Doc World

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Most Ukrainian men ages 18-60 have been prohibited from leaving while women have either sought refuge in neighboring countries or stayed behind, living under constant threat. In Ukrainian Storybox: A Woman's War, Ukrainian women share what they are experiencing and how they are suffering, providing a panoramic view of a war from the female perspective.

In Bolivia, the distance between Cochabamba and La Paz is 380 kilometers. The protestors are traveling from the city to the country's capital in their wheelchairs and on foot to fight for the disability rights over the course of 35 days and a high of 4700 meters above sea level. It's just the beginning of their journey...

Feliza Ali Ramos, a leader and protestor of the disability movement in Bolivia, speaks with a journalist about what and why her community is asking the government for a pension. The assistance would have helped Feliza avoid experiences like she talks about and how indignity plays a role in their daily lives.

Disability movement leaders Feliza and Rose Mery talk to the media about why a pension for people with disabilities is achievable in Bolivia. They show, by the numbers, how 500 bolivianos is a reasonable amount of aid per person per month when the Minister of Communications, Marianela Paco, spends an inordinate amount for marketing per day.

In Bolivia, the government has turned its back on their citizens with disabilities...and disparaged the character of the people as unproductive in society. Miguel Mamani Coro, one of the protestors of the disability movement, tells his side of the story - Miguel showed up in Laz Paz with bravery, made his family proud and for the first time, realized his value in life.

In Bolivia, activists with disabilities risked everything for dignity. When pleas for a pension were ignored, they united in protest - trekking across the Andes in their wheelchairs. An inspiring journey followed, facing off against a government determined to silence them and a society indifferent to their struggle. But through cold, hunger, and vitriol, their resilience proved unstoppable.

In Bolivia, activists with disabilities risked everything for dignity. When pleas for a pension were ignored, they united in protest - trekking across the Andes in their wheelchairs. An inspiring journey followed, facing off against a government determined to silence them and a society indifferent to their struggle. But through cold, hunger, and vitriol, their resilience proved unstoppable.

Marcelo Vasquez Bracamonte, one of the leaders of the disability rights movement, speaks to his fellow protestors about why they are trekking to La Paz from Cochabamba. The community is fighting for a pension and their rights to education, labor, transportation and more in which they have been left out in Bolivian society.

Daisy Dong Keying is one of the surfers on China's National Team and she knows that she's in a unique position. The rigorous and competitive program offers opportunities to the members and their families but the physical and mental pressure weighs on them daily as expectations run high and other young Chinese athletes are waiting to take their place.

Head coach Grant Thomas explains what China wants to achieve with its National Surf Team. Through the country's Chinese National Competitions, they seek the best of the best athletes so that China and their surfers can reach the global stage at the World Surf League Championship Tour and International Surfing Association with the ultimate goal being the Olympics.

Lolo Luo Ling opens up about her mental health as an athlete and as a woman. She knows all too well about the pressures; the surfer is one of the more senior members of China's National Team and as a young Chinese woman, Lolo is expected to follow social rules and fulfill familial roles.

Deputy coach Moyu Huang of China's National Team talks about young Chinese surfer Dong Wu Shidong. Huang sees Dong as an athlete with potential for championships but also knows of the pressure of making the medal stand. For athletes like Dong, sports is a mental game and winning can become an obstacle.

In Hainan, China’s southernmost province, hundreds of athletes as young as 9-years-old train as part of the Chinese National Surf team. The young recruits, who have left their families, feel the pressure of failure. Over the course of two years, the film follows two of the country's top surfers, Alex, 17, and Lolo, 22, as they train, compete, and discover what they want their lives to be.

In Hainan, China’s southernmost province, hundreds of athletes as young as 9-years-old train as part of the Chinese National Surf team. The young recruits, who have left their families, feel the pressure of failure. Over the course of two years, the film follows two of the country's top surfers, Alex, 17, and Lolo, 22, as they train, compete, and discover what they want their lives to be.

In less than a decade, surfing has become a sport in China for both recreation and profession. The country now has a national team and hosts competitions all with its eyes set on the Olympics. How did the Chinese government and a group of international coaches create a program of impressive young athletes in such a short time? Head coach Grant Thomas and assistant coach Matt Clark explain.

From Bolivia to China and beyond, Doc World showcases the best of international documentaries, diving deep into the lives of people, and their struggles and triumphs. The stories will have you riding waves in Hainan with young Olympic hopefuls, trek across the Andes as the disability community advocates for their rights, and much more as each film spotlights a different country.

Christine Ahn, executive director of Women Cross DMZ, talks about the spark behind the organization and their mission. She explains the decision to do a peace walk from North to South Korea in 2015, and why Gloria Steinem and 28 other women activists from around the globe were specifically recruited to join them.

Meet the activists and leaders of Women Cross DMZ, an organization for peace and reunification of the Korean peninsula. Executive director Christine Ahn, Gloria Steinem, Vana Kim Hansen, Kozue Akibayashi, Netsai Mushonga and other extraordinary women from around the world gather together to do a peace walk across the DMZ in 2015 with the power and influence of a women's movement in their minds.

Christine Ahn, executive director of Women Cross DMZ, outlines the three goals of their 2015 peace walk. Ahn also shares the journey that she and the 29 women activists will take from North Korea to South Korea while meeting Korean women on both sides of the DMZ.

On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed by UN Command, the Korean People’s Army, and Chinese People’s Volunteer Army at Panmunjom - this ended the hostilities but not the war. Decades later, in 2015, the activists of Women Cross DMZ visit the site on their peace walk and speak about their frustrations as they witness the Joint Security Area shared by North and South Korea.