Hubert Seipel

With almost 800,000 men and 70,000 officers, the Turkish army is the second largest in NATO. This 1998 documentary by ZDF examines how this powerful force asserts itself in all spheres of Turkish life. From the annual celebrations of the republic to the military's strict position on the Kurdish conflict and their ongoing war against the PKK, the film highlights the contrast between the army's political influence and Ataturk's defining principle that the military should stay clear of everyday politics.

The multiple, award-winning television author Hubert Seipel, accompanied Vladimir Putin in Russia, over a period of many weeks. He not only conducted several interviews with him, but was also present when Putin shouldered judo opponents, or challenged his bodyguards during a game of ice hockey.

This film looks back at Algeria's past, covering its fight for independence and its subsequent fight against itself, being one of the few films to capture civil war Algeria and its inhabitants on camera. The filmmakers talk to politicians from both sides, past revolutionaries, and most importantly civilians, whose lives were torn apart by the conflict.