HadNews.com

Russia: Putin’s propaganda machine - Manipulating the people | DW Documentary On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Many Russians supported the move at the time. Others silently rejected what was described as a "special operation”, which Putin claimed would "de-Nazify” a former sister nation. Years of indoctrination and propaganda, a single-party rule that muzzles the media - this film investigates how Russians under Putin have fallen silent, and why no one has pulled the political ripcord. Although the international community continues to be horrified by this brutal, anachronistic war in the heart of Europe, most Russians back Pu...... Read Full article on HadNews

Ayahuasca boom in Brazil - Remedy or risk? | DW Documentary The psychoactive substance ayahuasca is common in Brazil. For generations, indigenous people have incorporated it into their rituals. Researchers say it can serve as an alternative to anti-depressants - and as a way to treat drug addiction. Ayahuasca translates as "spirits of the woody vine.” In Brazil, consuming it as part of religious rituals has been legal for decades. In the village of the Huni Kuin tribe, the plants needed to make the sacramental drink grow right next to the river. Villagers gather once a month to drink the brown liquid from a small glass. It’s a bitter brew...... Read Full article on HadNews

War in Ukraine | DW Documentary On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an all-out attack on Ukraine. This was a drastic escalation of a conflict that had been simmering for decades. Was war the inevitable result of Kyiv’s 2013 Maidan protests? The documentary looks at how this war came about and why it was not prevented. In late 2013, after Ukrainian President Yanukovych suddenly refused to sign the European Union--Ukraine Association Agreement, protests began on the central square in Kyiv known as the Maidan. Soon after, war broke out in Ukraine’s Donbass region. Was this war the Russian response to Ukraine's push...... Read Full article on HadNews

Slovak porters - The last in Europe | DW Documentary Delivery service in the world’s smallest high mountain range is still done the traditional way. In the Alps and other European mountains, porters have long been replaced by helicopters and cable cars. But not in the High Tatras of Slovakia. When loaded, the wooden carrying frames used by the so-called ‘Tatra Sherpas’ weigh up to 100 kilos or more. The porters climb up to 2,000 meters with their loads, supplying essentials to remote mountain huts in the Slovakian national park. Števo Bačkor is one of around 60 porters in the region today. Two to three times a week, the 47-year-old loads...... Read Full article on HadNews

Russia's Gazprom - Corrupt politicians and the greed of the west | DW Documentary For decades, European countries have been dependent on Russian gas imports. And they did it to themselves. The biggest culprit? Germany. Only after Russia declared war on Ukraine did the German government realize that Russia has been using gas as a weapon for a long time. How did this come about? What is Russian President Vladimir Putin's plan? The films take a look behind the scenes of the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom. They show the genesis of an empire: from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the Russian goldrush, the restrictions imposed by newly-elected...... Read Full article on HadNews

Sinti and the Holocaust | DW Documentary Carmen Melanie Spitta is keeping the memory of her family alive, remembering other Romani people who were murdered in the Nazi concentration camps. When the Nazis came to power in Germany about 90 years ago, their hatred and racism was primarily directed at Jewish people. Six million Jews fell victim to this hatred, but members of other groups, like the Romani people, were also mercilessly persecuted by the Nazis in various European countries, many being deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp. An estimated 500,000 European Romani did not survive the Nazi era, and among the victims were almost...... Read Full article on HadNews

Transylvania - The heart of Romania | DW Documentary Transylvania has a lot to offer: beautiful cities, endless forests, fascinating traditions. All of these are cultivated with great dedication by the people of the region. Dumitru Pop, for example, works at the "funniest cemetery in the world”. His mission: to change people's view of death. He carves and paints wooden crosses for the deceased. He decides which anecdotes best commemorate the dead. Too much alcohol? A tyrannical mother-in-law? Dumitru doesn't sugarcoat anything -- and adds a dash of humor to the saddest of circumstances. Transylvania is nestled in the Carpathian Mountains...... Read Full article on HadNews