Rafflesia arnoldii, the corpse flower, or giant padma, Its local name is Petimum Sikinlili. It is a species of flowering plant in the parasitic genus Rafflesia within the family Rafflesiaceae. It is noted for producing the largest individual flower on Earth. It has a strong and unpleasant odor of decaying flesh.

The Untouchables: Caste in Modern India is a powerful and unflinching documentary that explores the enduring legacy of caste-based discrimination in contemporary India. Through intimate stories, on-the-ground reporting, and historical insight, the film reveals how the ancient system of "untouchability" continues to shape lives despite constitutional abolition and social progress.

The documentary follows the experiences of Dalit individuals across rural villages and bustling cities, highlighting both the overt violence and the subtle, everyday exclusions they face. It delves into the personal journey of a Dalit student fighting for her place in a prestigious university, a manual scavenger struggling to escape generational labor, and a grassroots activist leading a movement for dignity and equality.

Interwoven with expert commentary from historians, sociologists, and legal scholars, the film also examines the legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the father of India’s Constitution and a Dalit icon, whose vision for a casteless society remains unfinished.

Visually compelling and emotionally resonant, The Untouchables challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about social hierarchy, resilience, and the meaning of justice in the world’s largest democracy.

The Tribes of the Omo Valley

I was drawn to the Omo Valley in southwestern Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley by its extraordinary tribes and rapidly disappearing cultures. This region—one of the last vast tribal territories on Earth—remains so isolated that National Geographic has dubbed it “Africa’s Last Frontier.” Widely regarded as the cradle of humanity, the Omo Valley is still governed by ancient customs, rituals, and cycles of revenge. The documenatry captures the story of the Omo River Valley—an awe-inspiring part of Africa where our earliest ancestors once roamed. The land is wild and singular, as are the people who inhabit it. The valley is home to a diversity of tribes, each with distinct customs, colors, and ways of life, yet all share a deep reliance on the river. Their ceremonies, humble dwellings, and livestock practices reflect a profound harmony with nature. That fragile balance has been severely disrupted by the construction of the Gibe III Dam—an emblem of development that benefits Ethiopian elites and international investors at the expense of local communities. The dam generates electricity for export to Kenya, while the river’s water is siphoned off to irrigate vast sugar and cotton plantations. Once forested lands are now cleared and converted into sprawling monocultures, owned and operated by foreign entities—threatening both the environment and the survival of these ancient ways of life.

Synopsis:

Bitter Brew pulls back the curtain on the luxury coffee industry, focusing on one of its most unusual — and controversial — products: Kopi Luwak, also known as civet coffee. Marketed as rare and exotic, this coffee is made from beans that pass through the digestive system of a small animal called the Asian palm civet.

But behind the novelty and high price tag lies a much darker story.

Shot across Indonesia and beyond, this documentary follows journalists, conservationists, and farmers who are challenging what the world thinks it knows about Kopi Luwak. It turns out, much of the so-called “wild” civet coffee is anything but. Civets are often captured from the wild, kept in cramped cages, and force-fed coffee cherries under terrible conditions — all to meet global demand.

Alongside the animal welfare concerns, Bitter Brew explores how fraud, greenwashing, and lax regulation fuel a booming market where very little is what it claims to be. Former workers, ethical coffee producers, and activists speak out, offering insight into a system that thrives on consumer ignorance.

This film isn’t just about coffee — it’s about the hidden costs of luxury and the choices we make without realizing who (or what) pays the price.

Bears - From conflict to coexistence In Romania's mountains live the last large populations of bears (Ursus arctos), lynx (Linx, linx carpathicus), and wolves (Canis lupus), which have disappeared from many other regions of Europe. These species living in the Carpathians have been recently "declared" harmful and a "regulation" was decided by the Romanian authorities, which will lead to dramatic consequences. Big game deprived of their habitat coming into contact with humans raises highly complex ecological, social, economic, ethical and political problems. Special guest Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE Founder, Jane Goodall Institute UN Messenger of Peace

In a rural Romanian town, former itinerant traders—many of whom gained their wealth working abroad in often dubious fields, including child prostitution and organized beggary—have traded their caravans for opulent mansions.

On June 24, 1986, with General Secretary Nicolae Ceausecu presiding at the plenary session of the Romanian Communist Party, a decision was made that across Romania, 3931 villages should disappear from the country's map. Not even the 1989 Romanian Revolution could save Bozodujfalu from destruction. The last houses and churches of the village disappeared underneath the water flowing from the damn in 1994.

INSIDE EUROPE'S LAST LEPROSY COLONY The village of Tichilesti is in a remote area of Romania on the edge of the Danube Delta, and it is home to what is thought to be Europe's last remaining leprosy colony. Today, Tichilesti is still home to 7 residents who have had leprosy and are now cured, one of whom has lived there 71 years. The documentary is the only audiovisual document that preserves the history of leprosy in Romania and the memories of the last leprosy patients from the Tichilesti colony.