ARTE Distribution

Greenland has become a major geopolitical issue between the United States, Europe, Russia, and China due to its geographical location and mineral resources. Its geopolitical destiny will have significant ecological consequences for the entire planet.

Greenland is the land of all paradoxes. The largest island in the world, with its 2.2 million square kilometers covered 80% by ice, is also one of the least densely populated territories on Earth, with barely 57,000 inhabitants. Mainly living off fishing, tourism, and Danish subsidies, yet sitting on a potential treasure of... We are talking about 25% of the world's hydrocarbon reserves, the third-largest uranium reserves, and 20% of rare earths... An icy Eldorado that today sparks all sorts of ambitions. Greenland has become one of the hotspots where the future of our multipolar world is being shaped. This is what the film will explore, addressing both its economic and commercial challenges, as well as its geo-ecological and military implications.
 

On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched a major attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza strip. Mapping the World looks over the key moments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and  the current situation - with input from geopolitical expert Frédéric Encel.

The second largest country in the European Union, and fourth in terms of GDP and population, Spain is an important country on the continent. But its loss of influence in Latin America, the chaos of the civil war and the Franco years, the threat of Catalan separatism and economic and financial troubles have all been obstacles to it fulfilling its potential.

Mapping the world takes us on a journey of discovery of Spain, its exceptional heritage and its glorious history, from the Reconquista to the conquest of the world. Although it has played a leading political role and its language is one of the most widely spoken in the world, the country remains a modest player in international relations today.

In the 2000s, Côte d'Ivoire was torn apart by civil war. Today, despite its fragility, the country has one of the most dynamic economies on the African continent and has become the world's leading producer of cocoa beans.

As the world's leading cocoa producer, the country has one of the most dynamic economies in Africa, even though it was shaken by an almost decade-long civil war in the 2000s. Thanks to numerous resources such as cocoa, coffee, cashews, petroleum, and other mineral wealth, as well as major construction projects, Ivory Coast managed to overcome its painful past and revitalise its economy. But inequalities, the political climate, insecurity in the Sahel, and disagreements with neighbouring countries weaken Ivory Coast's development potential.

15 years after the sovereign debt crisis, Greece is still facing numerous challenges: corruption, an insufficient public service, mistrust towards political elites, migration, rivalry with Turkey, and China's takeover of infrastructure. But the country still has some strengths it could leverage.

To discover Greece, the cradle of one of Europe's first modern civilisations, philosophy and democracy. A country that long lived under foreign domination before embarking on a long and painful road to independence and the rule of law. Greece is not without its assets: one of Europe's most important tourist destinations and hydrocarbon deposits in the eastern Mediterranean that could change the game.

China maintains that it is a peaceful power and neutral in other countries’ conflicts. But the country has a long history of aggressive expansion and has also suffered from the belligerence of European powers.

The exiles are eager to reach England, they no longer settle for sneaking into the lorries that are ferried across the channel. More and more of them are embarking on hazardous journeys between France and Great Britain aboard small boats.
 
 

According to the maritime authorities, there have been several hundred crossings since December. We followed their trials, their attempts, their hopes for several months – from the slums of Calais to the White Cliffs of Dover. Some succeed, others go overboard. Yet every one of them continues to believe in their chances and risk their lives. Will the English Channel end up looking like the Mediterranean?

The Persian Gulf is a geopolitical hotspot where most of the world's oil reserves are concentrated. At the mouth of this small, almost enclosed sea, the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most sensitive points for international trade. A focus on the Persian Gulf and the region that surrounds it.

How has South Korea become one of the richest countries in the world in barely half a century? An economic miracle inspired by the model of its Japanese neighbour, combining state interventionism, economic liberalisation and investment in research and development, not to mention a powerful 'soft power', from television series to pop music.

The history of South Korea is inextricably linked to that of its northern neighbour. The two enemy brothers tore each other apart during the bloody Korean War (1950-1953) and to this day have not made peace. Beyond this, Seoul is also seeking to carve out a place for itself on the great strategic chessboard of the Indo-Pacific region, resisting both Pyongyang and Beijing by playing the ASEAN, Japan, Australia, India and, of course, the United States card.

Since 15 April, the war in Sudan has already claimed more than 1,800 lives and displaced two million people, 476,000 of whom have taken refuge in neighbouring countries. In Khartoum, a city torn apart by fighting, an orphanage is home to more than 350 children living in terrible conditions.

It is a David versus Goliath story: Saúl Luciano LLiuya, a farmer in the Andes, is suing the German energy giant RWE for its carbon emissions. When Saúl Luciano LLiuya learned that RWE is said to have emitted more CO2 than Peru since the country was founding, he had to take action.

This single company has emitted more CO2 in its history than Peru alone. Today, it is one of the countries most affected by global warming.
Saúl's home and the survival of his community are threatened by melting glaciers. So he is taking RWE to court in Germany. Will the big multinationals have to pay for the consequences of global warming?
The "Saúl v. RWE" case could set a dangerous precedent for the fossil fuel sector. Saúl is a single man from a remote village in the Andes, but there are thousands of stories like his. If he wins, it could pave the way for a wave of legal action by poor countries that have contributed little to the climate crisis but are feeling its full impact.