RTDocumentary

Serbian Woodstock 🎺 #video#Serbia Every year, thousands of revellers gather in a small Serbian town to dance their feet off, immerse themselves in Balkan brass music and feel like characters in a Kusturica movie. It’s the annual trumpet festival in Guca that runs for five days straight. Brass bands come from all over Serbia to compete for the ‘Golden Trumpet’ trophy, make a little money and get noticed by industry leaders. The Guca festival was first held in 1961 and has since grown into Serbia’s biggest music event. Brass bands are an essential part of every major event, including births, weddings and funerals. Find out more about the festival and see what it’s like to party in Serbia - https://youtu.be/WwP_AdfNERg Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Yukuzas cut off a finger to atone #video#Japan When a member of a Japanese Yakuza owes an apology to a boss, they have to endure a ritual called yubitsume, which means, chopping off their own finger! The pinkies are usually the first to go. For Yubitsume, the penitent lays his hand on a cloth and uses a sharp knife to cut through his finger, just above the top knuckle. Then he wraps the severed finger in the cloth and gives it to his oyabun, Yakuza boss. We once witnessed a yubitsume ritual and it's not a scene for the fainthearted! To learn more about the Yakuza in modern-day Japan, check out our documentary. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Where ships and people die #video#Bangladesh Have you ever wondered where ships go after serving their time (25-30 years)? 🚢 Chittagong, Bangladesh is one of the world’s biggest shipbreaking centres, where over 200 vessels are dismantled every year. Shipbreaking is a lucrative business in Chittagong, where labour is cheap and safety measures are non-existent. Workers take ships apart by hand, so tragedies occur all the time. However, locals hold on to their jobs in shipbreaking yards, because work is scarce. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Life after an acid attack #video#India Cafe Sheroes’ Hangout is a safe haven for women who survived acid attacks, which are all too common in India. They are often carried out by the people closest to the victims - husbands, relatives and suitors. Spurned romantic advances and domestic disputes are frequently cited as motives for the attacks. Acid throwing is reportedly on the rise, with up to 1,000 cases reported every year. Even though attackers risk a life sentence, the damage done to victims is irreparable. They don't just have to deal with trauma, but also social stigma and rejection. While many prefer to hide their face and keep away from others, the women at Sheroes’ Hangout prove there is life after an attack. They run the cafe, serve clients, take pictures, and make themselves visible. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

My favourite Nollywood movie 🎞 #video#Nigeria Everybody comes to Nollywood…. What? Yes, it’s just like Hollywood, except it’s in Nigeria. It’s a thriving industry that produces hundreds of films every year. Despite the Covid pandemic, Nollywood broke its record with 2599 movies produced in 2020. What’s the secret? The longer the production process - the more expensive a movie gets. That’s why films are produced at the speed of sound in Nigeria. Still, Nollywood is a major employer, attracting more than a million professionals, from actors to copywriters, drivers and costume makers. In 2016, our filmmakers visited Lagos to see what filmmaking in Nigeria looks like, one of them was even offered a small part. Check it out here - https://youtu.be/TwndzdsRl8Y Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Born in prison #video#Russia Clearly, these babies aren't criminals, but they still live behind bars. That’s because their mothers have been convicted of fraud, drug offences or theft. Female prisoners who give birth are only able to spend the first three years with their children. After that, the toddlers and mothers are separated. While Russia's penal system does allow mothers to be in special cells with their children all the time, not everyone wants the opportunity. A mother who is taking care of her child is not allowed to smoke. Some mothers choose a cigarette over being with their baby all the time. Here’s an inside look at life for imprisoned mothers in Russia - https://youtu.be/R-OZalEaTKg Do you think it’s fair that young children live in prison with their mothers? Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

How a Russian Christian sect survived in Georgia for centuries #video#Georgia The Dukhobors are a community of Russian Christians, who reject the church and its rituals. Visiting a Dukhobor village is like travelling back to the last century. Persecuted as heretics in the Russian empire, the Dukhobors were first exiled to Crimea, and then Georgia. Leo Tolstoy, once even stood up for the Dukhobors, who refused to serve in the army. He went on to help many from the community migrate to Canada. Tolstoy was impressed by the Dukhobors' pacifist views and non-materialistic lifestyle. While there are still thousands of Dukhobors living in Canada and holding onto their traditions, Dukhobor communities in Georgia are slowly disappearing. More and more people are moving back to Russia, and that's posing a threat to their unique identity. Check out the documentary for more on Dukhobors and hear their unique singing style that sends chills down the spine. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

Abkhazia’s Independence Day #video#Abkhazia Today is Independence Day in Abkhazia, a tiny republic on the Black Sea. The national holiday celebrates the end of the war with Georgia that tried to stop Abkhazia from breaking away. Only in 2008 did Moscow acknowledge the country’s independence and very few other nations have followed suit. But Abkhazians are more worried about their country getting back on its feet. For now, Abkhazia’s survival depends on fruit exports and streams of Russian tourists. Here’s our full documentary telling Abkhazia’s complicated story, then and now - https://youtu.be/4w0oc_k2okI Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

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Witch kids of Congo #video #Congo There are thousands of homeless children on the streets of Kinshasa. Many were kicked out because their relatives believe they are sorcerers. Kids may be branded sorcerers for crying or misbehaving. Children accused of witchcraft…

Covid fighter🦠🥊 #photo#Russia This young doctor runs a blog, and he chose a very creative way to do it. Oleg Abakumov makes photoshoots to support his explanatory posts about coronavirus. “The idea was to show the war against the coronavirus infection. We’re in a post-apocalyptic future because the pandemic is akin to an apocalypse,” says Oleg. He’s been in a Moscow hospital Red Zone practically from day one and has learnt the disease inside and out. He wants to share his knowledge with his followers and his patients because often complications arise from people not knowing what to do. Oleg is convinced that making medicine patient-friendly will solve that problem, at least to some degree. And a photoshoot is an option. Our new documentary about this extraordinary guy is on the way. In the meantime, scroll through this original photoset, which will also be in the film. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

How an American guy fell in love with Tyva #video#Russia Sean Quirk was a postman back home in the US. But in 2011 he visited the Republic of Tyva to study the Tuvan throat singing technique. He ended up loving it in Tyva and stayed. ‘Next thing I know I’m married and I got three children’, Sean laughs. Sean quickly learned Russian, bought an old Soviet car and moved into a traditional nomadic dwelling called a yurt with his Tyvan wife. Now he's building a wooden house for his family and is waiting for his Russian passport. Meanwhile, Sean enjoys playing traditional Tyvan instruments and throat singing. Check out Sean’s story and other foreigners who moved to Tyva, and why they did it, here - https://youtu.be/t9AtsjzN0tk Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary