Docu.Reality

This documentary series follows an elite Czech military chemical defence unit during its six-month deployment at a NATO base, offering access to places normally off limits to civilians. Among the hundred soldiers serving in Lithuania are military medic Martin, Jan—the Czech Army’s first Czech-Mexican soldier - decontamination specialist Martin, logistics specialist Filip, rifleman Jakub and chaplain David. Russia’s Zapad 2025 military exercise is underway near the Belarusian border. Russian drones breach Lithuanian airspace. The Czech soldiers practise survival skills with Norwegian specialists and undergo combat medical training, including simulations of severe bleeding and amputations. In a “kill house” training facility, they practise combat tactics inside buildings under fire. Christmas away from loved ones deepens their homesickness. News agency reports reveal Europe’s role in the war in Ukraine and the shifting stance of the United States. Drone footage evokes the new reality of warfare: tanks, the internet, cyberattacks and disinformation. What lies behind the lofty rhetoric of national defence? Is it harder to lose freedom and win it back, or to safeguard it and keep it?

How does a history we have never experienced live on within us? The documentary experiment ODSUN – Národní konstelace explores the expulsion of the Sudeten Germans through a group constellation led by psychiatrist Ivan Věrný. Without a script, participants take on roles connected to the events of the post-war period, observing the feelings and relationships that emerge. Rather than reconstructing history, the film explores the traces it leaves within us. Moving from personal family stories through a shared experience, it culminates in a ritual of reconciliation. “One hundred people in a single hall, and our history, which we chose to enter through a constellation. We had never attempted anything like this on such a scale. We had no idea what would unfold between people or where the shared experience would take us. During the final ritual of reconciliation, the emotion spread to the crew as well. At that moment, we became part of what we had come to film. I hope that at least some of the power of that shared experience can come through on screen.” – Jan Látal

It all began in 1999, when the Big Brother format emerged in the Netherlands, introducing the concept of round-the-clock surveillance and isolation. A year later, Survivor (2000) – the American version of Swedish public television’s Expedition Robinson – added strategic gameplay, intrigue and ruthless elimination. Audiences were fascinated by how “real people” behaved in extreme situations. This period also saw the meteoric rise of talent shows such as Pop Idol and American Idol (2001/2002). Reality television’s successful run continued until the arrival of a new wave of scripted programming, associated primarily with streaming services. Around the turn of the 2010s, reality formats seemed exhausted, and audiences appeared to be losing interest. Streaming brought another major shift from roughly the mid-2010s onwards. Netflix, followed by other services, discovered that reality formats were relatively inexpensive, travelled well across markets and were ideally suited to binge-watching. Over a quarter of a century, reality television evolved from a conspicuous television genre built around watching “ordinary people” into one of the fundamental ways contemporary audiovisual culture produces stories, personalities and audience participation. Reality shows may seem less dominant today than in the heyday of Big Brother, but the principles of reality television are more pervasive across audiovisual media than ever before.

Access to adequate housing is an internationally recognised human right. Why has it become an unaffordable investment commodity? The new six-part documentary series Země bez domova follows the lives of people for whom stable housing has become an unattainable goal. Through their personal stories and the work of social workers, it reveals how the lack of a home affects employment, health, and family relationships. Is housing insecurity the result of personal failures, or primarily a systemic problem — a failure to ensure access to affordable housing?

Six teenagers who have never left home are paired with six older people who believe their travelling days are over. Together, they embark on a treasure hunt across Japan. The challenges test their knowledge, teamwork and ability to connect across generations. A £50,000 prize is at stake. Unlike its obvious inspiration, Race Across the World, the show does not rely on a frantic pace and dramatic editing. Its strength lies in the clash of generations. With some contestants well into old age, it focuses less on extreme challenges and more on authentic relationships and emotional moments. Crucially, the contestants are strangers when the journey begins.