VPRO Backlight is a documentary series originally made for the Dutch national broadcaster VPRO. Our documentaries navigate on the crossover of storytelling and journalism. We aim to portray hopeful makers and thinkers and explore their new ideas and innovations.
Since we want to make the newfound knowledge and perspectives accessible to as many people as possible, we produce some of our documentaries for an international audience. The international version of our documentaries can be viewed here.
Europe is derailed. The borders are open and the train lines are built but to cross Europe by train is still an enormous undertaking. In Europe is off the rail, we take a trip with all kinds of train-dreamers and do-ers. Each wants to make systematic changes to get Europe back on track.
It's becoming increasingly dangerous to be a journalist. Their critical voice makes them a target for numerous threats, as the truth might be inconvenient for some. How can journalists stay safe and continue to tell their stories?
VPRO Backlight dives into the world of climate engineering: scientists and start-ups trying to use technological means to cool the earth. How hopeful or risky are these techniques?
What lies behind the shiny promise of Artificial Intelligence? VPRO Tegenlicht shows the reality behind the smokescreen Silicon Valley presents us with, speaks with people engaged in demystifying the global AI industry, and uses the capabilities of the latest AI products to depict the places and give faces to the people Big Tech would rather not be seen.
What can Europe look like if we see migration not only as a problem but also as a solution? VPRO Tegenlicht takes a look at a new narrative on migration. The migrant is a luck-seeker instead of a happiness-seeker. And what can we learn from super-diverse cities where minorities are the majority?
