Activist Lens

Thrilling account from inside Hungary’s most prominent independent online newspaper, Index.hu, while it’s slowly being placed under the control of Viktor Orbán’s autocracy. The pressure mounts until the full editorial staff of 80 journalists walk out. Will they succeed in building a new news outlet from scratch?   War ...

As the first woman ever elected to the council of her small Iranian village, Sara Shahverdi aims to break long-held patriarchal traditions. She trains teenage girls to ride motorcycles, encourages them to pursue an education and tries to stop child marriages. But Sara’s resilience and combative style bring her many ene...

With her courageous, independent voice, young Kyrgyz singer Zere Asylbek sparks solidarity among women. But as freedom of speech and expression are suppressed and Zere faces more and more extreme accusations, the threats grow more menacing. Zere and her family increasingly worry: will she be able to face the mental pre...

In Kenya’s tea highlands, Mr. Mungai fights to reclaim land seized from his family during colonial rule. As his case against a multinational corporation gains momentum, local news producer Bea Wangondu begins documenting the struggle, exposing how historic dispossession continues to shape the lives and futures of the s...

When the Indigenous Sámi people take on a giant energy corporation and the Norwegian State for violating their human rights, they find the Supreme Court on their side. But then… nothing changes. So they find new ways to fight their David-and-Goliath battle to save their livelihoods.   Terje Haugen, Sissel Stormo Holtan...

Alone in her bedroom, Molly Russell ended her own life at 14. Now her grieving father confronts the Big Tech companies he holds responsible. He exposes a global system of hidden, unchecked power that reaches into our children’s bedrooms from the boardrooms of today’s most powerful companies. ‘To her parents, she was a...

Psychological portrait telling the stories of six women who survived sexual violence and torture during Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Led by Iryna Dovgan, they fight for justice and recognition. In the face of massive trauma, Iryna encourages them to rebuild their lives. Very inspiring. ‘This is my weapon with which...

An intimate portrait of Ugandan poet-academic Dr. Stella Nyanzi. Without apology or restraint, she defies state repression with bold acts of resistance. Through poetry, performance, and protest, Stella confronts dictatorship and patriarchy. Despite threats and imprisonment, she does everything to reclaim autonomy both ...