ABOUT THE SERIES

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PROTAGONISTA weaves together the gripping story of organised crime in 21st century Europe through the eyes of the continent's most courageous investigative journalists.

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A unique blend:  • Part factual exposé

                             • Part espionage thriller

                             • Part epic struggle between good and evil

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This series oscillates between the rigour of fact-finding and the emotional intensity of those who pursue the truth, revealing both their investigations and their personal journeys, showing the human cost of speaking truth to power.

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At a time when organised crime and corruption represent one of the most serious threats to the modern state, our protagonists risk — and sometimes lose — their lives combating these forces.

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WHY THIS SERIES

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The European project at a crossroads: Economic interests often trump democratic principles, and organised crime is gaining unprecedented power. This series highlights the urgent need to consolidate European values.

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With this series, we want to bring the stunning personalities and work of investigative journalists to the audience, but also to empower viewers by transmitting to them the power of investigation, which is in the hands of every individual!

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Join Pavla Holcová in explosive conversations with Europe's top investigative journalists as they reveal how they're hunting down criminals and changing the world, one story at a time —18 episodes putting 10 extraordinary truth-seekers at the heart of their most dangerous stories.

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PAVLA HOLCOVÁ - THE HOST

Nobel Peace Prize nominee Pavla Holoca disguised herself as a prostitute to interview a Serbian drug lord in a Peruvian prison. After her colleague Ján Kuciak's assassination, she helped unravel a corruption scandal that brought down the Slovak government. Pulitzer Prize winner earning a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for unmasking global corruption from Panama Papers to Pegasus Project while dodging detention in Cuba.

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THE EPISODES:

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STEVAN DOJČINOVIĆ - SERBIA

Episode 1: When Politicians Organize Crime Stevan Dojčinović is a Serbian investigative journalist who exposes the symbiotic relationship between organized crime and the political sphere. In Serbia, politicians are not corrupted—they are the ones who organize crime.

Episode 2: Heroes and Villains Stevan discusses the dangers of being an investigative journalist in Serbia, a country where gangsters are portrayed as heroes in mass media and where even the judiciary has been co-opted by organized crime.

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PATRIZIA SCHLOSSER - GERMANY

Episode 1: Infiltrating the Extremes Patrizia Schlosser is a daring German investigative journalist whose career began exposing political extremism—surviving discovery while infiltrating a Nazi festival. She now investigates pornography platforms that profit from non-consensual videos of women.

Episode 2: The Personal Becomes Political A seasoned journalist with years probing the online porn industry's darkest corners, Patrizia reveals the psychological trauma of examining extreme content, her personal violation of becoming a deepfake victim, and the haunting moment she confronted her digital perpetrator face-to-face.

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EVA JUNG - DENMARK

Episode 1: The Audacious Hunter Eva Jung is a fearless Danish investigative reporter who'll cross continents to knock on doors and demand secrets - without blinking. Her audacity delivers results: she exposed Denmark's largest corruption scandal, bringing Danske Bank's crimes to light.

Episode 2: The Azerbaijani Laundromat Working alongside colleagues across Europe, Eva uncovered a massive corruption scandal that shook the continent. $2.9 billion was siphoned through European companies and banks, with the money used to pay off Western politicians in an attempt to whitewash Azerbaijan's reputation abroad.

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WOJCIECH CIEŚLA - POLAND

Episode 1: From Communist Collapse to Career Crisis Wojciech Cieśla is a Polish investigative reporter whose journalistic mission emerged from Poland's communist collapse. He reveals a career-threatening mistake that nearly destroyed him, alongside his groundbreaking investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.

Episode 2: Political Dilemmas and Democratic Survival Having uncovered those responsible for the Nord Stream pipeline explosion, Wojciech talks about the complicated political dilemmas created by his findings. He reflects on Poland's narrow escape from authoritarianism and charts investigative journalism's uncertain future.

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EOGHAN MACGUIRE - SCOTLAND

Episode 1: From High School Hoax to Global Impact Eoghan MacGuire, Scottish lead editor of Bellingcat and pioneering force in open-source investigation, reveals how a high school hoax launched his journalism career. He demonstrates how internet sleuthing exposes crimes—including the killing of an Al-Jazeera journalist by Israeli forces.

Episode 2: Nuclear Secrets and Launch Codes As Bellingcat's lead editor, MacGuire shares the stunning revelation of how his team uncovered the locations of America's European nuclear arsenal—launch codes included. Through this explosive example, he offers profound insights into investigative journalism's evolving future.

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ANNA BABINETS - UKRAINE

Episode 1: Revolution and Documents Anna Babinets is a Ukrainian investigative journalist whose career intimately follows the political developments of her country. Her first big break came when corrupt president Yanukovych fled to Russia after the revolution of dignity, and Anna and her colleagues managed to save thousands of documents proving his misdeeds.

Episode 2: The Colleague's Dilemma Having long tracked corruption among the country's political elite, Anna suddenly found herself faced with a complex ethical dilemma when a close colleague decided to run for president. How do you cover someone you know personally when your job is to investigate those in power?

Episode 3: From Journalist to War Reporter to Activist When the Russian Federation invaded her country, Anna had to become a war reporter overnight. She talks about the impossibility of staying impartial in wartime and her transformation into an activist, helping kidnapped children return from Russia—crossing the line from observer to participant in her country's survival.

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PAUL VUGTS - NETHERLANDS

Episode 1: Inside the Criminal Underworld Paul Vugts is a Dutch investigative journalist and crime reporter who has documented the rise in power and reach of the narco mafia in the Netherlands, notably investigating the infamous Mocro Maffia and one of its leaders, Ridouan Taghi.

Episode 2: The Ultimate Test of Loyalty With unparalleled connections in the Netherlands' criminal underworld, Paul faced his greatest challenge when one of his own sources revealed assassins were hunting him. He stood resolute—refusing to compromise his network even to save his own life, guarding his sources' secrets from police.

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SZABOLCS PANYI - HUNGARY

Episode 1: Descent into Authoritarianism Szabolcs Panyi is a Hungarian investigative reporter whose career closely follows his country's authoritarian descent. He exposes the political mechanics of crime and uncovers Russian intelligence operations penetrating Hungary's core.

Episode 2: Under Surveillance Among the first journalists targeted by Israel's Pegasus spyware, Szabolcs reveals the psychological warfare of constant surveillance, the dangers inherent in investigative journalism, and the sophisticated manipulation and disinformation strategies deployed against journalists.

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ATANAS TCHOBANOV - BULGARIA

Episode 1: Exposing Corruption from Bulgaria to Syria Bulgarian investigative journalist Atanas Tchobanov, who holds a PhD in computational linguistics and transitioned from environmental activism to journalism, discusses his explosive investigations spanning continents. He reveals how he exposed US authorities purchasing weapons from Bulgarian organized crime to arm Syrian rebels and uncovered the depth of corruption plaguing Bulgaria. Tchobanov shares his use of Facebook as an investigative tool, his work exposing criminal MPs, and his hopes for a democratic, corruption-free Bulgaria.

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