Alice Weidel

In Europe, several countries—such as Sweden and Italy—are currently led by populist parties. Across the Atlantic, Donald Trump has been elected to a second term. Yet, these populist movements suffered a setback in 2020. How did they ultimately manage to bounce back? What role did the health crisis play in their rise?

The AfD is clearly the strongest force on TikTok. Its official account has far more followers than those of the other major German parties combined. 14 to 19-year-olds are the main users of the social media platform TikTok, followed by those aged 20 and over. That is why the AfD is particularly popular with young voters there. How does the political party manage this? And what does this mean for the upcoming early federal election in February 2025? For the documentary, the team of authors researched undercover, created numerous fake accounts and delved deep into the bubble of AfD supporters. A dark world in which even official AfD party representatives flood TikTok with massive amounts of content and in which their right-wing extremist and anti-constitutional messages reach millions of young people. The AfD has understood how to use the time that young people statistically spend on TikTok per day for their indoctrination. And that could have fatal consequences.

An investigation into how far-right leaders in Germany have risen to the brink of power. Reporter Evan Williams examines the reasons behind the surge in support for their brand of hardline nationalist politics, and the roles of Russia and the U.S.

In November 2023, right-wing thought leaders, politicians from the AfD, CDU and Werteunion, as well as numerous entrepreneurs, met behind closed doors at the Landhaus Adlon in Potsdam. The topics discussed at the meeting were never intended to be made public. But weeks later, the media company Correctiv published the explosive contents of this conference, as investigative journalists were also present undercover. The revelations caused a stir and triggered the largest protest rallies against right-wing radicalism in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, with more than three million people nationwide. Suddenly, Germans were discussing a word that hardly anyone had known until then: "remigration." Award-winning documentary filmmaker Volker Heise tells the story in a fact-rich, gripping, and unpretentious way, like a political thriller, bringing together the voices of those who were part of the meeting and those who exposed it to create an illuminating overall picture.

Left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht’s working day is marked by applause and admiration but also doubts and intrigues. This film follows her and her team: from the 2017 election campaign to her withdrawal from political leadership in 2019.

The AfD, founded in 2013, is a right-wing party that has become increasingly radicalized in recent years. To illustrate this, only those who enthusiastically joined the party in its early years are heard. They describe what they looked for and found in the party, but also how and why they left, disillusioned and frightened by the AfD's developments. How did they experience the party's radicalization process? How did friends and family react? When and why did they decide to turn their back on the party? How difficult was the exit process? The documentary provides an illuminating inside view of this party, which has been driving the established parties and the political establishment ahead of it for over ten years, gives viewers a unique look into the AfD's chronicle and world of thought and is at the same time a film about the mechanisms of political radicalization.

In the 2024 elections in the eastern German states of Saxony and Thuringia, the right-wing extremist party AfD and the socio-culturally right-wing but socio-economically left-wing party BSW performed strongly. A similar result is predicted for Brandenburg. What will the enormous voter support for AfD and BSW mean for the economy, society, culture and local politics in eastern Germany in the future? Will the east of the country become increasingly ungovernable due to the decline of the established parties and the electoral successes of AfD and BSW, will the social mood change or can new compromises be found? In search of answers, the filmmakers accompanied people from Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg for several months, who presented their personal perspectives and life situations and gave insight into their worries, fears, wishes and expectations.

Enthusiasm resounds at election campaign events with the right-wing extremist German AfD politician Björn Höcke. Some claim that he is his own biggest fan. Former colleagues believe that the chairman of the AfD Thuringia lives in the belief that something great is destined for him. On September 1, 2024, Björn Höcke won the state election in Thuringia for the first time, where he wants to become Prime Minister. Previously, Björn Höcke was twice fined for using a slogan from the Third Reich. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the AfD Thuringia regional association he leads as proven right-wing extremist. In a book, he made his radical restructuring plans for Germany public. But who is Björn Höcke actually? Where does his attitude, his view of Germany, his worldview come from? Which ideological masterminds are behind the figurehead Höcke? Is he being controlled or is he controlling the AfD? And: What can we expect from him in the future?

German daily news program, the oldest still existing program on German television.

Anne Will discusses political processes, economic relationships, and social trends with her guests. Her motto: to think politically and ask directly.

Extreme right-wing terrorism is becoming an ever-bigger threat in Western societies. Since 2015, sixteen terror attacks have taken place in Europe. Far-right violent extremist groups are now the second most important threat after Islamic terrorism in Europe and white supremacism has become the greatest terrorism threat in the US. This risk has become even more present with the current crises that our societies are facing, such as the isolation related to COVID-19 or the war in Ukraine. This close-up investigation documentary delves into the cases of previous terrorist attacks worldwide and gives voice to present and former far-right activists, victims, militants fighting ultra-right and antiterrorism officers. This film raises awareness on a growing threat which represents a critical challenge to our democracies and tries to understand the link between these acts of terrorism and the growing political polarization and the mainstreaming of extremist beliefs in contemporary societies.

Tagesthemen is one of Germany's main daily television news magazines, presented by journalists Caren Miosga and Tom Buhrow. Second only to the 20:00 Tagesschau Tagesthemen is ARD's most important newscast. It is clearly different in style and content from Tagesschau and is broadcast Mondays to Thursdays at 22:15, Fridays at 23:15, Saturdays at varying times and Sundays at 22:45. Each Tagesthemen broadcast has a single host. For a time, Anne Will and Ulrich Wickert took turns hosting the program. On September 1, 2006, Tom Buhrow replaced Wickert and on July 16, 2007, Caren Miosga replaced Anne Will. In January 1978, Tagesthemen replaced the late edition of Tagesschau, which had been broadcast until then. The broadcast lasts a half hour on weekdays; it is shorter on Fridays Saturdays and Sundays. In contrast to Tagesschau, which provides only an overview of the news, Tagesthemen is designed to also provide the viewer with more information, context and background. The program usually features four to five segments on the stories and themes of the day. Previously, the program used a variation of the Hammond Fantasy/Tagesschau theme, with the first and last notes in the same keys. Nowadays, Tagesthemen uses the same music as Tagesschau.