Content from VARA

For months, the FBI have been investigating Russian interference in the American presidential elections. ZEMBLA is investigating another explosive dossier concerning Trump’s involvement with the Russians: Trump’s business and personal ties to oligarchs from the former Soviet Union. Powerful billionaires suspected of money laundering and fraud, and of having contacts in Moscow and with the mafia. What do these relationships say about Trump and why does he deny them? How compromising are these dubious business relationships for the 45th president of the United States? And are there connections with the Netherlands? ZEMBLA meets with one of Trump’s controversial cronies and speaks with a former CIA agent, fraud investigators, attorneys, and an American senator among others.

In a large country home, the owner Emma Blank is very ill and is cared for by her household staff: Haneveld the head housekeeper, Bella the cook, Gonnie the maid and Meier the man-servant. Despite her desperate need for loving care, Emma is a steely, avaricious dictator whose demands become ever more absurd, to the extent that her staff are driven to madness. That is, until the day they discover that they stand to inherit nothing whereupon they drop their charade of caring and concern and instead plot their revenge...

Philo Bregstein tells us this film looks at Pasolini's life and art to explain why he died. The film traces Pasolini's life chronologically - family roots, hiding during World War II, teaching, moving to Rome, being arrested and acquitted many times, publishing poems, getting into film, being provocative, and being murdered. Interviews with Alberto Moravia, Laura Betti, Maria Antonietta Macciocch, and Bernard Bertolucci are inter-cut with readings of Pasolini's poems and with clips from four films - primarily the Gospel According to St. Matthew - to illustrate his changing ideas and points of view. Bregstein makes a case for Pasolini's being lynched.

A short TV documentary about the making of Straub-Huillet's 'Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach'

Dutch presenter Astrid Joosten travels the world to find out why Anne Frank's written words in her diary still inspires hope and regardless of own circumstances, works for unity and peace.

On a cold November day in 1983, beer magnate Alfred Heineken and his chauffeur Ab Doderer are abducted. What follows is the most infamous kidnapping case the Netherlands have ever known.

Stage registration of the third comedy special (2002-2004) by the Dutch comedy troupe De Vliegende Panters (The Flying Panters). The show consists of songs and sketches on various topics such as James Bond, Hamlet, Shakespeare and Thyestes.

In the late sixties, the American saxophone player and living jazz legend Ben Webster lived in Amsterdam for a year. Webster, who was born in Kansas City in 1909, was a unique personality in the world of jazz and blues. In the thirties, he played with all the great names. During his Amsterdam period, he stayed with an elderly landlady, Mrs Hardloper, with whom he appeared on a national talk show. In conversations with Van der Keuken, he muses on the past; on the fantastic experience of playing in the renowned Duke Ellington band; or on one of his best friends, who was so deft at eating with a knife and fork. Short, fragmented remarks, which Van der Keuken has edited in a loose, improvised editing style.

A chronicle of prominent Dutch association football club Feyenoord's 75-year history, and its place at the heart of its namesake neighborhood on the south bank of Rotterdam, the largest seaport in Europe.

Stage registration of the fourth comedy special (2006-2008) by the Dutch comedy troupe De Vliegende Panters (The Flying Panters). This show tells the story about who the Vliegende Panters really are.

Complete registration of the anniversary theater program, recorded in April 2003 in the Royal Theater Carré in Amsterdam. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Leids Cabaret Festival, a performance was created with the participation of more than twenty different comedians, including Wim Helsen, Kees Torn, Sanne Wallis de Vries, Erik van Muiswinkel, and many others.

Stage registration of the fifth comedy special by the Dutch comedian Micha Wertheim. At the start of the performance, the performance appears to be unfinished: Micha Wertheim is still writing and the comedian has a writer's block.

An Italian car salesman wants to impress the woman of his dreams, but he gets entangled in his own web of lies.

After her father's death, Anna Peterson and her family move from Australia to her father's ancestral home in New Zealand.

Sweder Speelman leads a successful life with his wife Cecile. But he realizes he's a spectator of his own life. Sweder decides to disappear to see how Cecile responds to his absence. As he observes his wife, he loses touch with reality.

Armin is in crisis. One fateful day he discovers he is infertile and has been throughout his life. From this he discovers his first wife, Monika, was unfaithful before she died. How else could she have the child that Armin always thought was his? His paranoia drives him to find the truth.

Registration of the second Kinderen voor Kinderen-concertshow. In this annual event, the Dutch children's choir 'Kinderen Voor Kinderen' performs 12 songs based on ideas sent in by children. The songs make up an album from which the proceeds go to a good cause, namely collecting toys for children in Third World Countries.

Registration of the theatre program by the Dutch comedian Youp van 't Hek.

An eccentric multimillionaire signs an agreement to have his life ended. While selecting his coffin he meets a young woman who has signed up for the same arrangement. Trouble ensues when the couple falls in love and wishes to get out of the contract.

Alfred J. Kwak lost his parents when he was just a duckling. Raised by a mole, the brave duck grows up to have lots of adventures around the world.

Sitcom about two grandfathers taking care of their grandchildren, so their children can focus on their careers.

Zeg 'ns Aaa was one of the longest running and most popular Dutch sitcoms, situated in the medical practice of a female general practitioner and revolves around herself, her family and her housekeeper. The title refers to the imperative phrase Say Aah, often said by doctors when they want to inspect the mouth cavity of a patient.

In Amsterdam Paradise we're witnessing the development of the relationship between Adam and Eva and see how it’s continually influenced and affected by dozens of other stories set in the city. Amsterdam Paradise is a shimmering mosaic narrative of the city, life and love.

A North Holland amateur soccer team (Swiftboys 8) consists of boys who since childhood enjoy the game itself -only gay captain Bram, a lawyer, takes the trouble to spend time on official club business- less then the camaraderie as none has the making of anything resembling a star player, to put it kindly, so they usually end their season by demotion. The point is having fun on the field, in the locker-room, in the canteen, and whenever something happens in one's life one or more of the others are likely to get involved, which also goes for some players' female partners, while male bonding seems only to stimulate their flirtatious lust. The chairman is a cigar-smoking fat rat, who intends to exploit the various teams using his infrastructure, and comes to employ as barmaid ex-con Nadja, a red-hair harpy nevertheless considered sexy by most straight boys.

The VARA TV series is made up of three parts in which the 'Circle of Life' of the Netherlands' most talked-about nature reserve, the Oostvaardersplassen, is central. Close to Amsterdam, in one of the world's most densely populated countries, on a piece of land that was under water forty years ago, a nature reserve of international allure has developed. A unique experiment is taking place here: nature is allowed to run its course. The result of this is an untouched piece of wilderness in the reclaimed Flevopolder. It differs from all other Dutch landscapes. Internationally, this piece of nature below sea level is rare. It is used worldwide as an example of the development of new visions of nature and the role of people in it. For many, this area is unknown, because most of it is not open to the public.

Nova / Den Haag vandaag was a late-evening current affairs programme broadcast from Monday to Saturday on the Netherlands Public Broadcasting channel Nederland 3 (later Nederland 2) between 1992 and 2010. Nova, the first and main part of the programme, was made jointly by VARA and NPS and featured news analysis and background reports. While NOS produced Den Haag vandaag, the segment of the programme covering events in parliament and interviews with politicians. The programme was also broadcast on the Dutch language international channel, BVN.