one of the valleys associates a shortcut. the group is made millions shaming, thousands of officials supporting the inquiry for how fall hoover and power conflict zone. in 60 minutes on d. w. a matters to us or that's why we listen to the stories reporter every weekend on d. w. ah, hello and welcome to a special edition are focused on europe. we're bringing you some of our favorite stories of the year from the people who inspired us. and perhaps even changed our

view of the world after all, the new year offers us an opportunity to come out life with a new perspective. we begin in italy with bruno fair in a man who has fun for a living. he owns an amusement park with a roller coaster ferris wheel. the works, an entrance is free even during the energy crisis that is forcing other businesses to curtail production or even close. so how does bruno keep the wheels turning out his park in northern italy? well, he doesn't pay for electricity because he doesn't need it. bruno is park is powered with good old fashion. elbow grease. ah, the viola conveyor the hum back cause the wheel of death. mm. there are just a few of the $37.00 attractions at the amusement park. i p o p, italian fall under the puppies. and it was all built by this man delivery. they are

very big, stretch her legs out in front of you. straigten them out. yes, that's it. made than otherwise, you'll land with your nose on the rubber because it'll burn. it will not only homo . bruno, for, in is 85 years old. he built his 1st swing here half a century ago. i hear from ashley bruner, georgia. it's always a joy to come here and see what i built up in 50 years, so it's a great feeling to be able to say about your own life. and i made all my dreams come true. i imagine that you're a don't looking a song or l exactly. peter, whose dream began with a restaurant in 1969. bruno florine, fell in love with this piece of fight. as his wife served wine and sausages under the populace, he started building swings. he taught himself everything, every dilemma, very bother thou healing ago, i only ever went to elementary school,

but i've always understood number's opinion. it comes naturally to me on working out weights and counter wait for my attractions. maybe i left here although my you know what without horse, i make mistakes at times and have to adjust the ride that are too heavy. or if the slope isn't right, probably named built on vocal that out a lot. or if everything special about printer for ins, park is that none of the attractions require electricity. they use the laws of physics and the muscle power of visitors. the newest attraction is the carousel. he had the idea fred, after watching a tv report about a training facility for nasir as to north littlewood euro, this carousel is powered by these bicycles operated by visitors. when you pedal, the carousel spins the faster it spins, the more the centrifugal force increases, causing the seed frames to move backwards from the center and the letter. ah good. while other amusement parks face closer

d to rising electricity costs. buena for in is forging ahead and planning for the future. for july, the energy prices are through the roof proper. so i'm thinking of installing dynamos on every ride to harness the energy from all the equipment moving around. that's my plan value era little if applied on a large scale, that idea would foil the strategies of some world leaders, pap, ordeal wouldn't, wouldn't be very happy at a park like mine. i mean, because of everything we're like this. he could no longer sell gas to italy. yona house. yeah. there have been no accidents in the decade long history of his pock buena, for in says nothing escapes him. no, and a joe. i sit down young man middle door come on horseback. there's not you need to sit down because it's dangerous now.

hey, he knew you lane, they don't read the signs. really. that's how italians are. that would have in germany, signs are law, but here in italy, they're optional. maybe i'll read them. maybe not. that's how it works in italy. why daddy go around? $50000.00 visitors come to the park every year. it's open only on weekends and entry is free. bruno for, in believes it shouldn't matter how much money you have. every one should have the right to have fun. most visitors buy something to eat and drink in his restaurant, making the business sustainable. even at 85, he still pitching in every way he can. he says the freedom to do what he loves has kept him young, referred to you by the very, it's a beautiful way to live. depending on my mood each day, i decide what to do. isn't that great?

my dears, that's the poetry of life given i read that was, that was one that he's devoted to his amusement park. the freedom of choice is something many of us take for granted for others. it's an uphill battle. victoria corey, isn't letting such challenges stop her from achieving her goals. she's fighting for her dream job as a trained driver in ukraine. well, up until a few years ago, women were banned from working in the profession. but the war and ukraine has seen, women taking on roles typically reserved for men, trains have become a lifeline for people in the country. and victoria is playing a crucial role in the war effort. each time she starts work is a moment of validation from victoria kiko. she's ukraine's 1st female trained co driver until recently,

sexist regulations band women from the job. it was considered risky to their reproductive health. now in the war, it really is dangerous. for every one on the train. of our school more i level of watch possibly be hard mentally and physically because you very often hear the air raid siren. i've even seen when missiles had watched. we tried to suppress these emotions and continue our work because it's not just about our lives and those with that was the lives of the passengers sitting behind us also depend on us. you know what it says. that nation was victoria had to try many times before she could even study for her dream. john. yeah, the ball is off with a hot dog. when i was applying to many universities and colleges and asking if they could teach me that well as up their fellowship and everyone said the same thing if seem minute casala know you're a woman that need,

that was it. so we make it more legit. one on one of shannon was ugly, from youth gazelle at that then one school said they did not have the right to refuse me. what have you, what time they could not promise that i would ever work in this profession. i did get the, what is a laugh. only now be say mom should leave for jumping up is not a bundle. but by the time she graduated, the old soviet era ban of women doing suit. jobs had been dropped, victorious, started as a co driver, a few months before russia invaded in february. buffalo to put attention to passengers. our destination is rebeca station on time of departure from keith is 18 . 27 william. there's a lot to do, the update log books, checked the speed of the train, the signals, the electrical contact line and speak to passengers. and if something were to happen to the driver, she'd have to take over chill ag, if by chance. oh, but she misses law at the beginning,

men treated me suspiciously because they didn't believe that we can do the same jobs that they can't get to. and that was let even live up on the you can get of what the patient can. and women also didn't think that in our patriarchal society, we could take on such positions. jacqueline, oh, you've chat them more. there's a lot that by avenue that keep asada, ukraine's women are becoming more visible everywhere. hannah greet sank when expert on gender study says the necessities of war are changing society. oh yeah, because also something, you know, it's an inter connected process sort of meaning that women who are on the front line become role models for civilian women in regional. but also those women in the military. they want to see examples of women in civilian professions. they want examples of women in traditionally male professions outside of the military kilometer what recycling were was were when the volume of, of you all anna also wants to be part of that process. she graduated in economics,

but 2 years ago decided to join the army as well and is now an active duty. she served in the key for region at the start of the war when the russians try to invade the capital. although they've looked, i set up checkpoints prepared molotov cocktails, helped order medicine, helped elderly people. it was a mixture of both military and civilian task is going on. she says she feels it's important for women to serve in the military to break gender cliches. but she says, civilian women who want to volunteer are being turned away, while men are taken on. alexa, if you'll just show up at a conscription office and tell them that you want to serve, no one will take you. if you have no experience, they simply won't believe in you. it's probably part of the skeptical attitude towards women where proficient always is you know, back on to train it. slight. victoria's shift will be at least 12 hours today.

although let them narrow trains have become a vital form of transport in this war. and there's never enough staff. nobody here cares whether it's a man or a woman in charge saline just it doesn't make any difference at all. it no singer is the same to me if it's a man or woman, as long as we can do the job genie along the syllabus, prolaw suitable death eyebrows are. victoria sat, she will still need to push hard to make it from the co driver to driver. that top job is still done by a man, one more sheer born. it's been that it hasn't completely changed yet. we still need a lot more time, lena. ah, yeah, yeah, we need to raise a new generation, a young generation with the idea that women have the same rights as men should say . it's hillary game i think is fatima victoria is pushing through the unknown. but

she says there is a brighter future for ukrainian women. one day, she will become a trained driver. while victoria is building a future in her home land for sabrina rossi, that's simply not possible. she had to flee her native country of afghanistan, where the taliban enforce shuree a law. public executions have recently resumed, and women's rights are dismal. sabrina's life was in danger, simply because soccer is her passion. a quitting was not an option for sabrina or her teammates. so together they headed to britain, the birthplace of the beautiful game in leeds. they finally have a real shot at life on an even playing field for bria. no, rosie can play soccer again. at last. in afghanistan, she was captain of the junior team. but they were all forced to flee. she's living

in northern england now. they're like, oh, i flew the fall. i thing. i'm very happy, but i don't have any following that met life. this is no longer possible in her home country. she's too well known there. she co founded the 1st women's soccer team and had ot in western afghanistan, a sport forbidden to women. and i think i'm severely i, i now, i'm so happy because it all then neil, i'm fay. i can go to fort was i can give them walk when the tale bond came back to power. so brianna, rosie was forced into hiding. she didn't leave her home for 10 days. the tale,

bon consider soccer players like her to be infidels. and she risked her life to escape. she was scared to death when she handed her papers over to the taliban at the border. taylor that he treated me horribly. he opened the gate, i was out of my bag and pushed me towards the direction i should walk as got. it said that was i not go and don't come back because if you do the one they are, a government will kill all me. no lad, mohammed shmarkus austin connie sabrina. no rosy struggle before the taliban came back to power. she was even beaten up but she'd persevered enough to enjoy success and participated in international tournaments were drawing even more negative attention. magda was back on i thought they tried to kidnap me twice idea. i asked once they tried to stab me in the back i tell was our last voice, but someone helped me. well,

i'm young enough. i to mac. so only the tip of the knife hit my side of a paloma bad cutting my lower abdomen. where yag that a pal, well talk stuff. soccer player kalita paul knows what abriya and her team have been through. she helped them and their families escaped. procuring british pieces for a total of $130.00 people a visit to the soccer museum in manchester, where they learned how english women to had to fight for their rights. ah, i mean going to the history of english, how women's football and their band and the history of like how the if i bonded it's very much like it's a 100 years ago. and it's very similar like hearing that and also seeing the object . it's very similar to our story, like today's story. the women of afghanistan is bang for playing football just

because they are women. ringback ringback ringback ringback sabrina talks on the phone with her mother in law in afghanistan, although she tells somebody that women to day of receiving threats just for going to the market on their own home. well actually, well, i know that the terror catches up with sabrina in england too. she has nightmares about the taliban trying to kill her. i love it, show her team and her love of the sport help her to cope with it. all. i like football love because that all the, i guess the 2 giga but to get a is passing shooting and that it's very amazing for me. but then they go get the get the gall. i'm ready. so of the, oh god, i like it that good. yes. again, so, but he was hoping for a professional career because soccer to her means one thing above all. and that

freedom from freedom on the ground to up in the air, engineers jombateeste knew are the lay feels at home soaring through the clouds. and unlike most other pilots, he doesn't need to refuel his glider is powered by the sun and wind. the french inventor has flown several thousands of kilometers this year. and he's confident that his technology can one day be used for larger planes. so could the future of air travel be powered by mother nature? take a look. ah, lives really? it's my dream to travel as far as i want without polluting or planet. and i feel like we're on our way there is just wonderful. human jombateeste was, lee has been in the air for 5 hours and he's covered 220 kilometers today.

he must be back there. oh, there is loss lays on the 15th leg of his airborne tour to false. he's landing in koya in the south of the country. the tour is intended to promote his project wings for the planet. well, water flight. the adventurer and engineer quit his job to focus exclusively on his solar powered glider. his invention draws curious onlookers wherever he goes, and they want to know how it works. mike later takes off on it soon with this propeller. it may seem small, but it's a meter across in diameter. i'm. it is, yeah, it's powered by batteries and they are charged by the solar cells on the wings normally, but blah, or charlotte valley then does have has to do was lay spend 3 years working on the

glider and put all his savings into the prototype. and chris, when it comes on going for women, i'm impressed. it's very smooth. here. he completely integrated the solar cells into the wings. she has in yellow, she wrote, i'm an engineer and a pilot. and i have an idea of how much work went into this. i think it's fantastic . it makes you dream somebody of a dream of climate friendly flight without emitting a single gram of c o 2. it's already handy out to see that he can fly. lot lot of he is preparing for the next leg of the tour with the glove for let's roll. the engineer loves nature and technology. he used to work designing underwater robots. once near the south pole, he watched a young albatross in flight, says, legal, the albatrosses in flight are fabulous. some of the inspired me of it. i said i wanted to fly like them one asian jim live, the more go to come. so sicily,

this year, last lay is touring france by air more than 2000 kilometers. it's how he imagines the future of travel or total. i'm currently 7000 feet above mon. so michelle said, many in the aeronautics industry think he's out of his mind, lost lay is convinced that even jumbo jets will one day fly powered by the sun alone emission free z if girl boy, of course it's hard to imagine a boeing or air bus with solar cells, but modern photovoltaic cells harness just 20 percent of the energy on it because it's in 10 to 20 years or it might be 40 or 60 percent. all this was on performance because the cleans might be traveling out just for 100 kilometers an hour. instead of $800.00, but that's enough for domestic flavors. walsman law is ms. recipient is sheila film during take off in koya. dawns lay demonstrates his intention. conventional gliders need a winch or a motorized plane to start and

a lot of energy but was lay makes it up into the air on his own by mike lee. my to the phones is almost over for the aviation pioneer is already planning his tour of europe to get even more people on board with the dream, a flying with the power of the sun. approaching life with a glass half full attitude is perhaps on your list of new year's resolutions. but in the finished town of for lanka, optimism is not on the agenda for years now. the population has been shrinking and the town in decline. so these 2 fins, santori and oscar, he decided to do something about it there. embracing the pessimistic spirit for the greater good of their town. ah,

this pub closed long ago and all that's left of this shops inventory are 2 chairs. as you enter town, there's a sign that reads you are entering polanko. there's still time to turn around. ah, polanko is a small dine town in the middle of finland with a remaining population of just $2400.00. most of whom are over. 60 young people tend to move away from while longer, but these 2 are staying true to their home town, or scottie and san teddy of the local pessimists society. and it's their pessimism that's raised hopes for a new beginning. ah, we are, we have accept the fact that we cannot read why it's not something we, you know,

feel sided while it's we try to find the forming side of our it's soon didn't come . we can go to ball. it can law that a who said, who says that this issue so be like like this? yeah, why, why, why, why, why you gonna, why you couldn't smile, you are and it's precisely these 2 self professed pessimists who brought some cause for optimism to polanko. the pessimists. cafe does good business tourists buy t shirts and buttons with pessimistic messages in the shop. next door, we go ex extra it together with friends, oscar. he also made self deprecating and ironic music videos about polanko. the 2 pessimists had brought a small town a cult following in finland movie. it's funny, typical finish jamiracle for my eyes. it by even a very low term on, on, on it is

a t shirt says you're, i'm crossed today dylan and that's okay. mm hm. social security just informed me that my pensions to be raised 3 percent of the law. that's 2 whole more euros a month music. and like i said, yeah, all the facts speak against a bright future for the town. the population has dropped by over half since the 1980s. and every year it falls a bit more. the town still has its schools, day care centers and a retirement home. the question is, who still wants to live deep in the forests of finland? but it's mayor says, nature is precisely what makes polanko so great about the pessimism campaign. his only enhanced the popularity of his town. he's convinced that soon the population will start increasing again. now will relieve that more and more people will want to move to areas, withers, pristine nature, lots of room to live latin and we've got plenty of room and they need to be exact.

we have one square kilometer per person, so you don't have to worry about the neighbors that will address 8 that make it the v as an old, a retirement home vascetti and sanity actually insist that they're among the happiest people in polanko right now. and in the world, happiness report, that fins have been named the happiest people on earth for the 5th year in a row. i think the pessimism thing fits really well in the people don't expect a lot, so they are happy with life. and if we truly hard, like very serious problems, maybe we wouldn't do fun, things like pessimism and put our time and effort to it's maybe research like do something else. mm. pessimism has become palinkas trademark. but will that preserve it from its demise? at least it's people aren't giving it a go with a touch of optimism and a good chunk of humor. well, whether your glass is half full or empty, hears to

a new year with good health, love, and laughter. despite the challenges of 2022, we hope you enjoy our special program. be sure to visit our website. that's d w dot com for more of our stories. on behalf of the whole team here at focus on europe. thanks so much for your company today. see you soon. ah, ah, ah, ah, with

who a conflict. the conflict in ukraine is only one of the was vladimir putin is fighting. who didn't chief target in russia has been alex and me my guess this week or next all in london is one of the valleys associates like email,

a shortcut. the group is naming and shaming thousands of officials supporting the ukraine. but how far will that dent hooton's power conflict zone? in 30 minutes on d, w. o. the beauty of the mysteries, robert wilson is one of the most important figures in theater. worldwide. his productions achieve, culture, and feature magical, inexplicable, and haunting imagery. we ask mister wilson to reveal somewhere is artistic secret. busy in 75 minutes on d, w. d w, looks back on it during crisis mode. the corona virus pandemic, or kenya crank climate crisis. with the rod

and the united kingdom after breaks it, our top dishes for 2020 brought to you on all platforms. by d w. oh, question about life, the universe and everything he knew the answer. well then give it here. 40 to the answer to almost everything. our documentary series with clever, crazy and groundbreaking questions keep going to stay after life. dumber and dumber. how can we feed everyone. 2 questions for the present future heads filled with ideas. 2 been when we learn something,

the hardware and software of our brain changes. so get ready for the brain up to 40 to the answer to almost everything. starts january 15th on d, w. ah, [000:00:00;00] ah, this is d w. news ally from berlin. hong kong joins china in easing. pandemic restrictions including welcoming arriving visitors without pcr test showing their covey treat. but going the other way,