In the coastal city of Porto, Portugal, a unique spiritual community is making waves, literally. The Surf Church, led by Brazilian-born pastor and avid surfer Samuel Cianelli dos Anjos, blends traditional Sunday worship with the sport of surfing. In a country with deep historical and cultural ties to the Catholic Church, Portugal has seen a steady decline in the number of young people engaging with their faith. Many feel disconnected from the Church and believe it no longer speaks to them in a way they understand. In response to this, the Surf Church movement was born. Every Sunday, young people gather on the beach to surf together before walking to a nearby church to worship. Their motto: “We love waves, and we love Jesus”. Reporter Colm Flynn travels to Porto to discover more about this innovative approach.
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The riddle of Iranian cinema
Iranian-American film-maker Maryam Keshavarz explores a world of creativity under restriction, where film-makers find ways to speak despite censorship. Born in New York City to Iranian parents, Maryam grew up moving between two cultures, smuggling pop culture into Iran for her cousins. That early experience - bridging the gap between freedom and limitation - shaped her storytelling and her understanding of identity. Maryam speaks to Amarali Navaee, an Iranian film-maker now living in Turkey, who shares how exile reshapes creativity; Ehsan Khoshbakht, a film historian and critic, who traces the legacy of Iranian cinema; Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani, Oscar-winning Iranian animators, who discuss how animation bypasses restrictions; and Panah Panahi, an Iranian film-maker still working in Iran, who offers a rare glimpse into film-making under constant surveillance.
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BBC Trending: Print and shoot - The spread of 3D-printed guns
A growing number of incidents have highlighted the dangers of 3D-printed ‘ghost guns’, untraceable firearms that can be assembled at home with the help of a 3D printer and a set of blueprints. Since the first design appeared in 2013, 3D-printed gun technology has advanced rapidly. Some models can now fire hundreds or thousands of rounds without their plastic components failing. Although these weapons are illegal in many jurisdictions, designs, parts, and blueprints continue to spread on social media. We explore the growing popularity of 3D-printed weapons online.
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Assignment: Spain - can an algorithm predict murder?
Early on a Sunday morning in February in the Spanish seaside town of Benalmadena, Catalina, a 48-year-old mother of four, was killed at home – the building was set on fire. Her ex-partner was arrested and remains in custody. In January, Lina – as she was known to her family and friends – had reported her ex-partner to the police for ill-treatment and threatening behaviour. And by doing so, she became one of around 100,000 cases of gender-based violence active in Spain’s VioGen system.VioGen is an algorithm used by the police – it’s a risk assessment tool. Based on a woman’s answers to a series of questions, it calculates the likelihood she will be attacked again so police resources can be allocated to protect those most in danger. The level of risk could be negligible, low, medium, high or extreme. Lina was recorded as being at ‘medium’ risk of a further attack by the man who was her ex-partner. Three weeks later, she was dead. VioGen’s critics are concerned about the number of women registered on the system who are then murdered by men who are former or current partners. Its champions claim that without VioGen there would be far more violence against women.With AI in the ascendency, and governments increasingly turning to algorithms to make decisions affecting society, for Crossing Continents, Linda Pressly and Esperanza Escribano investigate the story of VioGen and domestic violence in Spain.
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In the Studio: Mika Obanda
Mika Obanda is a Kenyan artist who creates vibrant and personal mosaics using egg shells sourced from local hotels. Cleaning, drying and colouring them, before painstakingly placing each individual tiny piece onto his canvases. Frenny Jowi visits him in his studio in the Nairobi slum of Mukuru as he works on his latest collection. It is a series called Trying to Blossom, in which he often places himself at the centre of his art works, showing not only his own journey as an artist and a person, but also as an activist, reflecting spirituality, love and the wider issues facing himself and his community.
A window into our world, through in-depth storytelling from the BBC. Investigating, reporting and uncovering true stories from everywhere. Award-winning journalism, unheard voices, amazing culture and global issues. From Trump’s new world order, to protests in Turkey, to the headphone revolution, The Documentary investigates major global stories.We delve into social media, take you into the minds of the world’s most creative people and explore personal approaches to spirituality. Every week, we also bring together people from around the globe to discuss how news stories are affecting their lives. A new episode most days, all year round. From our BBC World Service teams at: Assignment, Heart and Soul, In the Studio, OS Conversations, The Fifth Floor and Trending.
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