The Russian Soul

Follows the man who survived an assassination attempt by poisoning with a lethal nerve agent in August 2020. During his months-long recovery, he makes shocking discoveries about the attempt on his life and decides to return home.

They call themselves Fancy Bear, Cozy Bear or Voodoo Bear. Elite units of the Russian secret services are hidden behind these code names. They are among the most dangerous hackers in the world. The bears were already in the computer of then-Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2015, interfered in the US election campaign in 2016 and are currently influencing the war in Ukraine. The makers of the successful YouTube channel “Simplicissimus” in co-production with funk and SWR are back and show the destructive potential of state hacking with this documentary. With the help of leading German hackers, cyberspace experts and a lot of humor, they delicately demystify the Russian bears: Who are the people behind them? How do they operate? And what makes them so incredibly dangerous?

An intimate portrait of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov — once Deputy Prime Minister and “an heir of President Yeltsin”, later an uncompromising adversary of Putin — that was assassinated near the Kremlin in February 2015. Election campaigns and hotel beds, protest rallies and office routine, train compartments and courtrooms, night walks and police vans – you have never seen any politician so close. This is a story how a journalist assignment turns into a genuine friendship.

The documentary project The Term was conceived in May 2012. When the directing trio commenced mapping the Russian sociopolitical landscape, Vladimir Putin had just settled into the Kremlin for his third term. The original experimental format of “documentary bulletins,” which were published daily online, allowed for wide-ranging content; in the feature film version, however, the filmmakers focused solely on the members of various opposition groups. Nevertheless, the work’s neutral position remains and viewers have to interpret the objectively presented situations for themselves. The main characteristics of this strongly authentic movie include close contact with the protagonists, precise editing, and an effectively controlled release of information.

In 2008, Natasha, a newly rich woman, decides to open an independent TV station in Russia and builds an open-minded team of outcasts. By 2020, Natasha has lost everything to Russia's war between Propaganda and Truth.

A portrait of Alexei Navalny (1976), the staunchest opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, severely poisoned in 2020, arrested in 2021 and died on February 16, 2024 in a Siberian prison camp under unclear circumstances.

Murder is the leading cause of work related deaths for journalists as censorship increases worldwide. In addition to those who have been killed, dozens have been attacked, kidnapped, or forced into exile in connection with their coverage of crime and corruption. Journalists reporting from Mexico, Russia and the conflict zones of Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria tell their personal stories of kidnapping, intimidation, and beatings. They've experienced the loss of colleagues in the field and have been close to death themselves. Their stories are heartfelt, captivating, engaging and at moments - unbelievable.

Masha Drokova is a rising star in Russia's popular nationalistic youth movement, Nashi. A smart, ambitious teenager who – literally – embraced Vladimir Putin and his promise of a greater Russia, her dedication as an organizer is rewarded with a university scholarship, an apartment, and a job as a spokesperson. But her bright political future falters when she befriends a group of liberal journalists who are critical of the government, including blogger Oleg Kashin, who calls Nashi a "group of hooligans," and she's forced to confront the group's dirty – even violent – tactics.

The strange case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky — once believed to be the wealthiest man in Russia — who rocketed to prosperity and prominence in the 1990s, served a decade in prison, and became an unlikely martyr for the anti-Putin movement.

The incredible story of the Russian plot to kill politician Alexei Navalny - by poisoning his underpants. Plus, what will happen next in Navalny and Putin's dangerous feud?

Ten director graduates from Marina Razbezhkina’s School of Documentary Film and Documentary Theatre lived with a camera for two months in order to chronicle the last “Russian winter” and its popular uprising against Vladimir Putin’s presidential run. People, faces, conversations, protests, failures and triumphs come together to chronicle the campaign.

Russian Federation, May 6, 2012. On the eve of the ceremony of inauguration of Vladimir Putin, elected for a third term, the police brutally repressed a march of protest over the lack of freedom existing in the nation. Some people believed that this demonstration would be the beginning of a peaceful revolution, but it was the day when silence and fear won the game. Realize what happens when a person has too much power in his hands.

An advertising creative in a rut finds his life turned upside down when he discovers his ability to write his wishes into reality.

A Russian WW2 spy spoof following misadventures of a clueless Soviet secret agent trapped inside Hitler's inner circle.

A married couple who have lived together for 10 years decide to divorce. They both understand that divorce is the only way out of a stretched failed marriage, where each of them believes that they have not fully realized their potential and that divorce will give impetus to a new life and forgotten dreams.

Napoleon has decided to declare war to the world. When he approaches Moscow, the Russian military tries to outfox him: they send a beautiful woman to Napoleon who is supposed to seduce him, so he will think about making love, not war.

Two young guys are going to participate in a new reality show called "No Sex".

Love Hotel. The best place to spend your holiday on February 14th. So this time the doors of the hotel are open for everyone who wants to make Valentine's Day special, wants to believe in love again, or at least not be alone on this day. Former classmates meet at a restaurant in honor of the 40th anniversary of graduation and old feelings flare up with renewed vigor. A jealous man tries to enter all the rooms on the floor to find his missing wife. A private detective and his attractive client arrange a spy show with wiretaps to bring out the scoundrel husband. An immigrant maid from Uzbekistan chooses between love for her young boy and money from his mother, given for her immediate flight home. And the life of a humble student who dreams of becoming a man in just one hour will never be the same after meeting the most talkative night butterfly in the city ...

Artyom, a young adventurer, meets Felix - the once legendary art thief, who was called "Number One". The "Old School" and the newcomer decide to crank up the scam of the century - to steal one of the most expensive paintings of our time - "N 1" by Mark Rothko from the gallery owned by the ex-wife of Felix and her new husband. By chance, Artem meets Marina and falls in love with her. And she turns out to be an investigator and really wants to catch Felix red-handed.