conventional life completely upside down.

Deaths are increasing around Lake Ossiach this winter. An unknown body washes up on the shore of the miniature golf course, a diabetic dies of hypoglycemia on a park bench and another lady is found dead in her house...

During a canoe trip, neurologist Magnus Heier suffers from sudden amnesia: for eight hours, he records nothing. Everything he does is immediately forgotten. This episode becomes the starting point for an exploration of his own memory. How can his functioning explain the incident he suffered? And what happened to the doctor during those lost hours? To understand the amnesia that has affected him, Magnus Heier embarks on an investigation among his peers. His journey takes him to Finland, Germany and Italy, where he visits researchers working on the astonishing brain faculty of memory.

On January 10th, the investigative editorial team of CORRECTIV published research into a secret meeting of right-wing extremists, which no one was supposed to know about and which led to demonstrations and protests all over Germany. AfD politicians, CDU politicians, members of the WerteUnion, neo-Nazis and financially strong entrepreneurs came together in November 2023 in a hotel near Potsdam near the Villa on Wannsee, where the “final solution to the Jewish question” was once decided. They met to debate to expel millions of people from Germany, including non-German citizens with a migration background, as well as German citizens with a migration background and German citizens without a migration background who do not want to adapt to the ideological worldviews of those present. On January 17, 2024, the research premiered in the Berliner Ensemble as a staged reading with a political satirical character.

An exploration of Cologne Cathedral, an emblematic monument and world heritage site. The towering place of worship took over 600 years to complete. Once the tallest building in the world, its ornate facade remains a masterpiece of Gothic architecture - and a reflection of the evolution of Franco-German relations.

She gets short of breath from incense cleansing rituals, dream diaries, wish lists that are supposed to be thrown into the fire bowl and other such esoteric hocus-pocus. At a winter solstice party thrown by her older sister Svea just before Christmas, the more rational climate researcher Liane encounters a world that is foreign to her. The scientist meets Mani, who is walking the spiritual path and who somehow fascinates her despite all the differences. Her relationship with her long-time boyfriend Philipp is less good. After an argument, he flies to Gomera alone. She stays behind, not only worrying about the weather being far too warm, but also has to put up with her Christmas-crazy neighbor and his family and receive her conspiracy-obsessed in-laws-to-be while Mani stays overnight with her. On Christmas Eve, fate and the weather really start to shake up Liane.

Primary school teacher Sabine Schuster suffers a sudden stroke during a theatre rehearsal with her pupils. Doctors are able to save her life in hospital, but the path back to everyday life is difficult and uncertain. For Sabine's husband Stefan, a forester, nothing is as it was either. While Sabine has to laboriously relearn things that are taken for granted, such as speaking or walking, in rehab, Stefan adapts the house in Ilmenau, Thuringia, to his wife's needs in the hope that the familiar surroundings will do her good. But Sabine is so disappointed by her condition that she initially resists everything that will help her recover. Out of shame, she avoids contact with her usual surroundings. She misses her work as a teacher and hiking. Seemingly lost in the mill of the care system, the new nurse Iryna, organized by Stefan, brings new hope with her very own, optimistic and demanding manner.

Insults, humiliation, violence, sexual assault - the world behind the camera and the scenes can be a nightmare for many theater and film professionals. Apparently there is a real climate of fear in some film and theater productions. Some directors, but also well-known actors, apparently abuse their power and treat those around them on set or on stage with contempt or even abuse. Individual cases have been known for years, including under #metoo. But are they really isolated cases? Or can directors and actors allow themselves anything because the system allows it? In their three-year research, the documentary filmmakers spoke to more than 200 film and theater professionals about the problems in their industry. How much responsibility do the alleged perpetrators bear for abuse of power and how much responsibility does the financiers, production companies, broadcasters and also the audience bear?

Jonas, a sales professional from Frankfurt, finds the best solution to every problem at work. In his private life, however, there is something that can still be optimized: being a father! When his daughter Laila, who is growing up with her mother Shari in Hamburg, demands more time and closeness from him, he has to readjust his life, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend Kim.

A parcel carrier who has nothing to do with Christmas accidentally crosses paths with a petty thief and a mysterious little boy who doesn't speak. Nelly is stunned when Filou Sonny steals two bottles of whiskey and a vintage car from the petrol station where she has a second job. Nick, who suddenly appears between the shelves and doesn't say a word, distracts Nelly during the theft. Since she has to assume that Nick is Sonny's accomplice, she grabs the boy and takes him with her on the chase, receiving support from the elderly cab driver Gesine, who had just filled up her car at the gas station. When Nelly discovers the stolen vintage car by chance outside a villa, she sends Gesine back and asks her to look after the filling station while she is away.

Young judge Thirza Zorniger's dream comes true when she is offered a temporary position at the Higher Regional Court in Munich's historic Palace of Justice. Neither the high expectations of her superior Kaspar Epha nor the mountain of old cases she has to work through can dampen her euphoria.