UNIVERSUM Nature | 52 min.

The Bears are back! After virtually disappearing in the 20th Century, in the 21st the quiet giants are returning, padding once again through the mountain forests of central Europe, where Italy, Austria and Slovenia meet.
The fall of the Iron Curtain removed the barriers for Slovenian and Croatian brown bears. Ambling west through gentle forest countryside they encountered two major obstacles: the Karawank Mountains and the Julian Alps. This film tells what happens through the year as inquisitive and intelligent bears cross these huge natural barriers in search of a new life in untouched wilderness - or ever closer to civilization.

UNIVERSUM Nature | 52 min. 

A confident and powerful leopardess named Olimba, rules over an exceptionally large area along Zambia’s Luangwa river. She is a formidable hunter, a courageous ruler, and a devoted mother. She’s just given birth to two tiny cubs, and as she faces the challenging task of motherhood, it’s a constant battle to hunt successfully, to defend her prime territory, and to protect her cubs against her enemies. 

UNIVERSUM Nature | 52 min. 

The legendary Rio Grande river cuts deep canyons between the US and Mexico, but the wildlife knows no boundaries. This most talked-about frontier is a vast wonderland of serene beauty and larger-than-life desert landscapes – and home to some of America’s most glorious wildlife. Big Bend National Park boasts more species of birds, butterflies, bats, reptiles, cacti, ants and scorpions than any other US National Park. The soaring Chisos Mountains are sky-islands harboring survivors at the extreme edge of their ranges and seeking respite as they migrate through. The film journeys through Big Bend throughout a year, seeking out its secret places and wild creatures.

UNIVERSUM History | 52 min. 

The Austrian Alps contain the world’s oldest salt mine. 2,500 years ago, it was home to one of Europe’s most significant settlements and has even lent its name to an Iron Age culture: Hallstatt. Salt, the White gold of the Alps, put the tiny community at the heart of an international trade network: finds of ivory and amber are evidence of trade with Africa, Asia and the entire European continent. For the first time, this primetime documentary investigates the lives and work of the people of Hallstatt and explores especially the central role of women in the prehistoric salt mines.

UNIVERSUM History | 52 min. 

500 years ago, Spain’s 19-year-old King Carlos I became the German King of the Romans and was shortly thereafter crowned Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. His vast power was bought with money borrowed from the Fugger family, the loans secured with gold and silver from the Spanish colonies in America. The new emperor had a grand plan: to unify Europe as a great Christian empire, an “El Dorado” built on a unified faith. The film shows Charles V both as a holy warrior and a humanist, with lavishly reenacted scenes and newly rediscovered archival material.

UNIVERSUM History | 52 min. 

Why did the Vikings hunt humans? Who were their victims? What role did slaves play within their society? What fates awaited their captives? How was the slave trade organized, and how did it develop over time? And what impact did this human trafficking of the Vikings have on the Europe of the Middle Ages? Now, for the first time, a docu-drama seeks out the answers to these questions and illuminates the history of the Vikings and their slaves.

Science | 22 min. 

The WHO estimates that around 60 percent of all viruses that can infect humans come from animals. 75 percent of all new infectious diseases in the past ten years have been transmitted by animals. Veterinarian Christian Walzer, Executive Director of Wildlife Health of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York City, is currently at the forefront of research and reporting. The cultural anthropologist Clemens Grünbühel has been living and researching in Southeast Asia for 20 years. As an employee of the Stockholm Environment Institute in Bangkok, he deals with the relationship between humans and nature, with wildlife markets and the wildlife trade as a basis for securing livelihoods. The chemist and successful entrepreneur Zhou Jinfeng is the General Secretary of the NGO "China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation", which is China’s official arm for nature conservation, environmental protection and for a commitment to sustainable development.

Social Issues & Religion | 35 min.

Open discussion has seemed possible again since Pope Francis took office. But the pro-reform forces are becoming increasingly frustrated because no concrete steps have been taken. This is due to opposing forces: These groups, who want to prevent any reform, have launched attacks on Pope Francis - from the German-speaking area as well as from the USA and other countries. Internationally well-networked reactionary groups even go so far as to accuse the Pope of spreading heresy, of being a ''papa haereticus''. Who are these opponents of the current Pope? What is their view of the church and the world? Who is supporting them – and why?

Environment & Globalization | 45 min.

In a school near the Mukuru slum in Nairobi, a class is listening to the words of Sister Mary Killeen, a Sister of Charity who came to Kenya from Ireland over 40 years ago to build schools there. Sister Mary wants to encourage her students to recognize and develop their talents. The children grow up in the slums, amidst corrugated iron huts, but some talents grow far beyond their circumstances. In the documentary, different young talents tell their stories. Among them: a rapper, a chess player, musicians, a painter.

Environment & Globalization | 22 min.

The man-made climate crisis is forcing a radical rethink in the field of architecture. How we live, build or plan buildings has a major impact on the environment and climate. What is needed are new spatial planning, sensitive renovations, the use of sustainable building materials and renewable energy, but also communal residential projects with resource sharing and a solidarity approach. Newton presents some innovative solutions and projects.

Leisure & Lifestyle | 45 min.

In times of the global coronavirus crisis, soap has become indispensable and even a potential lifesaver when washing your hands every hour. But not all soap is created equal. A luxury item for thousands of years, technical advances made soap affordable for citizens at the end of the 19th century. This was also the start of industrial mass production, and due to the carelessness of large corporations towards the environment, mankind's oldest chemical product was soon no longer just a blessing. A rethinking, a change of consciousness, a trend reversal is taking place worldwide. Consumers think carefully before buying, and are informed about the products, their quality, composition, origin and effect – and above all, how they are made.

Mini-Series | 8 x 45 min.

When people die, they often leave behind no heirs, no relatives and no will. But before their assets can be claimed by the state, it has to make sure that there really are no rightful claimants. That’s where Paul Schwarz and the Inheritance Office come in. Paul delves deep into the life stories of people who have died, rummaging through their past, their dreams, their loves, their hopes, their promises and their transgressions. Exciting and often highly lucrative work that keeps Paul and his co worker Julia Marquart continually orbiting around the trinity of money, love and death. 

Crime Series | 60 x 45 min. / 4 x 90 min.

Six seasons and four feature-length specials: Angelica Fast is in her mid-thirties, a divorced singlemother and a successful investigator at Vienna’s criminal investigation department. The good-looking young woman handles the balancing act between her job and parental duties with humour.

Crime Series | 257 x 45 min.

The splendid town of Kitzbuehel, at the foot of the Austrian Alps, set in unspoilt countryside and popular with the jet set, makes a fascinating setting for this thrilling detective series. ''Soko Kitzbuehel'' features a dynamic young team of investigators, a gourmetchef full of bright ideas, a countess well acquainted with jet set life and a large portion of humor. The result is a witty and exciting detective series of a very special kind!

Crime Movie | 90 min.

The Viennese investigative duo find themselves in the middle of a religious war that is not about religion in the original sense, but rather about something that is of existential importance for everyone: Health. A fanatical war is waged between representatives of so-called conventional medicine and supporters of alternative healing methods. In the end, the most profitable of all industries blurs the moral boundaries.

Edutainment | 13 x 15 min.

1000 Tricks introduce young audiences to the world of magic. The program also gives insights into how magic is performed, so that children are encouraged to imitate and demonstrate the tricks themselves. The tricks that are betrayed do not require any investment, and can be performed with everyday objects from the world of children. But magicians also perform tricks that remain mysteries and leave you amazed. There is also an interactive trick in each episode that all viewers can participate in. 1000 tricks enchants and encourages you to join in and imitate. The young audience can amaze their parents, classmates and friends with the tricks they learn!

Edutainment | 26 x 3 min.

Robots also have to learn! And our little robot named Rookie likes nothing more than that. Curious, open and friendly he explores his world and meets new friends, discovers new things and experiences little adventures in each episode. Whether mouse, moon, magic or music: The simple and charming stories entertain with wit and joie de vivre – and a cheeky twist. Rookie's encounters focus on friendliness, openness and empathy, but also perseverance, respect and patience – and with each episode Rookie gets to know his world a little better.

Operetta | 150 min.

A small village in the Pannopian steppe: A young refugee's son petitions his neighbor, the wealthy pig farmer Kálmán Zsupán, for the hand of his daughter Arsena. He even fulfils the requirement for a title of nobility, since the gypsies living on his property have made him a gypsy baron. But then he falls in love with a young gypsy woman...

Gentle waltzes and fiery csárdás music on the one hand, glorification of war and racism on the other. As a play, "The Gypsy Baron" struggles in today's theater world - which, especially with regard to its composition, is a painful mistake.

Music Documentary | 1 x 52 min. / 1 x 60 min. 

Alla Zingara tells the story of music’s groundbreaking and uplifting power which creates entity through the history of the world-famous, but uniquely 100-Member Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra and its extraordinary musicians. We get to know their life in details, and come to understand the meaning of music in their life as a heritage, which has always helped to survive the difficulties from generation to generation. While introducing the everyday life of the musicians, the documentary gives an insight into the orchestra's months-long effort to prepare for their next concert in Moscow, which was a highlighted place of their success several years ago.