Synopsis:

The Untouchables: Caste in Modern India is a powerful and unflinching documentary that explores the enduring legacy of caste-based discrimination in contemporary India. Through intimate stories, on-the-ground reporting, and historical insight, the film reveals how the ancient system of "untouchability" continues to shape lives despite constitutional abolition and social progress.

The documentary follows the experiences of Dalit individuals across rural villages and bustling cities, highlighting both the overt violence and the subtle, everyday exclusions they face. It delves into the personal journey of a Dalit student fighting for her place in a prestigious university, a manual scavenger struggling to escape generational labor, and a grassroots activist leading a movement for dignity and equality.

Interwoven with expert commentary from historians, sociologists, and legal scholars, the film also examines the legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the father of India’s Constitution and a Dalit icon, whose vision for a casteless society remains unfinished.

Visually compelling and emotionally resonant, The Untouchables challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about social hierarchy, resilience, and the meaning of justice in the world’s largest democracy.

The Untouchables: Caste in Modern India

The Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897–1899 was the first expedition to winter in the Antarctic region. Led by Adrien de Gerlache de Gomeryaboard the RV Belgica, it was the first Belgian Antarctic expedition and is considered the first expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Among its members were Frederick Cook and Roald Amundsen, explorers who would later attempt the respective conquests of the North Pole.

The Belgica expedition, led by Adrien de Gerlache, was the first to overwinter in Antarctica (1897-1899). It was a groundbreaking scientific voyage that charted new lands and oceans, while also facing extreme conditions and chal-lenges. The expedition is considered the first of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

First wintering in Antarctica:

Bear Country Bears - From conflict to coexistence In Romania's mountains live the last large populations of bears (Ursus arctos), lynx (Linx, linx carpathicus), and wolves (Canis lupus), which have disappeared from many other regions of Europe. These species living in the Carpathians have been recently "declared" harmful and a "regulation" was decided by the Romanian authorities, which will lead to dramatic consequences. Big game deprived of their habitat coming into contact with humans raises highly complex ecological, social, economic, ethical and political problems.

Mission Objectives: Foster species acceptance, manage human–animal conflict through education, use media to counter misconceptions, provide accurate resources, advance conservation, map territories, protect habitats, and reduce infrastructure impacts.

Special guest Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE Founder, Jane Goodall Institute UN Messenger of Peace

The Tribes of the Omo Valley

I was drawn to the Omo Valley in southwestern Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley by its extraordinary tribes and rapidly disappearing cultures. This region—one of the last vast tribal territories on Earth—remains so isolated that National Geographic has dubbed it “Africa’s Last Frontier.” Widely regarded as the cradle of humanity, the Omo Valley is still governed by ancient customs, rituals, and cycles of revenge.

The documentary captures the story of the Omo River Valley—an awe-inspiring part of Africa where our earliest ancestors once roamed. The land is wild and singular, as are the people who inhabit it. The valley is home to a diversity of tribes, each with distinct customs, colors, and ways of life, yet all share a deep reliance on the river. Their ceremonies, humble dwellings, and livestock practices reflect a profound harmony with nature. That fragile balance has been severely disrupted by the construction of the Gibe III Dam—an emblem of development that benefits Ethiopian elites and international investors at the expense of local communities. The dam generates electricity for export to Kenya, while the river’s water is siphoned off to irrigate vast sugar and cotton plantations. Once forested lands are now cleared and converted into sprawling monocultures, owned and operated by foreign entities—threatening both the environment and the survival of these ancient ways of life.