The Dictator's Playbook

Verbotenes Begehren

June 2025 •German

Mussolini: The First Fascist

June 2025 •French

Mussolini seized power in Italy in 1922, after his March on Rome. He would hold it in his grasp until his death in 1945, establishing a dictatorship that lasted more than 20 years. Long considered a buffoon and a second-rate dictator, Il Duce invented fascism that was imitated by Hitler, who viewed the Italian as his political master. He wanted to transform his country into a warrior nation and promised Italians a return to the grandeur of the Roman Empire. He governed by violence and trickery and was one of the first populist leaders of modern times, leading his country into the catastrophe of the World War II. But who was Mussolini, this former teacher who came from the extreme left to become a newspaper editor and creator of the Fascist Party? Why did he ally himself with Hitler? Were the Italians really behind him? With archives and interviews with the last-surviving witnesses of the era, this portrait takes a look back at one of the most notorious dictators of the 20th century.

How to Become a Tyrant

June 2025 •English

The documentary series explores different political figures throughout history.

Despot Housewives

June 2025 •French

Stalin

June 2025 •English

Three years in the making, this comprehensive study of the Soviet dictator blends documentary footage and interviews with experts and surviving witnesses.

Diktaturet

June 2025 •Norwegian

Evolution of Evil

June 2025 •English

Inside the minds of the heartless, corrupt, and cruel individuals who've seized control of their country through the infliction of appalling pain on their fellow man. From Kim Jong-il, to Osama Bin Laden, to Hitler, uncover the madness behind the merciless dictators responsible for unimaginable human atrocities that still haunt the world.

Inside North Korea's Dynasty

June 2025 •English

The Kim family's dark and surreal story provides a fresh perspective on North Korea.

Plots of Freedom – The Cry of Samba for Democracy

June 2025 •Portuguese

Enredos da Liberdade – O Grito do Samba Pela Democracia is a Brazilian documentary series available on Globoplay that delves into the pivotal role of samba schools during Brazil's transition from military dictatorship to democracy in the 1980s. Spanning five episodes, the series showcases how samba-enredo compositions became powerful tools of political resistance, addressing themes like censorship, economic hardship, and racial inequality. Through rare archival footage and interviews with prominent figures such as Martinho da Vila, Leci Brandão, and Rosa Magalhães, the documentary highlights the creative defiance of these cultural institutions. Each episode concludes with a reimagined performance of a significant samba, featuring artists like Teresa Cristina and Mart’nália, underscoring the enduring impact of these musical expressions in Brazil's democratic journey.

Freedom

June 2025 •English

Freedom is a short-lived 2000 American science fiction television show on the UPN network. There were 12 episodes filmed but only 7 were aired in the US. Some episodes were further aired internationally, and the full series is still occasionally broadcast in Brazil.

Aquarela do Brasil

June 2025 •Portuguese

Tell Me How It Happened

June 2025 •Portuguese

Television drama series which has been broadcast on RTP1 of Rádio e Televisão de Portugal from 2007 to 2011 and since 2019. It recounts the experiences of a middle-class family, the Lopes (Portuguese: Os Lopes), during the last years of the Estado Novo. In February 2019, RTP announced that the series, after eight years shelved, would be renewed, with the storyline moving firmly into the 1980s. The first episode of the sixth season was broadcast on 7 December 2019 with the Lopes entering 1984.

Victory or Death

June 2025 •Spanish

Under the regime of Augusto Pinochet in Chile, a group of young people declares war on the dictator. Their leaders are commanders Tamara and Rodrigo. Both leave behind their lives and families to fight against the dictatorship; together, they aim to change Chile and its history.

Tyrant

June 2025 •English

The story of an unassuming American family drawn into the workings of a turbulent Middle Eastern nation. Bassam "Barry" Al Fayeed, the younger son of the dictator of a war-torn nation, ends a self-imposed 20-year exile to return to his homeland, accompanied by his American wife and children, for his nephew's wedding. Barry’s reluctant homecoming leads to a dramatic clash of cultures as he is thrown back into the familial and national politics of his youth.

Cuéntame cómo pasó

June 2025 •Spanish

Recounts the experiences of a middle-class family, the Alcántaras, during the last years of the rule of Francisco Franco and the beginning of the Spanish Transition to democracy.

Julius Caesar

June 2025 •English

Twenty year-old Julius Caesar flees Rome for his life during the reign of Sulla but through skill and ambition rises four decades later to become Rome's supreme dictator.

The Island Diaries

June 2025 •French

Join host Sophie Fouron as she travels the globe to discover the unique lifestyles being lived out on islands.

Louis and the Urban Jungle

June 2025 •French

Rats, squirrels, skunks, groundhogs… Our cities are full of little critters! Wildlife expert Louis Larose comes to the rescue by relocating nuisance species from backyards and gardens.

Car Stories

June 2025 •French

Bouffe en cavale

June 2025 •French

Vincent and Norman hit the road in Ontario. Still on the lookout for local specialties, they set up their mobile kitchen in picturesque settings and prepare dishes they’ve discovered through their contacts with farmers, breeders, fishermen and craftspeople.