Wide Angle

With unprecedented access to the lives of these self-proclaimed “homeboys,” "18 with a Bullet" uncovers the inner workings of a gang whose transnational membership numbers in the tens of thousands and which has captured the attention of U.S. law enforcement.

"Mixed Blessings" looks at Ireland's dramatic transformation from a poor nation of rolling green fields, farmers' pubs, and devout Catholics to an urbanized, secularized and giddily flush society. In this program, WIDE ANGLE visits the city of Limerick.

WIDE ANGLE cameras are on location in Morocco as history is made. In May 2006, an imam academy in the city of Rabat holds a graduation ceremony. But the class of 2006 includes 50 women pioneers, among the first contemporary group of women to be officially trained as religious leaders in the Arab world.

One day, Danish artist and pilot Simone Aaberg Kærn reads in her morning paper the story of a 16-year-old Afghan girl who dreams of becoming a fighter pilot. Flying 3,000 miles from Denmark to Kabul in her rickety canvas-covered plane, Kærn vows to find young Farial and make her airborne dream come true.

For years, Turkey has been run by a stridently secular business and political elite struggling to align itself with the Western world, while its pious Muslims have been pushed to the political and economic fringes. But now, even the most devout Muslims are embracing Western-style capitalism and commerce.

Characterizing the racial breakdown of Brazil is even more complex than characterizing that of America.

In Sao Paulo, where someone is kidnapped every three days on average, "Ransom City" explores a twist in Brazil's dangerous crime fad as the mothers of five celebrity soccer players are abducted and held for ransom in a six month period.

A follow-up to the 2003 episode “Time for School,” which followed first-graders in places around the world where free and compulsory education is not available to all children. Included are interviews with education professionals from various countries.

WIDE ANGLE is on the ground as the Democratic Republic of Congo holds its first elections in 45 years -- an election supported by more than $450 million from the United Nations. "Democracy in the Rough" immerses us in a nation haunted by war, threatened by corruption, and torn over how to move toward a democratic and more promising future.