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The Documentary Podcast

The best documentaries 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. From Australia's relationship with China, to Turkey's sinkhole problem, to understanding the behaviour of dictators, we go beyond the headlines. Each week, all year round, we bring you the stories shaping our world. From the personal voices behind the headlines to perspectives on faith and spirituality and how work and money impact our lives. Discover how people find solutions to global problems and look at the world through the lens of its media. Powered by the BBC World Service’s global network, The Documentary Podcast is about the people living the story – helping you see the world with greater clarity.

Episodes

In "One Week in Gaza," Hanya Aljamal, a 28-year-old Palestinian woman, provides an audio diary offering a glimpse into her life in Gaza amidst the ongoing conflict that began on October 7, 2023. Living with her family in a small apartment, Hanya works for a British aid organization, distributing hot meals to displaced ...

Joachim Trier: The making of Sentimental Value

23 Jun 2025

50m

Ukrainian life under Russian occupation

22 Jun 2025

18m

Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast 2025

21 Jun 2025

38m

Iranians and Israelis

21 Jun 2025

23m

Reworking a future: Buddhist revival in Mongolia

20 Jun 2025

26m

The copper kingdom

19 Jun 2025

26m

What’s Iran’s IRGC?

18 Jun 2025

26m

Could your colleague be a North Korean in disguise?

18 Jun 2025

21m

The Ketamine trail

17 Jun 2025

26m

Amoako Boafo: Creating space to celebrate Blackness

16 Jun 2025

26m

Australia's extinction crisis

15 Jun 2025

59m

The TV drama that shocked the Arab world

14 Jun 2025

24m

AI processed

The Egyptian television drama Lam Shamseya has challenged deep-seated social taboos by courageously depicting child sexual abuse, providing a necessary vocabulary for victims and families to address trauma. In Uganda, the grey crowned crane faces a critical population decline, dropping from 100,000 to 10,000 since the ...