Focus Asia

A fifteen-year-old Mongolian girl aims to prove to her male competitors that women can also hunt with eagles. To achieve her goal, young Aibota and her father train daily with the nomadic family's golden eagle on the slopes of the Altai Mountains in the Mongolian province of Bajan-Ölgii. It is the story of a courageous girl who wants to prove herself in a tradition dominated by men. The eagle hunters of Mongolia are the guardians of an almost forgotten tradition. This custom has always been passed down from father to son. The custom is considered a proud family heritage, one in which women have little place. Will Aibota achieve her goal of becoming an eagle huntress? Can she prove to her uncle, her classmates and, of course, herself that she is equal to the men?

The South China Sea is a hub of world trade, strategically important and full of resources. How nations can use parts of it is regulated by the Law of the Sea. But China ignores this. In Manila, capital of the Philippines, former chief justice Antonio Carpio has been following developments for a decade and is convinced: "China is insane." With its power politics, the country is violating modern international maritime law. This is dangerous, he says, and the international community cannot accept it. A documentary about people who experience the geopolitical conflict between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea on a daily basis.

She never imagined that she would someday become a farmer's wife in a remote Japanese mountain village. This film tells the story of a young city woman who rolled up her sleeves and turned her life upside down. Living in Tokyo, a city of 38 million, 38-year-old Tamami Shigitani was stuck behind her desk at a white-collar job. However, nine years ago, chance led her to the rice chamber of Japan. Dressed in rubber boots and work gloves, Tamami fell in love with a village, nature, and a man. It was the first wedding in Ishidani in over forty years. Fascinated by the ancient knowledge, Tamami learns everything about rice cultivation and the wild vegetable plants on the mountainsides. Time is pressing: Almost everyone in the village is well over seventy.

Up to 30,000 people have fallen victim to former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs in the Philippines. A Filipino priest is exhuming the bodies of this drug war, hoping to secure evidence for possible trials against Filipino police officers and the government at the International Criminal Court. Flavie Villanueva's goal is to determine "how these people were killed and to bring justice to them and their families after the fact." Standing by his side as an ally is pathologist Raquel Fortun. She performs autopsies on the bones. Time and again, the actual cause of death contradicts the official autopsy report. As in the case of Constantino de Juan. His relatives are listed as witnesses at the International Criminal Court because their daughter Christine was a witness to the murder of her father. The film accompanies Villanueva to the cemeteries of Manila as well as to the morgue of Dr. Fortun and lets witnesses speak.

In only four decades China has developed from a gigantic poorhouse to the second largest economic power in the world. Geopolitically and militarily, China is also increasingly making its claims as a superpower. The best expression of this is China's large-scale project to build a new Silk Road: around 1,000 billion Dollars, are to be invested under Chinese leadership in countless infrastructure projects in over 70 countries to connect China better with the rest of the world.

In Japan, more diapers are sold for use by seniors than by babies and there is a market for senior pornography. The reason: Japan’s population is the oldest in the world. Other parts of Asia and the wider world are predicted to soon also face such a problem. In Singapore, the first countermeasure has been put in place: no retirement age. If you want to work and can work, you are allowed to work and should work. The challenges and chances of an elderly society.

A new race for space has begun. With repercussions reaching even the remotest corners of the earth. Spaceports are springing up around the globe and could catapult indigenous societies along the equator - such as the Papuans - into a new era. The Indonesian government is hoping West Papua is its key to joining the circle of space nations. The island Biak is ideal for launching satellites into space at a low cost. But launching rockets from here will fundamentally change the lives of Marten Abrauw and his clan.

Nepalese eye surgeon Dr. Sanduk Ruit is considered a pioneer in the treatment of cataracts. With his revolutionary surgical technique, he has already restored sight to more than 130,000 patients in the global South. Coming from the humblest of backgrounds, the 70-year-old has made it his life's mission to provide high-quality surgery to even the poorest of people - even those for whom the nearest hospital is out of reach. His next quest takes him and his team to the extremely remote Dolpo region in Nepal. At an altitude of over 4,000 meters, deep in the Himalayas, the Tibetan Shey Festival takes place, a centuries-old cultural event that is only held every twelve years - the perfect opportunity to find as many patients as possible in one place.

A lost kingdom, a fading heritage, and the mission to restore it. High in the Himalayas, at an altitude of 4,000 meters, lies the ancient kingdom of Mustang, surrounded by towering, impassable mountains. Over the centuries, these sacred sites fell into decay, putting Mustang’s rich cultural heritage at risk. Only recently has the restoration of its monasteries sparked a remarkable revival. Italian conservator Luigi Fieni and his friend Tsewang Bista, nephew of Mustang’s last king, embark on a four-week journey through the former kingdom. Their mission: to preserve Mustang’s cultural heritage for future generations. Meanwhile, China seeks to prevent Mustang from becoming a refuge for Tibetan exiles.