* The Story of the Swastika (2013)

In the week when Hindus celebrate the holy festival of Diwali, this documentary tells the story of one of their faith's most sacred symbols - the swastika. For many, the swastika has become a symbol synonymous with the Nazis and fascism. But this film reveals the fascinating and complex history of an emblem that is, in fact, a religious symbol, with a sacred past. For the almost one billion Hindus around the world, the swastika lies at the heart of religious practices and beliefs, as an emblem of benevolence, luck and good fortune.

* The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II (2013)

Ludwig II of Bavaria, more commonly known by his nicknames the Swan King or the Dream King, is a legendary figure - the handsome boy-king, loved by his people, betrayed by his cabinet and found dead in tragic and mysterious circumstances. He spent his life in pursuit of the ideal of beauty, an ideal that found expression in three of the most extraordinary, ornate architectural schemes imaginable - the castle of Neuschwanstein and the palaces of Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. Today, these three buildings are among Germany's biggest tourist attractions.

Dan Cruickshank explores the rich aesthetic of Ludwig II - from the mock-medievalism of Neuschwanstein the iconic fairytale castle, which became the inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle, to the rich Baroque splendour of Herrenchiemsee, Ludwig's answer to Versailles. Dan argues that Ludwig's castles are more than flamboyant kitsch and are, in fact, the key to unravelling the eternal enigma of Ludwig II.

* Das Auto: The Germans - Their Cars and Us (2013)

Documentary examining Germany's economic power and the automobile industry at the heart of it. Across the world, the badges of Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and Mercedes inspire immediate awe. Even in Britain, where memories of Second World War run deep, we can't resist the appeal of a German car. By contrast, our own industry is a shadow of its former self. Historian Dominic Sandbrook asks what it is we got wrong, and what the Germans got so right.

* Bavaria a Dream Trip (2012)

Whoever knows Germany, knows that Bavarians (like me) are a little different from the other Germans. One one side very traditional, on the other hand forward looking, always trying to combine modern times with the good ol'times. Josef Vilsmeier - like every Bavarian - loves his homeland, and so he just wants to depict his homeland in a cinematic way. He spent dozens of hours in a helicopter over Bavaria, only shortly interrupted by short pauses in which he shows images of a few larger cities or certain points of interest or to show images of typical Bavarian tradition, and watching the beautiful images, they are simply great and show the beauty of our homeland. But still - a lot of things are missing, and some of the text spoken by the director himself leave a foul taste.... To the things missing: there are almost no informations to Bavarian history. The traditions shown in the film are mainly catholic Christian traditions, besides, there is a lot more in Bavaria than the Oktoberfest. There is a clear dominance to the city of Munich (more than a fourth of the film), which is the hometown of the director, but Bavaria is definitely not only Munich! And, two of the more peripheral regions of the country of Bavaria are only mentioned very shortly, typical for the pure Bavarian, that considers himself somehow to be in the middle of everything. And this is where the film and some of the director's remarks leave a bad taste: he mentions Bavaria to be the ;Land with the most economic power in Europe;the best of the world; come on, I am a Bavarian, but mainly, I'm German! Germany is a independent country, not Bavaria, it's just a part of Germany. And Germany - like all countries - has other beautiful places as well. A certain patriotism is good, but I personally despise this strong feeling of ;Bavarian supremacy;. In conclusion: beautiful pictures, no equilibrium in documentation, lack of historic details, other people of Bavaria than the dominating Bavarians and Frankonians clearly underrepresented. And someone outside Bavaria will definitely be disgusted by this tone of Bavarian supremacy. At school the teacher would say: insufficient work, Grade E (or Note 5 in Germany), sit down.