More of a real-life exploitation film than a bonafide documentary, Cocaine Cowboys is tailor-made for anyone who worships Brian De Palma's Scarface. It's no surprise that this slick, energetic film found a niche audience among crime-obsessed hip-hoppers; from a journalistic perspective it's an irresponsible mess, but director Billy Corben is obviously more interested in capturing the thrills and d
Mark Thomas puts the arms trade under the spotlight in this special edition of Dispatches, asking how easy it is to broker arms. Working his way through a spider's web of vast and, in some cases, archaic legislation, Thomas unearths a series of dangerous loopholes, inconsistencies and, even more shocking, simple omissions that would have the most avaricious arms broker salivating with glee.The
British TV presenter Louis Theroux (son of Paul) parachuted into South Africa again, this time for the BBC, to look at the policing of crime in Johannesburg. The film focuses on the private security business, mainly the controversial Mapogo a Mathamaga, who mete out violence on the spot to suspected criminals ("an African solution to an African problem," says a farmer who has Mapogo on retainer).
Ryanair was founded in 1985 by Irish businessman Tony Ryan. It is Europe's largest low-cost carrier, operating 270 low-fare routes to 21 European countries. Two Dispatches undercover reporters spent five months secretly filming Ryanair's training programme and onboard flights as members of the cabin crew.The reporters reveal what really takes place behind the scenes: inadequate safety and securi
Off the Chain is an unprecedented look into the underground world of dog fighting. Beginning with a history of the American Pit Bull Terrier, the film explores the evolution of the breed. Classic film and television footage show the popularity of what was once considered a noble and trustworthy family pet. Examine how this breed went from America's dog to public enemy number one.Travel to the ba
Billed as a Caribbean epic of family, love and violence, GHOSTS OF CITE SOLEIL takes us inside the lives of notorious gang leaders who dominate the Haitian slum of Cite Soleil. The reality of life today in Haiti unfolds before us as we get to know two brothers and their stories intimately. They are 2Pac and Bily, Haitian gang leaders who strive to make better choices in a world with no choices at
Over 40 million Americans have seen Dateline’s ongoing popular series To Catch a Predator, which has caught over two hundred potential child predators. While the show exposed this epidemic, Chris Hansen’s book, To Catch a Predator, shares the true stories of families who have been targeted by predators, revealing the tactics predators use to manipulate their victims and why even cautious families
Is it possible that people can commit complex crimes - even murder - while they are sleepwalking? With only a dead victim and a zoned-out sleepwalker at the scene of the crime, it is hard to know for sure. Will extensive sleep tests performed on accused murderers reveal that it is possible to unknowingly kill someone in your sleep? If science says yes, what does the law say? And if we can commit m
Guns Are Cool explores the issue that guns are seen as cool, fashionable and desirable by many young people today and until we change that perception, we're not going to solve the problem of rising gun crime. Features undercover footage and interviews with young British gang members.