Since it began in 1983, Frontline has been airing public-affairs documentaries that explore a wide scope of the complex human experience. Frontline's goal is to extend the impact of the documentary beyond its initial broadcast by serving as a catalyst for change..
The day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, a teacher in a small town in Iowa tried a daring classroom experiment. She decided to treat children with blue eyes as superior to children with brown eyes. FRONTLINE explores what those children learned about discrimination and how it still affects them today.
Seventy years ago, Allied troops invaded Germany and liberated Nazi death camps. They found unspeakable horrors which still haunt the world's conscience. Frontline presents the world broadcast of a 1945 film made by British and American film crews who were with the troops liberating the camps. The film was directed in part by Alfred Hitchcock and was broadcast for the first time in its entirety on FRONTLINE.
To commemorate National Holocaust Remembrance Week, FRONTLINE travels back in time to a family shtetl, a small village in Bransk, Poland, with producer Marian Marzynski. As a child, Marzynski escaped the Warsaw ghetto and was raised by Christians. The remarkable three-hour film tells the homecoming story of two elderly Polish-American Jews who return to their families' shtetl, Bransk, where 2,500 Jews lived before most were sent to Treblinka's gas chambers. These two Americans are aided in their journey by a Polish Gentile who has restored Bransk's Jewish cemetery and researched the lives of the Jews who once lived there. The film captures these pilgrims as they face old neighbors, some who were betrayers, others who were saviors to the Jews of Bransk.
In this FRONTLINE report, correspondent Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a Harvard scholar, explores the gaping chasm between the upper and lower classes of black America and probes why it has happened: "How have we reached this point where we have both the largest black middle class and the largest black underclass in our history?"His personal essay draws a picture of growing black success along with deepening black despair and argues that black upper classes now have more in common with their white colleagues and peers than with those they have left behind in the inner cities.Reviewing the thirty years that have passed since the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., Gates shows that while many blacks reaped the reward of the civil rights movement and affirmative action and gained middle-class status, just as many were left behind in an expanding underclass of poverty.
This FRONTLINE series is an intellectual and visual guide to the new and controversial historical evidence which challenges familiar assumptions about the life of Jesus and the epic rise of Christianity.From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians tells the epic story of the rise of Christianity. The four hours explore the life and death of Jesus, and the men and women whose belief, conviction, and martyrdom created the religion we now know as Christianity.Drawing upon historical evidence, the series challenges familiar assumptions and conventional notions about Christian origins. Archaeological finds have yielded new understandings of Jesus' class and social status; fresh interpretations have transformed earlier ideas about the identity of the early Christians and their communities.Through engaging on-camera interviews with twelve scholars--New Testament theologians, archaeologists, and historians--the series presents their contributions to this intellectual revolution. For example, they talk about thequest for the historical Jesus - what can we really know? And how do we know it?The scholars together represent a range of viewpoints and diversity of faiths and a shared commitment to bring new ways of thinking about Christianity to a public audience. They discuss the value in a historical approach to Jesus and the Bible and whether Christian faith can be reconciled with such an approach.
For years there existed a rumor that Thomas Jefferson had a long-standing relationship and several children by Sally Hemings, a woman who was his slave. Now, DNA tests all but prove the rumor true. An early hero of the anti-slavery movement, Jefferson wrote brilliantly of the corrupting influence of slavery on blacks and whites alike. Yet it is now apparent that he lived a dual life, sharing his house with his white daughter and grandchildren while his unacknowledged mistress and his children by her worked in the same house as slaves. In a personal essay, FRONTLINE correspondent Shelby Steele examines Jefferson's life and follows the descendants of Jefferson and Hemings as they undergo DNA testing, search out their family history, and try to sort out their place along America's blurred color line.
FRONTLINE presents how the Israeli-Palestinian peace process that began in Oslo was derailed and ultimately undone by the dynamics of politics and violence on both sides.Shattered Dreams of Peace: The Road From Oslo traces how cautious optimism in the aftermath of Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat and then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signing the 1993 Oslo Accord was undermined in the following years by violence and major setbacks. It explores the growing threat to the peace process posed by radical nationalist factions among both Jews and Palestinians — groups, including Hamas that opposed all compromise between the two peoples.The documentary also examines the U.S. role in the peace process, including the U.S.-brokered negotiations in 1998, 2000, and 2001. Shattered Dreams of Peace: The Road From Oslo includes interviews with key figures from both sides of the negotiating table, including Benjamin Netanyahu, Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres, Saeb Erekat, and Ehud Barak.
As an FBI agent who specialized in counter-terrorism, John P. O'Neill investigated the bombing of the American embassies in Africa, the USS Cole in Yemen, the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, and the first attack on the World Trade Center. O'Neill came to believe America should kill Osama bin Laden before Al Qaeda launched a devastating attack, but his was often a lonely voice. A controversial figure inside the buttoned-down world of the FBI, he was forced out of the job he loved and entered the private sector – as director of security for the World Trade Center.
Do we have the right to end our lives if life itself becomes unbearable, or when we enter the late-stages of painful, terminal illness? The questions, debated for centuries, have only grown more pressing in recent years as medical technology has allowed us to live longer lives, and several U.S. states have legalized physician-assisted suicide. With unique access to Dignitas, the Swiss non-profit that has helped over one thousand people die since 1998, Academy award- winning filmmaker John Zaritsky offers a revealing look at a couple facing the most difficult decision of their lives--and lets us see for ourselves as one Chicago native makes the trip to Switzerland for what will become the last day of his life.
Examine the implications of the Fukushima accident for U.S. nuclear safety.
Witness an unprecedented account of the crisis inside Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex after the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011.
Follow the battle over the future of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, his reputation and his family's fortunes.
Find out how the field of forensics, with few uniform standards and unproven science, can undermine the search for justice.
Join correspondent Miles O'Brien to investigate the flaws in our dental system and nascent proposals to fix them.
Trace the history of the AIDS epidemic through the experiences of individuals who tell their stories.
Journey to the heart of the insurgency, inside the rebel groups that are waging a brutal, full-scale assault on the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.
Witness a high-stakes experiment to rescue students prepared to quit high school without a diploma.
Hundreds of hours of research and dozens of original interviews reveal new details and fresh insights about the two candidates - and our choice this November.
Investigate the groups that changed the debate on climate and redefined the politics of global warming.
Travel to the remote epicenter of the campaign finance debate for a tale of money, politics and intrigue.
Explore the shadow world of assisted suicide, where the lines between legality and criminality are blurred.
Three girls grow up in the Quad Cities, a crossroads along the border of Iowa and Illinois which has been deeply affected by the recession. Follow them in this unflinching and revealing exploration of what poverty means to children.
Examine the legacy of controversial former chancellor of Washington, DC, public schools, Michelle Rhee.
Examine President Obama's key decisions and the experiences that will inform his second term.
Learn why Wall Street leaders connected to America's financial meltdown have escaped prosecution.
Investigate the secret history of Washington's failure to solve the country's debt and deficit problems.
Examine the life of Adam Lanza, the Newtown shooter, and the battle over gun laws and gun culture.
Witness the devastating effect of the religious feud that's shaping Syria's future.
Learn how fees, self-dealing and kickbacks profit Wall Street while imperiling our savings.
Travel to the Jewish ghettos of Poland to hear the poignant recollections of child survivors.
Trace a teenaged rape victim's five-year odyssey through Pakistan's broken justice system.
Since 1992, Bill Moyers has followed the story of two ordinary, hard-working families in Milwaukee — one black and one white — as they battle to keep from sliding into poverty. A remarkable portrait of perseverance, Two American Families raises unsettling questions about the changing nature of the U.S. economy and the fate of a declining middle class.It's a central premise of the American dream: If you're willing to work hard, you can make a living and build a better life for your children. But what if working hard isn't enough to ensure success — or even the basic necessities of daily life?This episode follows two ordinary families who have spent the past 20 years in an extraordinary battle to keep from sliding into poverty.The film, a collaboration with veteran PBS journalist Bill Moyers, who has followed the Stanleys and the Neumanns over the years, raises unsettling questions about the changing nature of the American economy and the fate of a declining middle class.
Examine the rise and rapid fall of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.
The National Football League, a multibillion-dollar commercial juggernaut, presides over America's indisputable national pastime. But the NFL is under assault as thousands of former players and a host of scientists claim the league has covered up how football inflicted long-term brain injuries on many players. In a special investigation, FRONTLINE and prize-winning journalists Steve Fainaru and Mark Fainaru-Wada of ESPN reveal the hidden story of the NFL and brain injuries, drawn from their forthcoming book League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth (Crown Archetype, October 2013). What did the NFL know and when did it know it? What's the truth about the risks to players? What can be done? The FRONTLINE investigation details how, for years, the league denied and worked to refute scientific evidence that the violent collisions at the heart of the game are linked to an alarming incidence of early onset dementia, catastrophic brain damage, death, and other devastating consequences for some of football's all-time greats.
See what can go wrong when police are faced with domestic violence allegations in their own ranks.
Track an ongoing seven-year investigation into the largest insider trading scandal in U.S. history.
Explore life under North Korea's new ruler and scrutinize the dictator as he tries to retain power.
Examine the evolving, complicated relationship between teens and the companies that target them.
Get an account of Pope Benedict's final days and Francis' battle to set the church on a new path.
Tuberculosis was once thought to be a disease of the past. But with virulent new drug-resistant strains emerging faster than ever, TB — passed simply by a cough or a sneeze — is the second leading cause of death from an infectious disease on the planet. In TB Silent Killer, FRONTLINE presents an unforgettable portrait of the lives at the pandemic's epicenter. Families battle the spreading strains of Tuberculosis in the Southern African nation of Swaziland.
Through the stories of inmates and officers, get an intimate view of life in solitary confinement.
Investigate the impact of mass incarceration in America, with a focus on one community in Kentucky.
Learn how the U.S. government came to monitor the communications of millions of Americans.
Examine the comeback of segregation in America, with a focus on Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Track the use of antibiotics in food animals and if it's fueling antibiotic resistance in people.
Investigate the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS.
Investigate the relationship between Firestone and the infamous Liberian warlord Charles Taylor.
Examine why, despite the national trauma over gun violence, Washington hasn't acted.
FRONTLINE traces Vladimir Putin's ascent from unemployed spy to modern-day czar and investigates the accusations of criminality and corruption that have surrounded his reign in Russia. The film is a FRONTLINE production with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Join Atul Gawande to explore the relationships between doctors and patients nearing the end of life.
Examine the spread of pathogens in chicken and why the food-safety system isn't stopping the threat.
FRONTLINE tells the vivid, inside story of how the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak began, and why it wasn't stopped before it was too late. The primary focus is documenting how the transmission of Ebola spread so quickly, how the NGOs and Government organizations reacted and what eventually happened that allowed the virus to become contained. Filmmaker Dan Edge spent months on the ground in West Africa, tracing the outbreak's path through Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia and uncovering the hidden story of what happened before the world started paying attention. With exclusive access to key global decision-makers and health responders, and gripping firsthand accounts of victims from the jungles of Guinea to the slums of Monrovia, Liberia, Outbreak exposes tragic missteps in the response to the epidemic.
Examine the fight over the CIA's controversial interrogation methods, widely criticized as torture.
Go inside the Obama administration's struggle to deal with ISIS and the deadly civil war in Syria.
A joint investigation into the sexual abuse of immigrant women who clean the malls where you shop, the banks where you do business and the offices where you work.
Explore the struggles and choices facing transgender kids and their parents.
Hear gripping, first-hand accounts of women who escaped the brutal reign of ISIS.
Follow two filmmakers who set out to interview El Chapo Guzman, leader of a major drug cartel.
When filmmaker Ken Dornstein was 19 years old, his older brother David was one of 189 Americans killed in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Some 25 years later, only one suspect, a Libyan man, was ever convicted of the terror plot, which killed 270 people in total. He was sentenced to life in prison but later released. Who else was involved remains an open case. Who was really responsible for one of the worst terrorist attacks on Americans before 9/11? In this emotional and suspenseful three-part series, Dornstein embarks on a quest for answers -- diving deep into the case files, assembling a list of suspected plotters, and tracking them for almost five years across the Middle East and Europe.
Join Dornstein as he tracks evidence to Zurich and Libya, seeking the truth about the doomed flight.
Follow Dornstein as he uncovers new information about a suspected Lockerbie bomb-maker.
Why has it been so hard for Washington to fix our country's broken immigration system? In "Immigration Battle," a special two-hour feature film presentation from FRONTLINE and INDEPENDENT LENS, acclaimed independent filmmakers Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini take viewers behind closed doors in Washington's corridors of power to explore the political realities surrounding one of the country's most pressing and divisive issues. Gain insight into the hard-fought battles and secret negotiations over immigration reform on Capitol Hill. Examine President Obama's push for policy changes that could affect the fate of millions and define for decades what it means to be American.
The world's eyes have been fixed on the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing war-torn Syria for Europe. But what is life like for those left behind? Join correspondent Martin Smith in Syria as he reports from government-controlled areas while the war rages. With on-the-ground reporting and firsthand accounts from Syrians caught in the crisis, the film shines new light on the ongoing conflict.
Searching for the assassins behind a reign of terror that targeted Vietnamese-American journalists. FRONTLINE and ProPublica investigate a series of unsolved murders and attacks, uncovering a trail from American cities to jungles in Southeast Asia.
FRONTLINE, The New York Times and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation examine the hidden dangers of vitamins and supplements, a multibillion-dollar industry with limited FDA oversight. Explore the risks of taking mega-doses of vitamins and examine how they are marketed and regulated
ISIS is on the rise in Afghanistan — and they say they're getting young kids to join the jihad. In a special report, FRONTLINE correspondent Najibullah Quraishi reveals on film the degree to which ISIS is gaining a foothold in the country, and how they're focusing their efforts on training a new generation of jihadists. Inside a police counter-terrorism unit in Karachi, Pakistan that's dedicated to tracking down Taliban suspects. (Both films make up the 1-hour broadcast.)
An inside look at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political rise and his relationship with the U.S. He and President Barack Obama clash over Iran's nuclear program.
FRONTLINE, The New York Times and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation examine the hidden dangers of vitamins and supplements, a multibillion-dollar industry with limited FDA oversight. Explore the risks of taking mega-doses of vitamins and examine how they are marketed and regulated.
See an investigation with the New York Times into fantasy sports and online sports betting. With law enforcement cracking down, the film traces the growth of these booming businesses and goes inside their operations at home and abroad.
A searing, two-hour investigation places America's heroin crisis in a fresh and provocative light — telling the stories of four individual addicts in Seattle, but also illuminating the epidemic's years-in-the-making social context, deeply examining shifts in U.S. drug policy, and exploring what happens when addiction is treated like a public health issue, not a crime.
With undercover footage and on-the-ground reporting, FRONTLINE reveals a side of Saudi Arabia that's rarely seen and traces the efforts of men and women who are working to bring about change in the Saudi kingdom.
Filmed over three years, four children survive war-torn Aleppo, Syria, and escape to a new life in Germany.
Journalist Feras Kilani investigates war-torn Benghazi, the birthplace of Libya's uprising, now besieged by ISIS and warring militias. Journalist Safa Al Ahmad makes a dangerous trip to report on the fighting in Yemen and the stunning human cost of the war. (Both films make up the 1-hour broadcast.)
The Islamic State group's earliest plans, Islamic radicals who serve as its leaders and how the U.S. missed the many warning signs and failed to stop its rise to power.
Who profits when disaster strikes? FRONTLINE and NPR investigate.
Step inside the Newark Police Department in New Jersey - one of many troubled forces ordered to reform. How do you change a troubled police department?
FRONTLINE investigates allegations of fraud and predatory behavior in the troubled for-profit college industry and explores the implosion of Corinthian Colleges. Also in this two-part hour: "The Education of Omarina" continues a story FRONTLINE has been following since 2012 — showing how an innovative program to stem the high school dropout crisis has affected one girl's journey, from a public middle school in the Bronx to an elite New England private school, and now on to college.
FRONTLINE goes behind the headlines to investigate what has shaped two polarizing presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump — where they came from, how they lead and why they want one of the most difficult jobs imaginable.
FRONTLINE investigates the successes, failures and challenges in the U.S.-led effort to degrade and destroy ISIS.
FRONTLINE and ProPublica go inside Europe's fight against terrorism — the missed warnings and the lingering vulnerabilities. Counter-terror officials describe the challenges of containing the threat of Islamic terrorism in Europe.
The first-person stories of refugees and migrants fleeing war, persecution and hardship — drawing on footage filmed by the families themselves as they leave their homes on dangerous journeys in search of safety and refuge in Europe.
An examination of the key moments that shaped President-elect Donald Trump. Interviews drawn from "The Choice 2016" with advisors, business associates and biographers reveal how Trump transformed himself from real estate developer to reality TV star to president.
An investigation of how Donald Trump defied expectations to win the presidency — and what it suggests about how he will govern.
Reporter Ghaith Abdul-Ahad goes inside the battle against ISIS for control of the city of Mosul. See what's happening in areas where ISIS has been ejected and investigate forces shaping Iraq. Also in this two-part hour: "Hunting ISIS," a dramatic report on an Iraqi unit at the center of the fight.
FRONTLINE and NPR examine the struggle over freeing prisoners once deemed international terrorists. This includes the dramatic story of a Gitmo detainee released from the controversial U.S. prison after 14 years. Also in this two-part hour: "Forever Prison," a collaboration with Retro Report exploring the untold history of the Guantanamo Bay prison.
Venture inside Iraq, as militias and the military fight for the future of the country. FRONTLINE investigates allegations of abuse of Sunni Muslim civilians by powerful Shia militias.
Inside one state's ambitious attempt to decrease its use of solitary — and what happens when prisoners who have spent considerable time in isolation try to integrate back into society.
Journalist, best-selling author and lifelong fisherman Paul Greenberg spends a year traveling from Norway to Peru investigating the health of the ocean. He eats only fish at breakfast, lunch, and dinner to help answer the question: "What fish should I eat that's good for me and good for the planet?"
Inside the fight over the fate of juveniles in prison for murder, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling.
FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the billions spent on affordable housing for the poor, and why so few get the help they need.
FRONTLINE investigates how the Bundy family's fight against the federal government invigorated armed militias and "patriot" groups — helping them grow to levels not seen in decades.
The inside story of Trump adviser Stephen Bannon's war — with radical Islam, Washington, and White House rivals as he works to deliver on President Trump's campaign promises.
With unique access, go inside an effort in Connecticut to change the way parole works and reduce the number of people returning to prison. In collaboration with The New York Times, the film follows four former prisoners as they navigate the challenges of their first year on parole.
Following the 2008 financial crisis, the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges was Abacus Federal Savings Bank, the first Chinese-owned bank in New York's Chinatown. Founded by immigrant Thomas Sung in 1984 and now run by him and his American-born daughters, the bank was accused of mortgage fraud in a legal battle that spanned five years costing them $10 million. From acclaimed director Steve James, the little-known story of the only U.S. bank prosecuted in relation to the 2008 financial crisis. Now an Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature.
Who killed Kim Jong Un's half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, and what does the murder reveal about the North Korean leader and his intentions and his regime and its capabilities?
How Scott Pruitt went from fighting EPA to running the agency and rolling back years of policy.
"Mosul" and "Inside Yemen" are both in this two-part hour per Frontline website."Mosul" - Described by some military commanders as the deadliest urban combat since World War II, the battle to drive ISIS out of Mosul, Iraq was brutal and grueling. Shot over the course of the nine-month battle, "Mosul" follows four young Iraqi special forces soldiers tasked with leading the fight."Inside Yemen" - An up-close look at how Yemen's humanitarian crisis was worsened by a brutal war.
The inside story of Russian President Vladimir Putin's conflict with the U.S., including his grievances and efforts to exact revenge.
Revenge may have motivated Russian President Vladimir Putin to target American democracy; the U.S. confronts Putin about Russian involvement in the 2016 election.
The intimate stories of refugees and migrants, caught in Europe's tightened borders. Amid the ongoing migration crisis, the film — a sequel to the award-winning 2016 documentary, Exodus— follows personal journeys over two years, as countries become less welcoming to those seeking refuge.
Some 25 dead bodies have been found on Long Island since 2016, all linked to the violent gang MS-13. Numerous immigrant teens are missing. As law enforcement tries to stop the gang, FRONTLINE goes inside the crackdown — investigating how the slew of gruesome killings led to many immigrant teens being accused of gang affiliation and unlawfully detained.
Examine the dangerous political rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia that has plunged the Middle East into sectarian war.
Iran extends its power into Syria and Lebanon while Saudi Arabia makes a stand in Yemen.
FRONTLINE investigates how film producer Harvey Weinstein allegedly sexually harassed and abused dozens of women over four decades. With allegations going back to Weinstein's early years, the film examines the elaborate ways he and those around him tried to silence his accusers.
FRONTLINE goes inside President Trump's high-stakes battle for control of the GOP, examining how he attacked fellow Republicans and used inflammatory rhetoric that rallied his base and further divided the country in his first year as president.
Inside Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) complicated relationship with President Donald Trump and his own Republican Party. A look at McCain's life and politics, from prisoner of war in Vietnam, to choosing Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate, to his dramatic vote against the GOP's health care bill.
FRONTLINE and the Investigative Reporting Program at U.C. Berkeley tell the inside story of a labor trafficking criminal network that forced Guatemalan teens to work against their will on an egg farm in Ohio.
FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the humanitarian and economic crisis in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, examining how the federal response, Wall Street and years of neglect have left the island struggling to survive.
Secret footage going back years and eyewitness accounts shine new light on a brutal campaign by the Myanmar military to kill and expel Rohingya Muslims — an effort that has been described by both the United Nations and the United States as "ethnic cleansing."
An investigation into sex abuse by United Nations peacekeepers in the world's conflict zones. Award-winning correspondent Ramita Navai (Iraq Uncovered) traces allegations from Bosnia to Congo to the Central African Republic, with firsthand accounts from survivors, witnesses and officials.
The inside story of what happened to immigrant children separated from their parents at the border. The film explores the impact of the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy, and how both Trump and Obama dealt with minors at the border.
FRONTLINE and ProPublica investigate the white supremacists and neo-Nazis involved in the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right rally. Our joint reporting has already shed new and troubling light on the events of August 11 and 12, 2017 — revealing that one participant in the violence, Vasillios Pistolis, was an active-duty Marine, and that another, Michael Miselis, worked for a major defense contractor and held a U.S. government security clearance. Now, correspondent A.C. Thompson goes even deeper, showing how some of those behind the racist violence nearly one year ago went unpunished and continued to operate around the country. This is the first in a series of two Documenting Hate films from FRONTLINE and ProPublica, with the second coming later this fall.
On Monday, August 13 and Tuesday, August 14, FRONTLINE presents Our Man in Tehran – a revealing series on life inside Iran, with New York Times correspondent Thomas Erdbrink. In this two-night documentary special, Erdbrink shares a rare journey into a private Iran often at odds with its conservative clerics and leaders. The series offers surprising encounters inside the closed society of Iran, as Erdbrink gets Iranians to reveal the intricacies of their private worlds and the challenges of living under theocratic leaders.
On Monday, August 13 and Tuesday, August 14, FRONTLINE presents Our Man in Tehran – a revealing series on life inside Iran, with New York Times correspondent Thomas Erdbrink. In this two-night documentary special, Erdbrink shares a rare journey into a private Iran often at odds with its conservative clerics and leaders. The series offers surprising encounters inside the closed society of Iran, as Erdbrink gets Iranians to reveal the intricacies of their private worlds and the challenges of living under theocratic leaders.
Intimate stories of one Rust Belt city's struggle to recover in the post-recession economy. FRONTLINE and ProPublica report on the economic and social forces shaping Dayton, Ohio, a once-booming city where nearly 35 percent of people now live in poverty.
FRONTLINE goes inside President Trump's fight against the investigation of his campaign and whether he obstructed justice.With the threat of impeachment growing, this two-hour documentary from filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team traces Trump's unprecedented war against the special counsel, the FBI, and even his own attorney general.
FRONTLINE investigates the role of state governments and Wall Street in driving America's public pensions into a $4-trillion hole. Marcela Gaviria, Martin Smith, and Nick Verbitsky go inside the volatile fight over pensions playing out in Kentucky, and examine the broader consequences for teachers, police, firefighters and other public employees everywhere.
The promise of Facebook was to create a more open and connected world. But from the company's failure to protect millions of users' data, to the proliferation of "fake news" and disinformation, mounting crises have raised the question: Is Facebook more harmful than helpful? On Monday, Oct. 29, and Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018, FRONTLINE presents The Facebook Dilemma. This major, two-night event investigates a series of warnings to Facebook as the company grew from Mark Zuckerberg's Harvard dorm room to a global empire. With dozens of original interviews and rare footage, The Facebook Dilemma examines the powerful social media platform's impact on privacy and democracy in the US and around the world as well as the challenges Facebook faces and its response to charges of disrupting American politics.
The promise of Facebook was to create a more open and connected world. But from the company's failure to protect millions of users' data, to the proliferation of "fake news" and disinformation, mounting crises have raised the question: Is Facebook more harmful than helpful? On Monday, Oct. 29, and Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018, FRONTLINE presents The Facebook Dilemma. This major, two-night event investigates a series of warnings to Facebook as the company grew from Mark Zuckerberg's Harvard dorm room to a global empire. With dozens of original interviews and rare footage, The Facebook Dilemma examines the powerful social media platform's impact on privacy and democracy in the US and around the world as well as the challenges Facebook faces and its response to charges of disrupting American politics.
In the wake of the deadly anti-Semitic attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, FRONTLINE and ProPublica present a new investigation into white supremacist groups in America – in particular, a neo-Nazi group, Atomwaffen Division, that has actively recruited inside the U.S. military. Continuing FRONTLINE and ProPublica's reporting on violent white supremacists in the U.S. (which has helped lead to multiple arrests), this joint investigation shows the group's terrorist objectives and how it gained strength after the 2017 Charlottesville rally.
"Coal's Deadly Dust" and "Targeting Yemen" are both in this two-part hour per Frontline website."Coal's Deadly Dust" - FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the rise of severe black lung disease among coal miners, and the failure to respond. This joint investigation reveals the biggest disease clusters ever documented, and how the industry and the government failed to protect miners."Targeting Yemen" - Correspondent Safa Al Ahmad reports from inside Yemen, investigating the escalation of the U.S. fight against Al Qaeda and its impact on civilians. She travels to the front lines, visiting the sites of Special Forces raids and a deadly drone strike to shed light on how the U.S. counterterrorism strategy is playing out on the ground.
Learn about a pediatrician accused of sexually abusing Native American boys for years.
Follow a man with schizophrenia who, due to a court-ordered effort, now must live on his own.
Victims call him the Butcher of Bosnia. Defenders say he protected the Serbs. With exclusive access to the prosecution and defense teams, the film chronicles the trial of Ratko Mladić accused of genocide and war crimes. FRONTLINE offers an epic story of justice, accountability and a country at odds over its bloody past.
Elizabeth Perez, a decorated U.S. Marine veteran, fights to reunite her family after her undocumented husband, Marcos, is deported. Meanwhile, Marcos is alone in Mexico, working as a soccer referee, struggling with depression and fighting the urge to cross the border illegally to see his family.In a special presentation from FRONTLINE, Independent Lens and VOCES, acclaimed filmmaker David Sutherland (Kind-Hearted Woman, Country Boys, The Farmer's Wife), examines the U.S. immigration system through two unforgettable protagonists whose lives reveal the human cost of deportation.
FRONTLINE goes inside the fight over abortion, told through the stories of women struggling with unplanned pregnancies. Drawing on a landmark FRONTLINE film from the 1980s, the documentary takes a look at both sides of the abortion divide in a community still embroiled in the conflict.
As young children, they lived through the Holocaust. More than seventy years after World War II, some of the last remaining survivors recount their memories and the lingering trauma. FRONTLINE offers a haunting look at how disturbing childhood experiences and unimaginable loss have affected the daily lives and relationships of some of the Holocaust's youngest victims – from survivor's guilt to crises of faith and second-generation trauma.
The inside story of President Trump's gamble to confront China over trade: Reporting from the U.S. and China, FRONTLINE and NPR investigate what led the world's two largest economies to the brink, and the billions at stake.
How mass protests on the Israel-Gaza border led to one of the deadliest days in a generation.
Inside the no-holds-barred war for control of the Supreme Court. From Brett Kavanaugh to Robert Bork, an investigation of how a 30-year-old grievance transformed the court and turned confirmations into bitter, partisan conflicts.
Sex Trafficking in America tells the unimaginable stories of young women coerced into prostitution – and follows one police unit that's committed to rooting out sexual exploitation.
Five years after the start of Flint's water crisis, FRONTLINE exposes its hidden toll. Our two-year investigation traces how a public health disaster that's become known for the lead poisoning of thousands of children also spawned one of the largest outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease in U.S. history — and how officials failed to stop it.
One year after the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a two-hour FRONTLINE documentary investigates the rise and rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (MBS). Correspondent Martin Smith, who has covered the Middle East for FRONTLINE for 20 years, examines the crown prince's vision for the future, his handling of dissent, his relationship with the United States — and his ties to Khashoggi's killing.
A searing, on-the-ground look at President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly campaign against suspected drug dealers and users in the Philippines, "On the President's Orders" is told with unprecedented access to the police themselves implicated in the killings, families of users, and others from both sides of the nation's war on drugs. It offers a gripping, visually stunning window into this war — those carrying it out, and those most impacted by it.
FRONTLINE investigates how President Trump turned immigration into a powerful political weapon that fueled division and violence. The documentary goes inside the efforts of three political insurgents to tap into populist anger, transform the Republican Party, and crackdown on immigration.
A year after the devastating Camp Fire, FRONTLINE examines who's to blame and why it was so catastrophic. With accounts from survivors and first responders, the documentary tells the inside story of the most destructive fire in California's history, its causes, and the impact of climate change.
FRONTLINE investigates the promise and perils of artificial intelligence, from fears about work and privacy to rivalry between the U.S. and China. The documentary traces a new industrial revolution that will reshape and disrupt our lives, our jobs, and our world, and allow the emergence of the surveillance society.
As the detention of migrant children has climbed to record-breaking levels under President Trump, FRONTLINE and The Associated Press investigate what's going on inside federally-funded shelters — and the lasting impact on children held in U.S. custody. During this two-part hour, in Iraq's Secret Sex Trade, BBC News Arabic's Nawal al-Maghafi reports from inside Iraq, where she investigates how some clerics are abusing an ancient Islamic marriage practice for the sexual exploitation of women and girls.
For Sama tells the story of one woman's journey through love, marriage, motherhood, war, and survival during the Syrian conflict. Directed by Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts, the documentary chronicles the experiences of Syrian filmmaker al-Kateab — who, starting at 26, began filming her life in the rebel-held city of Aleppo over five years. The award-winning film unfolds as a love letter from a mother to her daughter — Sama.
FRONTLINE investigates how El Paso, Texas became the Trump administration's immigration policy testing ground, and then the target of a white supremacist. Interviews with current and former officials, Border Patrol agents, advocates and migrants tell the inside story from the epicenter of the border crisis.
An investigation into America's increasingly bitter, divided, and toxic politics. Part One traces how Barack Obama's promise of unity collapsed as increasing racial, cultural, and political divisions laid the groundwork for the rise of Donald Trump.
An investigation into America's increasingly bitter, divided and toxic politics. Part Two examines how Trump's campaign exploited the country's divisions, how his presidency has unleashed anger on both sides of the divide, and what America's polarization could mean for the country's future.
This two-part hour includes "Taliban Country" and "The Luanda Leaks."Taliban Country: Nearly 20 years after the U.S. drove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan, the group claims it holds more territory than any time since the war began in 2001. As President Trump says he wants to end the war, FRONTLINE reporter Najibullah Quraishi goes on a dangerous journey inside both Taliban- and ISIS-held territory and exposes the harsh reality that not only is the Taliban once again wielding power, but the threat from ISIS looms large.The Luanda Leaks: As part of a worldwide investigation with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that draws on a trove of more than 700,000 leaked documents, FRONTLINE reporter Richard Bilton examines how Africa's richest woman, Isabel dos Santos, built a business empire with access to state funds from Angola, one of the poorest countries on earth — and the role U.S. companies have played in helping her amass her fortune.
With unique access inside the battle for Hong Kong, FRONTLINE follows five protesters through the most intense clashes over eight months of pro-democracy protests. The film examines their struggle against what they say is growing influence from the communist government of mainland China.
Examining Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' ascent to power and the global impact of the empire he built.
Once an unrivaled political power, the NRA is facing challenges from all sides. FRONTLINE investigates the organization's history and evolution, how it aligned with President Donald Trump and his base, and why it is under attack ahead of the 2020 election.
With the plastic industry expanding like never before and the crisis of ocean pollution growing, FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the fight over the future of plastics. Did the plastic industry use recycling to sell more plastic?
A special undercover report from China's secretive Xinjiang region. FRONTLINE investigates the Communist regime's mass imprisonment of Muslims, and its use and testing of sophisticated surveillance technology against the Uyghur community.
A special report on the government response to the coronavirus and the human toll. How did the U.S. become the country with the worst known coronavirus outbreak in the world? FRONTLINE investigates the American response to COVID-19 — from Washington state to Washington, D.C. — and examines what happens when politics and science collide.
Much of the suffering wrought by COVID-19 has played out where we cannot see: in closed hospital units.With unprecedented access, award-winning filmmaker Sasha Joelle Achilli goes inside a hospital during the coronavirus crisis in northern Italy, capturing an unforgettable look at the harrowing, heroic fight doctors and nurses are waging against the disease."We have few weapons. The virus has them all," says Dr. Francesca Mangiatordi, a senior ER doctor at Cremona Hospital. "But with the few we have, we are trying to resist and fight back." Achilli's camera follows Mangiatordi, her staff, and the patients they're treating, creating an intimate and profound portrait of those at the front lines of a global pandemic.
As COVID-19 spread from Asia to the Middle East to Europe, why was the U.S. caught so unprepared? Despite repeated warnings of a potent contagion headed our way, America's leaders failed to prepare and protect us. Why and who is accountable?
The story of a drug company that pushed opioids by bribing doctors and committing insurance fraud. With the Financial Times, FRONTLINE investigates how Insys Therapeutics profited from a fentanyl-based painkiller 50 times stronger than heroin.
This is the story of the Iraq war, told by Iraqis who lived through it. They share their personal accounts and lasting memories of life under Saddam Hussein, the U.S.-led invasion of their country, and the 17 years of chaos that followed — from the sectarian violence to the rise and brutal reign of ISIS.
FRONTLINE examines how the COVID crisis has hit vulnerable immigrants and undocumented workers. The documentary follows the coronavirus pandemic's invisible victims, including crucial farm and meat-packing workers who lack protections and have been getting sick.
How trafficking in conspiracy theories went from the fringes of U.S. politics into the White House. FRONTLINE examines the alliance of conspiracy entrepreneur Alex Jones, President Donald Trump and his adviser Roger Stone and their role in the battle over truth and lies.
A mother fights to survive COVID-19 and see her newborn baby; how the novel coronavirus hit one immigrant family, their struggle to be reunited, and the community that rallied around them.
Their families were already struggling to make ends meet. Then came the coronavirus. Director Jezza Neumann, who made 2012's Poor Kids, once again delves into how poverty impacts children. With the 2020 election approaching, Growing Up Poor in America follows three children and their families in the battleground state of Ohio as the COVID-19 pandemic amplifies their struggle to stay afloat. As the country also reckons with issues of race and racism, the children share their worries and hopes about their futures.
George Floyd's killing triggered mass demonstrations nationwide, calling for racial justice and police accountability in the United States. In the wake of those protests, New Yorker writer and historian Jelani Cobb returns to the troubled police department in Newark, New Jersey, he first visited four years ago in "Policing the Police" to examine whether reform can work and how police departments can be held accountable.
Amid the historic coronavirus pandemic, economic hardship, and a reckoning over racism, this November, Americans will decide who leads the nation for the next four years: President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden. Ahead of the 2020 election, FRONTLINE's critically acclaimed series "The Choice" returns with interwoven investigative biographies of both men, focusing on how they have responded in moments of crisis.In this 2-hour special from veteran FRONTLINE filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team, hear from friends, family, colleagues, and adversaries about the challenges that shaped Trump and Biden's lives and could inform how they confront the crises facing the nation at this pivotal juncture.
Why was the United States left scrambling for critical medical equipment as the coronavirus swept the country? With the Associated Press and Global Reporting Centre, FRONTLINE investigates the fragmented global medical supply chain and its deadly consequences.
As America chooses its next president in the midst of a historic pandemic, FRONTLINE investigates whose vote counts — and whose might not in the 2020 election. With Columbia Journalism Investigations and reporters from the USA TODAY NETWORK, New Yorker writer Jelani Cobb reports on allegations of voter disenfranchisement, how unfounded claims of extensive voter fraud entered the political mainstream, rhetoric, and realities around mail-in ballots, and how the pandemic could impact turnout.
From the pandemic to the polls, 2020 has been a time of tumult across a deeply divided America. FRONTLINE presents a post-election special on the lives, fears, and hopes of Americans in the chaotic months leading up to the historic presidential contest. This documentary was filmed around the U.S. for much of the year, following Americans as they dealt with COVID-19 in their communities this spring, responded to George Floyd's killing this summer, and then experienced the polarizing election and its aftermath this fall.
Inside the no-holds-barred war for control of the Supreme Court. From Brett Kavanaugh to Robert Bork, this investigation explores how a 30-year-old grievance transformed the court and turned confirmations into bitter, partisan conflicts. The political struggle to control the country's highest court culminates in Amy Coney Barrett's nomination for Supreme Court Justice. This episode updates "Supreme Revenge," which premiered on May 21, 2019.
The story of an American boy taken by his mother to the ISIS-controlled city of Raqqa.
With press freedom under threat in the Philippines, A Thousand Cuts goes inside the escalating war between the government and the press. The documentary follows Maria Ressa, a renowned journalist who has become a top target of President Rodrigo Duterte's crackdown on the news media.
FRONTLINE tells the story of how crisis and tragedy prepared Joe Biden to become America's next president. Those who know him best describe the searing moments that shaped President-elect Biden and what those challenges reveal about how he will govern.
From his first days as president to his last, how Trump stoked division, violence and insurrection. FRONTLINE investigates Trump's siege on his enemies, the media and even the leaders of his own party, who for years ignored the warning signs of what was to come.
The untold story of the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and how China responded: Chinese scientists and doctors, international disease experts, and health officials reveal missed opportunities to suppress the outbreak and lessons for the world.
How Iranian-backed Shia militias are terrorizing Iraq. FRONTLINE investigates allegations that militias are threatening and killing critics with impunity and targeting U.S. interests. Also in this hour, how COVID is worsening Yemen's humanitarian crisis.
At Black-owned funeral homes in New Orleans, COVID-19 reshapes the grieving process. How the pandemic has transformed mourning in a city known for its jazz-filled funerals. Also in this hour, the story of a mom's fight to survive the virus and see her newborn.
Over the last three years, FRONTLINE has collaborated with ProPublica to investigate the rise of extremism in America. In the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol, FRONTLINE, ProPublica, and Berkeley Journalism's Investigative Reporting Program team up to examine how far-right extremist groups have evolved in the wake of the deadly 2017 Charlottesville rally — and the threat they pose today.
The epic story of how people around the world lived through the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, from lockdowns to funerals to protests. Filming across the globe and using extensive personal video and local footage, FRONTLINE documented how people and countries responded to COVID-19 across cultures, races, faiths and privilege.
The epic story of how people around the world lived through the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, from lockdowns to funerals to protests. Filming across the globe and using extensive personal video and local footage, FRONTLINE documented how people and countries responded to COVID-19 across cultures, races, faiths, and privilege.
An unprecedented undercover investigation into one of the world's most repressive regimes — Eritrea. Exclusive secret footage and testimony shed new light on shocking allegations of torture, arbitrary detention, and indefinite forced conscription.
FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the growing inequities in American healthcare exposed by COVID-19. The Healthcare Divide examines how the pressure to increase profits and uneven government support widen the divide between rich and poor hospitals, endangering care for low-income populations.
Over most of two decades, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani's life has been a roadmap of Islamist militancy in Iraq and Syria. Designated a terrorist by the United States, the powerful Syrian militant now seeks a new relationship with the West. In his first interview with a Western journalist, the former Al Qaeda commander tells FRONTLINE correspondent Martin Smith his fight is with Syrian President Assad, not the U.S.
FRONTLINE investigates the rise of far-right extremism and violence in Germany. The documentary traces how extremists have carried out terror plots and attacks on Jews and migrants, infiltrated the security services, and what authorities are doing to confront the growing problem.
When COVID-19 struck, the Federal Reserve stepped in to try to avert economic crisis. As the country's central bank continues to pump billions of dollars into the financial system daily, who is benefiting and at what cost?
Leaving Afghanistan: FRONTLINE investigates the consequences of America's withdrawal from Afghanistan. With exclusive access to a militant wing of the Taliban, correspondent Najibullah Quraishi tells the story of Iran's growing influence across Afghanistan.India's Rape Scandal: FRONTLINE correspondent Ramita Navai investigates a wave of shocking rape cases in India and allegations of cover-ups, even though the country's government has vowed zero tolerance.
How seven men in Miami (the Liberty City Seven) were indicted for the biggest alleged Al Qaeda plot since 9/11. From the director of Leaving Neverland, the bizarre story of an FBI sting that led to a terror prosecution, though the men had no weapons or connection to Al Qaeda.
From veteran FRONTLINE filmmaker and chronicler of U.S. politics Michael Kirk and his team, this documentary traces the U.S. response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the devastating consequences that unfolded across four presidencies.Drawing on both new interviews and those from the dozens of documentaries Kirk and his award-winning team made in the years after 9/11, this two-hour special offers an epic re-examination of the decisions that changed the world and transformed America. From the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to the January 6 insurrection, America After 9/11 exposes the legacy of September 11 — and the ongoing challenge it poses for the president and the country.
In an investigation with The New York Times, FRONTLINE examines the commercial pressures, flawed design, and failed oversight behind Boeing's 737 Max jet and the crashes that killed 346 people.FRONTLINE released an updated version of this documentary on March 12, 2024.
The Taliban take over Afghanistan, and the threat of ISIS and Al Qaeda intensifies. On the ground, reporter Najibullah Quraishi (Leaving Afghanistan, Taliban Country) investigates uncertainty and fear among the Afghan people and revisits the lead-up to the U.S. defeat and the Taliban's return.
Pandora Papers: A trove of nearly 12 million confidential documents, collectively known as the Pandora Papers, reveals the hidden assets and secret deals of some of the world's wealthiest and most influential people, including 130 billionaires, 35 current and former world leaders, and more than 330 politicians and public officials.The documents — shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) by an anonymous source — include records from 14 financial service providers worldwide. The leaked files illustrate the global entanglement of political power and secretive offshore finance and how U.S. trusts are sheltering millions in controversial assets. For close to two years, ICIJ led an investigation into these documents with 150 media organizations, including FRONTLINE. Massacre in El Salvador: This film examines the horrors of what happened when U.S.-trained and -equipped Salvadoran soldiers killed some 1,000 civilians, many of them children. FRONTLINE, Retro Report, and ProPublica's investigation follows the ongoing fight for justice for the horrific 1981 attack on the village of El Mozote and surrounding areas, and how today the case against high-ranking military officials is faltering under Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
Amid record police shootings in Utah, an investigation into the use of deadly force in the state. With local journalism partner The Salt Lake Tribune, FRONTLINE examines police training, tactics, and accountability, as well as racial disparities in the use of force.
Who killed Wharlest Jackson Sr.? In investigating the unsolved 1967 murder of a local NAACP leader, American Reckoning reveals an untold story of the civil rights movement and Black resistance.With support from Chasing the Dream, the feature-length documentary from FRONTLINE and Retro Report draws on rarely seen footage filmed by Ed Pincus and David Neuman more than 50 years ago in Natchez, Mississippi and made available through the Amistad Research Center. In following the Jackson family's search for answers, American Reckoning also taps into the groundbreaking reporting of journalist Stanley Nelson. He investigated allegations of the involvement of a Ku Klux Klan offshoot, known as the Silver Dollar Group.From acclaimed directors, producers, and journalists Brad Lichtenstein (When Claude Got Shot, As Goes Janesville) and Yoruba Richen (The Killing of Breonna Taylor, The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show), American Reckoning is the latest component of FRONTLINE's multiplatform initiative Un(re)solved, telling the stories of more than 150 victims of civil rights era killings for whom there has been no justice.
FRONTLINE tells the story of what led to Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine. Veteran filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team examine the events that shaped the Russian leader, the grievances that drive him, and how a growing conflict with the West exploded into war in Europe.
Veteran FRONTLINE filmmaker and chronicler of U.S. politics Michael Kirk and his team examine the powerful and polarizing Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi's Power traces Pelosi's life and legacy, how she has gained and wielded power across three decades and faced grave challenges to her leadership and American democracy from Trump and his allies.
A year after President Joe Biden's inauguration, more than two-thirds of Republican voters believe his election was illegitimate. The idea that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump is now a defining issue of the Republican Party. Yet the story of how lies about election fraud made their way to the center of American politics has not been entirely told. In a new investigative collaboration, FRONTLINE and ProPublica trace the hidden sources of disinformation about the 2020 election, demonstrating how a handful of people have had an outsized impact on the current U.S. crisis of democratic legitimacy.
FRONTLINE examines the fossil fuel industry's history of casting doubt and delaying action on climate change. This three-part series traces decades of missed opportunities and the ongoing attempts to hold Big Oil to account. Part One: Denial charts the fossil fuel industry's early research on climate change and investigates industry efforts to sow seeds of doubt about the science.
FRONTLINE examines the fossil fuel industry's history of casting doubt and delaying action on climate change. This three-part series traces decades of missed opportunities and the ongoing attempts to hold Big Oil to account. Part Two: Doubt explores the industry's efforts to stall climate policy, even as evidence about climate change grew more certain in the new millennium.
FRONTLINE examines the fossil fuel industry's history of casting doubt and delaying action on climate change. This three-part series traces decades of missed opportunities and the ongoing attempts to hold Big Oil to account. And as leading climate scientists issue new warnings about climate change, Part Three: Delay examines how the fossil fuel industry worked to delay the transition to renewable energy sources — including promoting natural gas as a cleaner alternative.
FRONTLINE and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters from local journalism partner Star Tribune examine one of the most pivotal events in the history of race and policing in America. The documentary Police on Trial draws on unique on-the-ground reporting and filming, from the earliest days after George Floyd's death, to documenting the trial and murder conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin, to ongoing struggles for police accountability and reform in Minneapolis.
Why have some American families struggled to keep their homes during the COVID pandemic, despite a federal ban on evictions? With Retro Report, the documentary Facing Eviction offers an intimate look at the United States' affordable housing crisis through the eyes of tenants, landlords, judges and law enforcement.
A dramatic and intimate look inside the Russian assault on Kharkiv. FRONTLINE follows displaced families trying to survive underground, civilians caught in the war and first responders risking their lives amid the shelling of Ukraine's second largest city.
An undercover investigation into the Taliban's crackdown on women in Afghanistan. FRONTLINE correspondent Ramita Navai (Iraq Uncovered, Syria Undercover) finds women who are being punished by the regime and confronts Taliban officials. Navai reveals the harsh realities of life for women under the Taliban's rule — meeting a group of female lawyers forbidden from working, riding along with an underground network of female activists who go on dangerous rescue missions and secretly filming in a jail where women are being held by the Taliban without trial or charge.
FRONTLINE investigates American political leaders and choices they've made that have undermined and threatened democracy in the U.S.In a two-hour documentary special premiering ahead of the 2022 midterms, FRONTLINE examines how officials fed the public lies about the 2020 presidential election and embraced rhetoric that led to political violence.
How did Michael Flynn go from being an elite soldier overseas to waging a "spiritual war" in America?In collaboration with the Associated Press, FRONTLINE examines how the retired three-star general has emerged as a leader in a far-right movement that puts its brand of Christianity at the center of American civic life and institutions and is attracting election deniers, conspiracists and extremists from around the country.
FRONTLINE and The Associated Press go inside Russia's war on Ukraine, tracing a pattern of atrocities committed by Russian troops focusing on the Kyiv suburbs, such as Bucha, where some of the most shocking carnage was found.From award-winning director Tom Jennings, producer Annie Wong, AP global investigative reporter Erika Kinetz and her AP colleagues, the joint documentary draws on exclusive original footage, as well as interviews with Ukrainian citizens and prosecutors, top government officials, and international war crimes experts.FRONTLINE and the AP uncover exclusive and harrowing evidence that links possible war crimes in Bucha through the chain of command to one of Russia's top generals — evidence that prosecutors hope might help build a case against Russian President Vladimir Putin in court. But the joint investigation also explores the challenges of holding Putin and other Russian leaders accountable.
Meet some of the defiant Russians pushing back against President Vladimir Putin's crackdown on critics of the war in Ukraine. FRONTLINE tells the inside stories of activists and journalists risking arrest and imprisonment to protest and speak out about the Kremlin's war effort.
Crime Scene: Bucha: FRONTLINE, the Associated Press, and SITU Research team up to present an exclusive visual investigation of the atrocities committed in the Ukrainian town of Bucha during Russia's month-long occupation earlier this year. Drawing on hundreds of hours of CCTV footage, intercepted phone calls, and a 3D model of Bucha, the collaborative investigation maps the scope of the carnage — more than 450 deaths in all — and with forensic detail charts how Russian soldiers ran "cleansing" operations.
After Zero Tolerance: FRONTLINE tells the story of a Honduran family's struggle to reunite after being separated at the U.S.-Mexico border three years earlier under the Trump administration's immigration policies.
FRONTLINE and Forbidden Films, the documentary arm of Forbidden Stories, investigate the powerful spyware Pegasus, sold to governments around the world by the Israeli company NSO Group. This two-part series, part of the Pegasus Project, examines how the hacking tool was used on journalists, activists, the wife and fiancée of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and others.
FRONTLINE and Forbidden Films, the documentary arm of Forbidden Stories, investigate the powerful spyware Pegasus, sold to governments around the world by the Israeli company NSO Group. This two-part series, part of the Pegasus Project, examines how the hacking tool was used on journalists, activists, the wife and fiancée of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and others.
FRONTLINE investigates Russian President Vladimir Putin's clashes with multiple American presidents as he's tried to rebuild the Russian empire. Veteran filmmaker Michael Kirk (Putin's Revenge, Putin's Road to War) and his team trace the miscalculations and missteps of U.S. presidents over five administrations, culminating in Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Around the country and across the world, the threat of a recession is looming, and economic uncertainty is rising as markets, businesses, and individuals adjust to a new reality: the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates and pulling back on its epic monetary experiment that started with the Great Financial Crisis.From the award-winning team behind The Facebook Dilemma and Amazon Empire, the two-hour documentary Age of Easy Money investigates how the Fed's experiment has changed the American economy and what it means that the era may be over.
An investigation into how America's 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory, with a focus on the missteps and consequences.
How America's 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory. Drawing on decades of on-the-ground reporting and interviews with Taliban and U.S. officials, this epic three-part investigation traces the missteps and consequences.
How America's 20-year investment in Afghanistan culminated in Taliban victory. Drawing on decades of on-the-ground reporting and interviews with Taliban and U.S. officials, this epic three-part investigation traces the missteps and consequences.
As controversy erupts around Clarence and Ginni Thomas, FRONTLINE tells the inside story of one of Washington's most powerful couple's path to power and influence. This investigation from veteran filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team traces how race, power, and controversy collide in the rise of the Supreme Court justice and his wife and how the couple has reshaped American law, politics, and the Supreme Court.
FRONTLINE recounts the enduring story of the Battle of Fallujah, told by the people who lived through it. In this documentary from filmmaker James Bluemel (Once Upon A Time In Iraq, Exodus), soldiers, journalists, and ordinary Iraqis recount one of the defining episodes of the Iraq War twenty years after the invasion.
A year after the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, FRONTLINE, Futuro Investigates, and The Texas Tribune document the community's trauma and the fight over assault rifles. Journalist Maria Hinojosa examines the police response, Uvalde's history of struggle, and its efforts to heal.
Deadly traffic accidents involving large trucks have surged over the past decade. FRONTLINE and ProPublica examine one gruesome kind of truck accident — underride crashes — and why they keep happening.Trucking industry representatives and the government's lead agency on traffic safety have said that their top priority is safety. Drawing on more than a year of reporting — including leaked documents and interviews with former government insiders, trucking industry representatives, and families of underride crash victims — the documentary reveals how, for decades, federal regulators proposed new rules to try to prevent underride crashes. Over and over, pushback from trucking industry lobbyists won the day, leaving drivers of smaller vehicles vulnerable.
With a trove of gripping footage filmed by protesters, this documentary goes inside the uprising that rocked Iran after the death of a young woman in police custody — and sheds new light on a regime under unprecedented pressure.
With Vladimir Putin facing down a mutiny, FRONTLINE examines how the Russian leader reached this moment of crisis. Veteran filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team examine the story of Putin's rise, his clashes at home and abroad, and how his troubled Ukraine war led to the greatest threat yet to his grip on power.
What is it like to give birth — and then be forced to say goodbye to your baby 24 hours later?To most mothers, it's a scenario that's unimaginable. But it's reality for the dozens of pregnant women behind bars in any given year at Alabama's notorious Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women.Tutwiler, a documentary short from FRONTLINE and The Marshall Project, offers a powerful and unforgettable window into the lives of incarcerated pregnant women — and what happens to their newborns.
The story of one journalist's battle to defend free speech in Putin's Russia. With unique access, FRONTLINE follows Nobel Peace Prize-winner Dmitry Muratov as he fights to keep his newspaper alive and his reporters safe amid a government crackdown.
FRONTLINE examines the Houston Astros cheating scandal and what it says about baseball today. With reporter Ben Reiter, the documentary traces the making of one of the best teams and worst scandals in modern Major League Baseball history, the limited accountability and how the Astros' approach to baseball changed the sport.
FRONTLINE traces Elon Musk's long and often troubled relationship with Twitter. James Jacoby and Anya Bourg (Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos, The Facebook Dilemma) follow Musk's journey from being one of the platform's most provocative users to becoming its sole proprietor, exploring the acquisition, free speech issues, and the company's uncertain future.
How Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell helped transform the Supreme Court and U.S. politics. Amid scrutiny of the high court and a power struggle in the GOP, FRONTLINE examines McConnell's rise and role in pushing the judiciary to the right and America's polarized democracy.
An AP team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. As the only international reporters who remain in the city as Russian forces close in, Mstyslav Chernov and his two colleagues capture what become some of the most defining images of the war: dying children, mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and more.After nearly a decade covering international conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, for The Associated Press, Mstyslav Chernov makes his feature film debut with 20 Days in Mariupol. The film draws on Chernov's daily news dispatches and personal footage of his own country at war. It offers a vivid, harrowing account of civilians caught in the siege, as well as a window into what it's like to report from a conflict zone, and the impact of such journalism around the globe.Made in partnership with The Associated Press, 20 Days in Mariupolhas had a decorated run on the 2023 film festival circuit — including winning the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary and the Tim Hetherington Award at Sheffield Film Festival. The film was also honored with DocEdge Film Festival's awards for "Best International Director" and "Best International Editing."
Drawing on real-time, firsthand accounts and using official bodycam and audio, FRONTLINE, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune reconstruct the chaotic response to the Uvalde school shooting and examine the missteps. The documentary delves into the lessons learned and the lingering trauma of that day.
An investigation into how a young Air National Guardsman allegedly leaked classified documents on the Discord chat platform. With The Washington Post, FRONTLINE examines Jack Teixeira's alleged leak of national security secrets, why he wasn't stopped, and the role of platforms like Discord.To illustrate the extent of the leaked material, FRONTLINE and The Washington Post used images of classified documents in this film that had been previously released in news reports, on social media, and elsewhere on the internet.
This episode includes two segments: "Netanyahu, America and the Road to War in Gaza" and "Failure at the Fence."Netanyahu, America & the Road to War in Gaza: As the war in Gaza continues with devastating consequences, this 90-minute documentary offers a sweeping examination of the critical moments leading up to this crisis over the past three decades and the pivotal role of a central player: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Starting with the Oslo Peace Accords and continuing through the October 7 Hamas attack and the ongoing war in Gaza, the documentary draws on years of reporting. It is an incisive look at the long history of failed peace efforts and violent conflict in the region — and the increasing tensions between Israel and its ally, the U.S., over the war's catastrophic toll and what comes next.Failure at the Fence: A groundbreaking visual investigation in collaboration with The Washington Post features a detailed examination of how Hamas breached Israel's vaunted security barrier on October 7 and carried out its attack. This special collaboration stems from a Post reconstruction, now deepened with additional on-the-ground reporting and riveting interviews that present a remarkable picture of how, as the Post reporters show, Hamas was planning the attack in plain sight, and Israel was blinded to its own vulnerabilities.
Amid concerns of a widening conflict in the Middle East, correspondent Ramita Navai reports from the West Bank about the growing tensions on the ground. With the war raging in Gaza, Navai investigates rising support for militant groups, including Hamas, since the Oct. 7 attack, Israel's ongoing military campaign in the West Bank, and the implications for a region on edge.Note: "Israel's Second Front" ran for 30 minutes in this one-hour time slot. FRONTLINE re-aired "Failure at the Fence" for the other 30 minutes, which premiered December 19, 2023, with "Netanyahu, America and the Road to War in Gaza."
FRONTLINE investigates the roots of the criminal cases against former President Trump stemming from his 2020 election loss. With the presidential race for 2024 underway, veteran political filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team examine the House Jan. 6 committee's evidence, the historic charges against Trump and the threat to democracy.
As new questions arise about Boeing's troubled 737 Max jet, FRONTLINE and The New York Times update aa award-winning investigation into the design, oversight, and production of a plane that was involved in two crashes that killed 346 people. FRONTLINE aired the first episode on September 14, 2021.
FRONTLINE examines how thousands of Ukrainian children have been taken and held in Russian-controlled territory since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The documentary follows Ukrainian families searching for their missing children, organizations investigating the alleged abductions and Ukrainian teenagers who escaped and say they were subjected to Russian propaganda.
FRONTLINE and The Associated Press investigate deaths that occurred after police used tactics like prone restraint and other "less-lethal force." The documentary and accompanying reporting draw on police records, autopsy reports and body cam footage, offering the most expansive tally of such deaths nationwide.The investigation includes the Lethal Restraint interactive story and database.
With the Venezuelan news outlet Armando.info, FRONTLINE investigates the shadowy figure at the heart of a corruption scandal spanning from Venezuela to the U.S. This 90-minute documentary tells the inside story of Alex Saab, his capture and then release by the U.S. in a controversial prisoner swap, and what has happened to the journalists who helped uncover the corruption scandal.
As the war in Gaza continues with devastating consequences, watch our update of the December 19, 2023 version of this 90-minute documentary that offers a sweeping examination of the critical moments leading up to this crisis over the course of the past three decades. The escalating tension continues between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the U.S. and the Palestinians after months of war in Gaza.
The inside story of the protests dividing college campuses and the debate over free speech, antisemitism, Israel, and the Palestinians:A firestorm has been raging on many American college campuses. Ignited by the devastating October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the catastrophic war in Gaza, the outrage deeply divided American campuses and, in some places, devolved into hate-filled rhetoric and arrests. FRONTLINE and Retro Report have followed the escalating turmoil since the war began — talking to people on all sides of the divide, investigating how universities have responded, how powerful interests joined the fray, and how the conflict over the conflict ultimately spiraled out of control.From director James Jacoby and Retro Report producers Scott Michels and Joseph Hogan, Crisis on Campus examines how the debate over one of the world's most intractable and complex conflicts has gripped American college campuses.
It's a central premise of the American dream: If you're willing to work hard, you'll be able to make a living and build a better life for your children.But what if working hard isn't enough to get ahead — or even to ensure your family's basic financial stability?Two American Families: 1991-2024, a special, two-hour documentary filmed over more than 30 years, is a portrait of perseverance from FRONTLINE, Bill Moyers, and filmmakers Tom Casciato and Kathleen Hughes that raises unsettling questions about the changing nature of the American economy and the impact on people struggling to make a living through hard times, falling wages and loss of manufacturing jobs.Premiering Tuesday, July 23, 2024, this is the saga of two families in Milwaukee, Wisconsin — one Black, the Stanleys, and one white, the Neumanns — who have spent the past 34 years battling to keep from sliding into poverty, and who refuse to give up despite the economic challenges that their stories reveal.
Since the Holocaust, Germany has worked to overcome its Nazi history. But over the past decade, Germany has faced a rising wave of far-right violence and plots against Jews, Muslims, immigrants, and politicians. Amid accusations that the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party (AfD) has provoked violence, which it denies, filmmaker Evan Williams investigates the rise of far-right extremism in modern-day Germany.
Behind President Joe Biden's fateful decision are decades of challenges and controversies, triumphs and tragedies. FRONTLINE tells the inside story of Biden's rise to the presidency, and the personal and political forces that shaped him and led to his dramatic decision to step aside.
FRONTLINE and The Associated Press examine allegations of fraud and abuse in South Korea's historic foreign adoption boom. The documentary investigates cases of falsified records and identities among the adoptions of 200,000 children to the U.S. and other countries over decades.
FRONTLINE investigates the lives and characters of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump as they seek the presidency. In a historic election, those who know the candidates best reveal key moments that shape how they would lead America.Award-winning filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team, who have made five prior installments of The Choice over the past 25 years, sat down with Trump and Harris' friends, advisors, and critics, as well as authors, journalists, and political insiders to present deeply reported narrative arcs of both candidates' lives, going all the way back to their childhoods.What emerges in The Choice 2024: Harris vs. Trump is the story of two fighters: One seeking vindication and promising a return to greatness, and the other seeking to move beyond the past and promising a greater future.
FRONTLINE investigates the lives and views of Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz as they run for vice president. In a historic election, those who know the candidates best reveal the influences and ideas they would bring to the White House
FRONTLINE documents harrowing accounts from those who experienced the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the ongoing war in Gaza. Israelis and Palestinians directly impacted by the conflict talk about death, despair and the continuing trauma.
In 2024, FRONTLINE follows the changing views and experiences of Americans from the 2020 election to present day. Returning to voters filmed four years ago, the documentary provides a look at how their hopes and fears have changed amid another polarizing election season.From the pandemic to the polls, 2020 was a time of tumult across a deeply divided America. FRONTLINE presented a post-election special on the lives, fears and hopes of Americans in the chaotic months leading up to the historic 2020 presidential contest. This documentary was filmed around the U.S. for much of the year, following Americans as they dealt with COVID-19 in their communities in the spring, responded to George Floyd's killing that summer, and then experienced the polarizing election and its aftermath in the fall.
FRONTLINE examines the rise of Xi Jinping, his vision for China and the global implications. Correspondent Martin Smith traces the defining moments for President Xi, how he's exercising power and his impact on China, and relations with the U.S. and the world.
FRONTLINE, the Portland Press Herald, and Maine Public investigate the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history and the missed opportunities to prevent it. The documentary examines breakdowns with police, military, and mental health care in the lead-up to the Lewiston shooting by Robert Card in October 2023.
FRONTLINE investigates the deadliest American wildfire in a century, and the missed warnings that made it so unstoppable. The documentary examines the fire's causes, the chaotic response, and how changes to the climate and landscape have made Maui increasingly vulnerable to fires.
FRONTLINE traces Donald Trump's return to the presidency, overcoming unprecedented obstacles and opposition. With insider interviews, the documentary examines defining moments over his life and career, his 2020 election loss, felony convictions and his historic comeback.
FRONTLINE investigates China's rule over Tibet. With footage from inside the region, the documentary examines how the Communist regime controls Tibet's Buddhist population and the battle over the succession of its spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
FRONTLINE and ProPublica investigate how an online network known as Terrorgram spread extremism and violence. The documentary traces the rise of a global community of white supremacists and the anonymous, loosely moderated platforms used to spread hate and promote terror attacks.
A look inside Alaska Native villages fighting for survival against climate change. With the Howard Center at ASU, FRONTLINE examines why communities are relocating and why they're struggling to preserve their traditions.
An award-winning film that exposes the cost of opposing Vladimir Putin. FRONTLINE presents the stories of investigative journalist Christo Grozev and political activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, who put their lives on the line standing up to the Kremlin and the consequences they faced.
How Hurricane Helene became an ominous warning about America's lack of preparedness. FRONTLINE and NPR draw on a decade of reporting on disasters and their aftermath to examine how and why the U.S. is more vulnerable than ever to climate change-related storms.
FRONTLINE investigates the Assad regime's arrest, torture, and execution of detainees during the Syrian war. Former prisoners, guards, soldiers, and intelligence officials shed new light on atrocities carried out during Bashar al-Assad's reign.
FRONTLINE examines Syria's uncertain future under jihadist-turned-statesman Ahmad al-Sharaa. After the fall of Bashar al-Assad, correspondent Martin Smith travels the country tracing al-Sharaa's rise to power and the emerging threats to the country's stability.
FRONTLINE goes inside the high-stakes showdown between President Donald Trump and the courts over presidential power. Trump allies, opponents and experts talk about how he is testing the extent of his power; the legal pushback; and the impact on the rule of law.
FRONTLINE examines how Israel ended up fighting wars in Gaza and Iran — and the role of the United States. From filmmakers James Jacoby and Anya Bourg, the documentary traces Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long campaign to defeat Iran, the conflict with the Palestinians, and Netanyahu's difficult relations with the U.S. over peace and Iran's nuclear ambitions.
More than a decade ago, the Emmy-nominated documentary Poor Kids (2012 & 2017) explored poverty in the United States as it's rarely seen: through the eyes of children.Born Poor tells the stories of the same children, now grown, chronicling their lives from childhood to the present day. The 90-minute documentary follows Kaylie, Johnny and Brittany across three chapters of their lives as they grow from kids to teenagers to adults, trying to pursue their dreams while dealing with an economy where they face more obstacles than opportunities — and trying to overcome the grinding poverty that shaped their childhoods.
Complete episode guide for Frontline with detailed information about every season and episode including air dates, summaries, ratings, and streaming availability in United States.
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