ARTE.tv Documentary

A new documentary about Melania Trump beat box office predictions to earn more than $7million at US cinemas in its opening weekend, after being expected to generate $5million.

The Amazon film follows the US First Lady in the days leading up to her husband's January 2025 inauguration, with Melania herself among the producers.

'Melania: 20 Days to History' is reported to be the most expensive documentary ever made, with Amazon spending $40million on the rights and a futher $35million on marketing.

Critics of the film have suggested that, given the huge expense that went into making it, Amazon's involvement was more political than a financial decision.

Our own 2020 documentary about Melania, 'Melania Trump: The Mysterious First Lady', is also available to watch now.

We trace her journey, from being born to a communist mechanic in Slovenia (then still Yugoslavia) to her big ambitions and eventual role as first lady and icon of conservative America.

📺 See it here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuXUz...

5 days ago | [YT] | 28

ARTE.tv Documentary

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the country's long-time leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, was killed yesterday (February 5).

The 53-year-old was killed during a "direct confrontation" with four unknown gunmen who broke into his home in the city of Zintan, his office said in a statement.

Saif al-Islam was long seen as the most influential and feared figure in the country after his father, who ruled Libya from 1969 until being ousted and killed during an uprising in 2011.

To learn more about him, see our documentary 'Son of a Dictator'. This film traces his gilded youth in Europe to the bloody repression of the Arab Spring, and how, despite arrest warrants for crimes against humanity, he ran for election in Libya.


Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NwGm...

1 week ago | [YT] | 37

ARTE.tv Documentary

🖼️ This week on ARTE.tv Culture 🖼️

Check out some of our current favourites 💗 from ARTE.tv Culture below 👇 and browse the full channel here 👉 youtube.com/@artetvculture

📺 Palermo Palaces in Peril 📺

The fair city of Palermo 🇮🇹 boasts around a hundred ancient palazzi, symbol of the city’s identity, a testament to its rich history, and a firm favourite with tourists. ❤️

But the Sicilian capital's penniless 💸 aristocrats are finding it hard to maintain their grand homes. The Italian state, which imposes costly obligations on these listed buildings, does not offer them any aid.

Find out more here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00qPl...

📺 Dolly Parton: Everybody's Darling 📺

Everyone in America 🇺🇸 and the world 🌎 seems to love Dolly Parton.

A heroine for Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, an icon for the LGBTQ+ 🏳️‍🌈community and also for conservative America, the Queen of Country Music 🎸 transcends boundaries and has legions of fans.

But how did a girl from a modest rural family become an undisputed star? ⭐️

Find out here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhXHm...

📺 Aladdin and Ali Baba: Stories from the 1001 Nights? 📺

The stories 📖 from "One Thousand and One Nights" have captivated humanity for centuries.

However, the most famous tales, such as "Aladdin" and "Ali Baba," do not belong to the original canon. It was only a few years ago that the true author was discovered in the Vatican Library: the Syrian Hanna Diyab, a global sensation. The history of the world's most famous collection of stories holds many surprises.

Learn more here 👉https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on-eB...

Our sister channel is home to web series'💻, exclusive interviews 🎙️, music programs 🎶, the best of European cinema 🎞️ and long-form culture documentaries 🎥 that explore art 🎨 from every angle.

1 week ago | [YT] | 19

ARTE.tv Documentary

After a quarter of a century of negotiations, Mercosur (comprising Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay) and the European Union have signed a free trade agreement in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay.

This is the world's largest free trade agreement, a strategic partnership that represents approximately 25% of global wealth 🌎 and encompasses nearly 780 million people.

According to EU data, exports 📊 to Mercosur are projected to increase by up to 39%, or €48.7 billion, by 2040. Meanwhile, exports to Mercosur are expected to rise by around 17%, or approximately €8.9 billion.

The free trade agreement entails the gradual elimination of more than 90% of tariffs between blocs, with sectors such as automotive, chemical, and pharmaceutical being the biggest beneficiaries within the EU-27.

However, the agreement's entry into force has sparked considerable suspicion in some European countries. Farmers and ranchers have staged protests across the continent. They argue that goods such as meat, sugar, rice, corn, honey, and soybeans will constitute unfair competition for their products and are not subject to the rigorous controls imposed by Brussels.

On ARTE.tv Documentary, we're revisiting this shocking documentary, made in 2022 but sadly still relevant, which describes the globalised mechanisms of a vicious cycle as infernal as it is toxic ☠️

Pesticides exported by European companies 🇪🇺 return to our continent in Brazilian oranges, melons, soybeans, and coffee 🇧🇷. A European policy with disastrous consequences that could be exacerbated by the EU-Mercosur agreement.

📺 Pesticides: European Hypocrisy 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMLnA...

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 40

ARTE.tv Documentary

📺 Watch next: Croatia's Last Lighthouse Keepers 📺

In the middle of the Adriatic 🌊 lies Palagruža, a craggy rock with a lighthouse that has been manned since 1875.

Vojo Šain has worked here for 26 years as one of Croatia's 🇭🇷 last lighthouse keepers.

For him, Palagruža is more than just a place of work; it’s his second home. For weeks at a time, he lives far away from the world on Croatia’s remotest island. 🏝️

📺 Find out more about his story, here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbdHg...

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 24

ARTE.tv Documentary

📆 We're halfway through "dry" January – perhaps you're among those testing out sobriety for the month.

With fewer and fewer young people drinking, 🍻 an alcohol-free future is something that seems inevitable to extend way beyond just the start of the year.

So, how is the alcohol industry adjusting? 🍸

Wine 🍷 producers in particular are faced with an existential crisis, and now some have introduced new processes to make alcohol-free wine. But can it save the industry?

📺 Check out this report from the vineyards of Germany and Spain to find out more 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUiKX...

📺 You can also watch our news report “Adiós, alcohol!”, which focuses on Gen-Z's penchant for sobriety in Spain, here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuF6s...

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 29

ARTE.tv Documentary

The US has captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro after a large-scale strike on the South American country, US President Donald Trump has said.

It came after explosions were reported across the capital, Caracas, in the early hours of this morning, including at military bases.

Trump said Maduro and his wife were flown out of Venezuela in a military operation, and a national emergency has now been declared in the country.

The Venezuelan government has demanded proof that Maduro is alive, and has deployed its armed forces.

His capture follows heightened tensions between the two countries, with the US having accused Maduro of being personally involved in drug-smuggling and being an illegitimate leader. Maduro has, in turn, accused the US of intimidation.

To find out more about Maduro, see our documentary 'Maduro: From Socialism to Dictatorship', which follows in the footsteps of the canny and ruthless politician who never ceases to surprise his opponents and always seems to bounce back

📺 See it here 👉https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQltk...

1 month ago | [YT] | 38

ARTE.tv Documentary

🎉 Happy New Year from ARTE.tv Documentary! 🎉

Thank you for tuning in to our channel and subscribing this year. ❤️ We hope you enjoyed watching our documentaries throughout 2025 – let us know if you had any particular favourites!

To nudge your memory, check out our three most popular uploads of 2025, below. And see you next year!!! 📆

📺 Cuba: An Island in Turmoil 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8b0g...

For foreign tourists, Cuba 🇨🇺 is a corner of paradise in the heart of the Caribbean. But for Cubans, life is not easy. A rolling economic crisis means food shortages and poverty as buildings and infrastructure crumble.

📺 Spain: Fleeing Trump's America 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSzRk...

In Spain 🇪🇸, as in other European countries, visa applications from Americans who want to leave their home country have skyrocketed. President Donald Trump has unleashed a wave of departures from the US that began in his first term in 2016. Expatriation-related queries have increased by 1500% in search engines.

📺 Frankfurt's Notorious Station District 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXjRz...

Frankfurt’s Bahnhofsviertel is notorious for crime, drug use, and a party vibe. But what for some is a dangerous zombie land is also home to some 3,500 ordinary Frankfurters. A trip to one of Germany’s 🇩🇪 most disreputable neighbourhoods, which is also a place of hope and community.

1 month ago | [YT] | 90

ARTE.tv Documentary

Over the past week, US President Donald Trump 🇺🇸 has sparked a fresh row with Denmark 🇩🇰 after he appointed a special envoy to Greenland 🇬🇱.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has made his interest in annexing Greenland clear, citing its strategic location and mineral wealth.

Greenland, home to about 57,000 people, has had extensive self-government since 1979, though its defence and foreign policy remain under Danish control.

Opinion polls of Greenlanders show overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the US. But what do they want for their homeland?

Many in Greenland desire to move beyond being an autonomous territory within Denmark's orbit to become a fully independent sovereign state.

📺 To learn more, watch our documentary 'Greenland: Between Denmark and Trump', here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARulU...

1 month ago | [YT] | 49

ARTE.tv Documentary

Here at ARTE.tv, we're wishing you all a merry Christmas! 🎄

If you're winding down over the festive season, 📺 check out our current trending documentaries, here 👉 www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

1 month ago | [YT] | 102