Cambodia O.R

Cambodia – During nearly four years of Khmer Rouge genocide in the late 1970’s, nearly two million people died including a whole class of people, among them virtually all of the nation’s doctors. The country’s medical system, the education of physicians, was totally wiped out. More than 25 years after the Khmer Rouge were pushed to the far Western reaches of Cambodia, the medical profession is still working to rebuild itself. Among those trying to assist are a handful of foreign surgeons who have made Phnom Penh their home.

Born Again Buddhists

Krishna taught it; Plato believed it; Freud rejected it. Through the centuries, great minds have been fascinated, entranced or troubled by one powerful idea: reincarnation. As bizarre or supernatural as it sounds, reincarnation is still a living practice and a very real way of life in the last Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan where young reincarnates are still recognised everyday.

Boomtowners

Set in the Bakken, a geological formation that contains one of the largest recoverable oil reserves on the planet. BOOMTOWNERS is the story of this peculiar region and its high stakes gamble on oil, told through the lives of its most unique and compelling characters. The challenges, stakes, transformations and sacrifices will all be showcased for each character resulting in unique storylines throughout the series.

The Bomb Listener

Humans have been in conflict with the marine environment for generations. It is no different in Malaysia’s Tun Sakaran Marine Park, off the eastern coast of Semporna, Sabah. Its coral reefs at the centre of marine biodiversity are at risk from a devastating crime wave – destructive fishing using home- made bombs.

Blue Helmet

Shahana (36) is scared, she is waiting with her colleagues for vaccination to be administered in her navel. Like her, 140 women from different corners of Bangladesh have gathered for training in the police academy before their deployment in Haiti as part of the UN peace keeping mission. In mid hour of the night, they board the flight for Haiti dreaming of a new dawn under a new sky. But what happens once they land in a foreign land thousand miles away from their beloved? How do they survive the longing for their home? How do they form new bonds to escape the loneliness?

Big Mouth

A friendship springs up between a whale shark and a diver in a little fishing village in the Philippines. The village people, the city and environmental groups are in conflict over the appearance of these great fish.

Beyond the Battalion

There have been many documentaries on war and the story of the 28th Maori Battalion has been retold in different mediums by highly regarded historians. This is well and those records build an important archive for future generations.

Beyond the Battalion seeks to take a unique view and trace the steps of a young pakeha filmmaker who is taken under the wing of the Battalion and in particular Ned Nathan. Its follows this filmmaker through his camera and explores what it was like for the men who fought in the bloody conflicts and how it feels to be back 30 years later.

To many it may have looked like a Mediterranean cruise but there were deeper things at play that Michael did not understand at the time. This was a spiritual journey to heal and bring back the kawe mate of those that had been left on the battlefield.

So as we look to tomorrow Michael asks us all what have we learnt from the ravages of war. In Aotearoa we are fortunate to have geographical perspective that allows us to reflect and consider what those messages are. In the battlegrounds where the Sons of Tu Matauenga fought bravely sadly the war continues.

Baz the Lost Muslim

Emmy Award winner Baz Ashmawy (50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy) presents this compelling and entertaining 2-part personal journey into Islam – the faith of his late Egyptian father, into which he himself was born but which he has never really understood.

Even before the recent atrocities in Paris, Baz Ashmawy realised that to immerse himself in Islam wasn’t an obvious move, given this year’s horrific events. Even so, in the autumn of 2015, he decided that it was time to get to know the faith of his late father.

He wants to find out for himself about Islam and the ways the world sees it today. Through meetings, prayers, meals, discussions and interviews with Muslims in all places and of all ages. To them, Baz is much more than a journalist or presenter. He’s a Lost Muslim. He needs to be welcomed, taught and encouraged. But Islam is no spectator sport. You live it and Baz shows himself willing to do just that.