Adriaan van Dis, child of a Brabant peasant and a Dutch-Indonesian father, after long hesitation, made a television series about the country that such a large role in his life. 'In the Netherlands, I was never brown enough, but suddenly I heard that.'
The ancient Silk Road, the trade center of the world, once ran through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. Ruben Terlou and Jelle Brandt Corstius explore the area in which the world has renewed interest due to its strategic location and enormous energy reserves.
Laura H, The teenager from Zoetermeer takes on a new identity in her search for herself and travels with her husband Ibrahim and two children to the caliphate in Syria. When she shows up at the border in 2016 and says she has escaped and regrets it, doubts about her motives are great. Why did Laura choose to travel to the 'Caliphate'?
Sander Schimmelpenninck investigates the far-reaching influence of social media on our society and politics. To this end, he talks to journalists, moderators, philosophers, lawyers and troll hunters. How does social media use undermine our democracy and why is no one doing anything?
Media logic investigates the difference between image and reality.
Media serve as a guide to get a grip on reality. But to what extent are they a reliable guide? How is public opinion formed? And what influence does this have on the actions of administrators, journalists and citizens?
China is playing an increasingly important role worldwide. Under President Xi Jinping, substantial investments are being made in communication and cooperation and industrious Chinese people are settling abroad in large numbers. Documentary maker and China expert Ruben Terlou visits them in the new VPRO travel series ‘The World of the Chinese’. Who are they, what do they want to achieve and what impact does their presence have on the local population?
"From Moscow to Murmansk is a documentary about a journey through Russia. Jelle Brandt Corstius speaks to Russian citizens during this journey to find answers about the Russian soul."
In this third series, Ruben Terlou takes us through China again. This time he explores how Chinese people see their own, their children’s, and their country’s futures. He experiences how rapidly China is developing under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, and how this is affecting the lives of ordinary individuals. Once again Ruben finds himself in exceptional situations, meets extraordinary people, and sees some dreams coming true and others being shattered.