Is The New York Times really failing? What is Putin's global agenda? How did former Presidential candidate John McCain find himself a Republican outsider? Is the United States really retreating as a world superpower?
Explore the rich and vibrant documentaries and series currently streaming at SBS On Demand to take a deep dive into the politics that are playing a role in rapidly changing global power structures.
The Fourth Estate
Granted unprecedented access to the editors and reporters on the front lines, award-winning filmmaker Liz Garbus' The Fourth Estate follows the inner workings of The New York Times for this four-part series, revealing the challenges, triumphs and pitfalls of covering a President who has declared war on the free press.
Is America In Retreat?
A fascinating look at the hard questions American foreign policy leaders face in dealing with today’s rapidly changing world order. Just how deeply entangled should America be in the world’s affairs? What alternatives are there to being the world’s policemen? Is there really a downside to retreat? And in the absence of the U.S., how might global order be maintained - or destroyed? Based on the book ‘America in Retreat’ by Pulitzer-Prize winning columnist Bret Stephens (The Wall Street Journal), the documentary is hosted by Cato Senior Fellow Johan Norberg, who travels the world to examine the questions facing a nation that is leaning back toward isolationism.
Bitter Rivals
A power struggle between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for dominance and control plagues the Middle East today. This special feature-length film traces the modern history of this struggle from the 1979 Iranian revolution to the present day and investigates how the continued enmity of the two rivals is playing out in proxy wars from Iraq to Syria to Yemen and Lebanon. Filmed in seven countries over two years, the series examines how sectarian differences between Shia and Sunni Islam have been manipulated and deployed to sustain conflicts, all with devastating results. Bitter Rivals is a sweeping view of a region on fire with no end in sight.
Kim Jong-Un: The Man Who Ruled North Korea
He's the world's most enigmatic and dangerous dictator, cultivating an air of secrecy around himself and never giving interviews. Deemed the ruler of the hermit kingdom, he's now closer than ever to developing nuclear weapons. But what do we really know about Supreme Leader and 'Rocket Man', Kim Jung Un? Posing as tourists, a crew travels to Pyongyang to experience life under his autocracy.
John McCain: Maverick
An exploration of Senator John McCain’s complicated relationship with President Trump and the Republican Party, as well as his life and politics. Drawing on both a collection of new interviews and a deep archive of reporting, the film traces the conservative standard-bearer’s motivations and his political history - from his experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, to speaking out against torture during the Bush administration, to his dramatic vote against the GOP’s health care bill last year. The film also examines how, with his 2008 nomination of Sarah Palin as running mate, McCain himself contributed to a growing challenge to the party’s establishment. In the news recently over his staunch refusal to allow Trump to attend his funeral, this is a timely portrait of a divisive figure of modern American politics.
Myanmar's Killing Fields
A special investigation into the mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar. The film examines evidence that Myanmar’s security forces used systematic rape and terror tactics to expel hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from the country.
North Korean Labour Camps
Shane Smith and Simon Ostrovsky travel through the brutal Siberian wilderness to meet with labourers sent by the leader of the Hermit Kingdom. These workers toil under harsh conditions, with payment going directly to the North Korean government.
Cold War 2.0
Shane Smith meets Kremlin officials and American leaders to figure out what's really driving the new standoff between the U.S. and Russia, and VICE correspondent Simon Ostrovsky reports from the front lines of the bloody war in Eastern Ukraine.
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Famed comic and celebrated host Samantha Bee returns for a third season of her controversial late-night television show. She discusses the latest headlines and puts her spin on contemporary issues.
