VPRO

"From Moscow to Murmansk is a documentary about a journey through Russia. Jelle Brandt Corstius speaks to Russian citizens during this journey to find answers about the Russian soul."

In 13 episodes presenter Hans Goedkoop takes us back to the 19th century, in which a country came to be which we still know today - the start of the modern Netherlands.

Jelle Brandt Corstius is traveling through India. Whereas he previously attempted to explain Russia as an expert in the series From Moscow to Murmansk and From Moscow to Magadan, he is now trying to understand India as a stranger. The country has more poor people, 426 million, than the 26 poorest African countries combined. But there is also enormous wealth. Indian conglomerates are buying up Western companies. The biggest challenge for India is not to become more prosperous, but to distribute that prosperity more evenly. Brandt Corstius travels between two extremes across the country. From Bihar, located in the poor east, to Bangalore, the technological giant in the rich southwest.

In this third series, Ruben Terlou takes us through China again. This time he explores how Chinese people see their own, their children’s, and their country’s futures. He experiences how rapidly China is developing under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, and how this is affecting the lives of ordinary individuals. Once again Ruben finds himself in exceptional situations, meets extraordinary people, and sees some dreams coming true and others being shattered.

In the eight-part series Allah in Europe, Jan Leyers is looking for the face of Islam in Europe. Is there such a thing as a European, enlightened version of Islam growing and is that what Muslims themselves want?

Ruben Terlou, once trained as a doctor, meets courageous go-getters in healthcare in seven countries who try to cure not only the ailment, but also the sickening conditions such as poverty, inequality, pollution and insecurity.

Each episode focuses on one city, where three artists or bands map their local scene. They show us around the places where they write their music, the locations that have been formative and inspire them. They provide an intimate glimpse into the kitchen, and the artists perform at the local pop stage.

The ancient Silk Road, the trade center of the world, once ran through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. Ruben Terlou and Jelle Brandt Corstius explore the area in which the world has renewed interest due to its strategic location and enormous energy reserves.

From Moscow to Magadan is a documentary about a journey through Russia. Jelle Brandt Corstius speaks to Russian citizens during this journey to find answers about the Russian soul.

Breathtaking natural beauty, tolerant, safe and prosperous. That is the picture we have of Canada in the Netherlands. But is it really that paradisical, or does Trudeau's country know how to put on a mask of civility? Writer Emy Koopman travels in Paradise Canada from Vancouver to Montreal and looks at the problems brewing beneath the surface. The series delves into all the urgent themes of our time and examines the state of Canada with racism and gender equality, migration, climate change and the welfare state. Emy Koopman speaks to famous Canadian intellectuals such as Charles Taylor, Margaret Atwood and Jordan Peterson.