Author: d0cstation

Adventure Harvest

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When a harvester takes six tonnes of beans from the field per hour, when a complete 32-hectare wheat field is mown within three hours, or when a planting machine alone puts up to one million iceberg lettuce plants into the ground per day – then it is high season in northern German fields.

Behind these gigantic dimensions are farmers who have to struggle every year with cold snaps, record heat, too much or too little rain. And as if that wasn’t enough, in 2020 there was also Corona. Thousands of harvest workers could not enter the country, fields could not be cultivated and asparagus could not be harvested. Would farmers in northern Germany be able to harvest the usual quantities this year, guarantee supplies, all at stable prices? Or would Corona mean ruin? 2020 poses great challenges for the farmers.

Vanessa Kossen and Arne Jessen accompanied large and important producers for a season and got to know people who grow vegetables, fruit and grain with passion, a willingness to take risks and a love of the product. Things that we can buy as a matter of course in the supermarkets every day.

Funded by nordmedia – Film- und Mediengesellschaft Niedersachsen/Bremen mbH.

ZDFzoom: Armutszeugnis Corona – Wen das Virus am härtesten trifft

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Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

Während das Impfen im Kampf gegen Corona an Fahrt aufnimmt, zeigt sich, wie hoch die Ansteckungsraten gerade in manchen Brennpunkt-Vierteln sind, z.B. im Berliner Stadtteil Neukölln.

So gewinnt im zweiten Jahr der Pandemie eine heikle Debatte an Brisanz: Sind bestimmte Bevölkerungsgruppen, zum Beispiel solche mit Migrationshintergrund, Infektionstreiber*innen? Oder ist Armut schuld daran, dass manche Menschen stärker von Corona betroffen sind als andere?

Schlagzeilen von Clanhochzeiten und anderen Superspreader-Events, die Migrant*innen zugeschrieben werden, eignen sich bestens für populistische Hetzpropaganda. Doch Soziolog*innen und Migrationsexpert*innen betonen immer wieder, dass Menschen aus sozial schwachen Verhältnissen, ob mit oder ohne Migrationshintergrund, besonders schutzbedürftig sind. Deshalb dürfe das Thema nicht tabuisiert werden. Doch die Recherchen der Zoom-Reporterinnen Joanna Michna und Candan Six-Sasmaz zeigen: Aus Angst, bestimmte Bevölkerungsgruppen zu diskriminieren, werden soziologische Daten in Bezug auf Krankheiten gar nicht erst erhoben. Was auf breiter politischer Ebene versäumt wurde, versucht Medizinsoziologe Nico Dragano mit seinen Mitteln zu erforschen. Für ihn steht fest, wen Corona am härtesten trifft: “Regionen, in denen viele Menschen mit geringem Einkommen leben, stechen durch eine erhöhte Sterblichkeitsrate heraus.“

Auf lokaler Ebene gibt es unterdessen Anstrengungen, besonders gefährdete Bevölkerungsgruppen besser über Infektionsrisiken informieren. Die ZDFzoom Reporterinnen gehen der Frage nach, wie es gelingen kann, auch bundesweit Menschen, die der Pandemie besonders ausgeliefert sind, jetzt und in Zukunft besser zu schützen.

plan b: Hase, Nest und Schoko-Ei – Ostern neu gefeiert

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Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

Ein Osteressen in Familie oder Freundeskreis vereitelt Corona auch dieses Jahr. Bei Schokohasen und bunten Eiern aber zeigt sich: Viele Menschen ändern – gut und gerne – alte Bräuche.

Feine Schokolade braucht nicht die Form langer Ohren. Für ein leckeres Ei muss kein Huhn leiden. Und Osterzöpfe lassen sich sogar vegan backen. Und das ist dann doch wieder eine Jahrtausende alte Tradition: der Verzicht auf tierische Produkte vor dem Osterfest.

„Bei uns könnt ihr zusehen, wie unser hausgemachter Sauerteig auf Reisvollkornmehl-Basis täglich frisch angesetzt wird. Es gibt keine Geheimnisse.“ Katharina und Rena haben ihren Back-Shop in München „Echt jetzt? Echt jetzt!“ genannt. Unglaublich, aber wahr: eine offene Backstube. Ob glutenfrei, vegetarisch, vegan, histaminarm oder einfach nur ohne Zusatzstoffe – alles ist möglich. Fürs Ostergeschäft experimentieren sie zum Thema Ei-Ersatz. Flohsamenschalen oder doch besser Chia oder Leinsamen? Die Ergebnisse werden mit Team und Kund*innen getestet, bevor das endgültige Oster-Angebot feststeht.

Die Verkaufszahlen von Schokolade schnellen nach oben, wenn die Osternester mit süßen Hasen, Eiern oder Küken bestückt werden. Und auch für die Spielwarenindustrie ist die Osterzeit fast so einträglich wie der Advent. Teuer aber müssen Spielsachen nicht sein. Das beweist ein Verein in Paris. In Frankreich landen jedes Jahr 100.000 Tonnen Spielzeug im Müll. Weitere 500.000 Tonnen liegen unbenutzt in Schränken und Kellern. Damit wollten sich die Gründer*innen von Rejoué in Frankreich nicht abfinden. Sie reinigen und reparieren gespendete Spielsachen und verkaufen sie für kleines Geld.

Tierschützerin Inga Günther züchtet sogenannte Zweinutzungshühner. Ihre Hennen legen Eier, die Hähne taugen für die Fleischproduktion. Deshalb werden die männlichen Küken nicht getötet, wie sonst üblich. Ende 2021 macht ein neues Gesetz damit Schluss. In Zukunft sollen Züchter*innen das Geschlecht vor dem Schlüpfen bestimmen und die Eier mit männlichen Küken zerstören. Doch für Inga Günther ist damit nicht alles gut. „Die Branche macht weiter wie gehabt und tötet die männlichen Küken nun einfach zu einem früheren Zeitpunkt“. Eine Lösung für das Problem überzüchteter und hoch spezialisierter Rassen ist das nicht. Ihre Hühner produzieren Bio-Oster-Eier – und leben im Familienverbund mit ihren Brüderhähnen.

plan b: Naturally beautiful – cosmetics rethought

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Cream, deodorant, lipstick: hardly anything comes closer to us. This is one of the reasons why consumers increasingly value natural ingredients, less packaging and fair production conditions.

Our cosmetics often contain controversial mineral oils or aluminium salts. They are packaged in disposable plastic. Good reasons to look for alternatives. For example, a deodorant that is 100 per cent natural and without waste. Good for consumers and the environment.

Fewer and fewer consumers want to put just anything on their skin. Instead, less chemicals and plastic in the bathroom. Marina Zubrod, who founded Matica in 2019, is also aware of this. That’s Croatian for queen bee. The name says it all, because the basis of all Matica products is beeswax. “I had major skin problems myself a few years ago, that’s when I started looking into the ingredients in my skincare products and wasn’t exactly “amused”.” The start was brilliant. Within the first six months, the company went through the roof so much that Marina Zubrod’s husband Jan quit his job and joined her company full-time. Marina provides the ideas, Jan tries to put them into practice in their own small laboratory. Their latest idea: a 100 per cent natural roll-on deodorant that still works and comes in refillable packaging. Can it work?

Good viruses, bad viruses

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In the current Corona pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is killing a great many people and limiting life around the globe. But viruses also have good sides that we can use.

According to the common definition, viruses do not count as living beings. Nevertheless, they have a great influence on evolution and are even a part of us humans. Some virus building blocks have anchored themselves in our genome and reproduce with us.

They help us to survive. Viruses built into the human genome – so-called endogenous retroviruses – contribute to the formation of the placenta, for example.

Other viruses attack bacteria, preventing them from spreading and thus creating space for further life. This is also the case in the depths of the sea. There, viruses ensure the ecological balance. For example, they curb the growth of algae by attacking them. Or they infect disease-causing bacteria that target marine animals. So soon, viruses could be used instead of antibiotics in fish farming.

At the Bernhard Nocht Institute in Hamburg, viruses are examined, catalogued and archived. Bird flu, Zika, Ebola – a total of several thousand viruses have been completely sequenced, the actual number is probably many times higher. The Ebola virus is one of the most dangerous viruses worldwide, with a mortality rate of up to 90 percent.  However, the head of virology, Stephan Günther, sees the danger for humans rather in more harmless pathogens: “Actually, one has to say that the more successful viruses are influenza, Spanish flu or now Covid – the well-transmissible viruses.” Because of their much lower mortality rate, they spread much further and thus end up killing more people than those viruses that, when infected, kill almost every infected person.

But viruses can also help heal us: Near Rome, 40 scientists are developing a vaccine against SARS-Cov-2. The researchers are using the shell of a virus they found in the faeces of gorillas as a transport capsule for the vaccine. In this way, they transform a pathogen into an effective drug. Vaccinations against black skin cancer, for example, are also already being carried out – based on viruses that attack cancer cells. The documentary “Good Viruses, Bad Viruses” shows that viruses are much more than disease-causing pathogens. They determine our existence and we can make use of their properties.

Northern Germany by night

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Wie verändert sich Norddeutschland, wenn das Leben zur Ruhe kommt und sich die Dunkelheit über das Land legt? Der Film „Norddeutschland bei Nacht“ zeigt uns was passiert, während die meisten von uns schlafen.

Mit dem Hubschrauber und besonders lichtempfindlichen Spezialkameras an Bord fliegen Autor Marcus Fischötter und sein Team über blinkende Windparks, Krabbenfischer im Mondschein und Bauern, die im Scheinwerferlicht ihrer Mähdrescher Felder pflügen. Hinweg über die Häfen von Rostock, Kiel, Hamburg und vorbei an Ölplattform, Raffinerie und hell leuchtender Industrie. Überall ist nächtliches Leben. Der Norden bei Nacht ist ein schillerndes Lichtermeer.

Nacht in der Schweiz

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In our 3-part journey through a night in Switzerland from dusk to dawn, we take viewers on helicopter and drone flights across the country to visit people who are still working then. Spectacular aerial shots lend the country a mysterious beauty. Images emerge that we have never seen before. And different people who are active at night tell their stories: We are present at night ski tours, piste preparations and dog sled races in winter, accompany border guards, bird ringers, film shoots, heavy transports and street artists in summer and autumn. A high-quality series with interesting stories and great pictures.

On 27.12.2020 on SRF:
Episode 1 – Wintry Switzerland from 20:05 to 21:00
Episode 2 – Summer Switzerland from 21:00 to 21:55
Episode 3 – Autumnal Switzerland from 21:55 to 22:50

Fairy Tales for the World – Hans Christian Andersen

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Generations of children have grown up with his stories. All over the world, Hans Christian Andersen is known and loved as a fairy tale author. On 2 April, his birthday is celebrated as Children’s Book Day.

In doing so, he wrote for children and adults: “I tell the children while I remember that father and mother often listen, and they must be given something for the mind.” He did. His tales, unlike the Grimms’ fairy tales, are often deeply sad and without happy endings. The mermaid who transforms herself into a human being for her prince does not get him in the end. The stalwart tin soldier, after a mad odyssey, ends up back in his sheltered home, but unfortunately also in the oven in the end. And The Girl with the Matchsticks, who freezes to death on a cold winter’s night, reads like a bitter social critique. The fairy tales often reflect Andersen’s own experiences.

For the Danish fairy-tale poet did not have an easy life. He grew up in poor circumstances in the small town of Odense. To escape the misery, he set off for Copenhagen at the age of just 14. Here he seeks his fortune and wants to become famous. After numerous disappointments and the search for his destiny, he becomes a successful writer. Of course, he only writes the fairy tales out of financial necessity. From being a lucrative source of income, they become his most important literary works.

The documentary tells of the eventful life of the Danish national poet and delves into the exciting world of his fairy tales.

The 2000s – Decade of Division

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The first decade of the 21st century is drawing new divides. In Germany and the world. Terror and war characterise the decade just as much as the growing gap between rich and poor, winners and losers of globalisation. On the other hand, the digital revolution is turning our everyday lives upside down. The internet is becoming commonplace, the smartphone our constant companion.

While the 90s were a decade of German navel-gazing, the noughties bring us back to the political world stage. From the attacks on the World Trade Center to the war in the Hindu Kush and the great stock market crash.

2000-2001 Terror War and TV Trash

The feared millennium bug does not materialise. The start of the new millennium is rather leisurely. The CDU, shaken by a donation scandal, treats itself to a woman as its new chairperson, Angela Merkel, and Berlin gets a gay mayor. Klaus Wowereit is one of the first prominent politicians to admit his sexual orientation. The feuilleton works off the RTL container show “Big Brother” and the sports world works off the designated national football coach Christoph Daum. He resigns because of his cocaine use. The big bang comes in 2001, when the terrorist attacks of 11 September mark a historic turning point.  From then on, war and terror dominate the decade and bring Germany back onto the world political stage.

2002-2004 Force of nature and Nipplegate

The Bundeswehr fights alongside America in Afghanistan against the Taliban, but Germany does not take part in the war in Iraq. Dictator Saddam Hussein is toppled in the process. Nevertheless, peace does not come to the Middle East. Janet Jackson’s bare breasts arouse America more than the torture pictures from the US prison in Abu Ghraib. And after the CDU/CSU finally found a candidate for chancellor in Edmund Stoiber, the search for Germany’s superstar began on TV. In 2002, Stoiber loses his composure against incumbent Gerhard Schröder and national football coach Rudi Völler in an interview with sports reporter Waldemar Hartmann. The flood of the century in Saxony and Bavaria is followed by the tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean. Mourning clouds Christmas in Germany in 2004.

2005-2007 – Summer fairy tale and chancellor’s riot

Hartz IV is the big domestic issue in the middle of the decade. It tears the SPD apart and ends the Red-Green era. In autumn 2005, Angela Merkel becomes Chancellor for the first time. We are already Pope by then. But what is still missing is another World Cup title. In 2006, a new, young team is to win the World Cup in its own country under the direction of Jürgen Klinsmann. Germany is experiencing a black-red-gold summer fairy tale, which not even the missed final can spoil in the end. However, anyone hoping that the great jubilation will continue at the Tour de France will be disappointed. The German Telekom star Jan Ulrich is convicted of blood doping and it soon becomes clear that this is only the tip of the iceberg. The big innovations come from overseas. The first smartphone is made in the USA. In 2007, the iPhone begins its triumphal march around the globe and fundamentally changes our communication behaviour.

2008-2009 – Obama frenzy and banking crash

The fat years are over. Organic is the new magic word and becomes the trademark of urban lifestyle at the end of the decade. In any case, healthy and cultivated food is booming. After the casting shows, the cooking shows conquer the German screens. Completely against its will, the global economy also goes on a diet in 2008. A huge real estate bubble bursts in the USA. First the banks are hit, then the real economy. Short-time work and scrapping premiums are supposed to slow the downturn in Germany. But the end of the decade also brings new hope. Helene Fischer gives German pop music a new lease of life. And after George W. Bush, Barack Obama is the first African-American to enter the White House. With Obama – and not only the Nobel Prize Committee hopes so – the decade marked by terror and war might find a peaceful end after all.

Regina Halmich, Sönke Wortmann, Barbara Hahlweg, Sarah Wiener, Jakob Augstein and the front women of the bands “MIA” and “Juli” accompany us on this equally entertaining foray through the 2000s.

Broadcast date of all 4 episodes on 29.11.2020:
20:15 – 21:00: 2000-2001 – Terror War and TV Trash
21:00 – 21:45: 2002-2004 – Force of nature and Nipplegate
21:45 – 22:30: 2005-2007 – Summer Fairy Tale and Chancellor’s Riots
22:30 – 23:15: 2008-2009 – Obama frenzy and banking crash