1 00:00:01,500 --> 00:00:03,180 Tonight, On Assignment... 2 00:00:03,180 --> 00:00:07,060 Alok Jha investigates the rise in devastating forest fires 3 00:00:07,060 --> 00:00:09,780 blazing across the American West. 4 00:00:09,780 --> 00:00:13,460 This is where the fire came and burned our back fence. 5 00:00:13,460 --> 00:00:15,460 Everything's gone back there. 6 00:00:16,620 --> 00:00:19,140 Julie Etchingham returns to the city of Mostar, 7 00:00:19,140 --> 00:00:23,460 two decades after reporting from there at the end of the Bosnian War. 8 00:00:25,020 --> 00:00:27,580 We filmed on this spot 20 years ago, 9 00:00:27,580 --> 00:00:30,780 because this was the front line in the war. 10 00:00:32,980 --> 00:00:36,740 And Emma Murphy explores whether Moldova's thriving wine trade 11 00:00:36,740 --> 00:00:40,220 has become a pawn between Russia and the West. 12 00:00:40,220 --> 00:00:42,820 Ah, so this is Putin's private collection? Yes. 13 00:00:57,860 --> 00:01:00,420 Good evening and welcome to On Assignment. 14 00:01:00,420 --> 00:01:03,620 This year, more than 50,000 wildfires 15 00:01:03,620 --> 00:01:06,020 raged across the west of the United States, 16 00:01:06,020 --> 00:01:09,020 burning land almost twice the size of Wales. 17 00:01:09,020 --> 00:01:12,780 Just last month, 43 people were killed in California, 18 00:01:12,780 --> 00:01:15,660 in one of the most deadly fires in the state's history. 19 00:01:15,660 --> 00:01:19,300 Whilst forest fires can be spontaneous natural occurrences, 20 00:01:19,300 --> 00:01:22,540 researchers have found that the blazes are getting bigger 21 00:01:22,540 --> 00:01:26,220 and burning for much longer, due in part to climate change. 22 00:01:26,220 --> 00:01:29,740 Alok Jha visited the forests and parks of Wyoming 23 00:01:29,740 --> 00:01:33,260 to investigate the increasing rate of these great infernos. 24 00:01:36,900 --> 00:01:41,140 These forests, high in the plains of the American West, 25 00:01:41,140 --> 00:01:43,860 have been forged by fire. 26 00:01:45,900 --> 00:01:48,660 The life cycle of this entire landscape - 27 00:01:48,660 --> 00:01:52,420 the trees, the prairies, the animals - 28 00:01:52,420 --> 00:01:56,380 all depend on the intense, rejuvenating heat 29 00:01:56,380 --> 00:01:58,900 of the regular flames that take hold. 30 00:02:00,740 --> 00:02:03,620 These infernos happen every summer. 31 00:02:06,300 --> 00:02:09,620 In the Yellowstone National Park in 2016, 32 00:02:09,620 --> 00:02:13,700 22 fires burned more than tens of thousands of acres of forest. 33 00:02:15,900 --> 00:02:20,540 At Cliff Creek in Wyoming, in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, 34 00:02:20,540 --> 00:02:24,380 the most recent wildfire began with a bolt of lightning, 35 00:02:24,380 --> 00:02:27,420 and went on to consume vast swathes of forest 36 00:02:27,420 --> 00:02:29,460 over the course of two months. 37 00:02:29,460 --> 00:02:31,460 (TREE CREAKS) 38 00:02:39,300 --> 00:02:43,380 The fire raged for thousands of acres across these hillsides, 39 00:02:43,380 --> 00:02:47,500 and even though it stopped burning more than a year ago, 40 00:02:47,500 --> 00:02:50,940 you can still see, and more importantly smell, 41 00:02:50,940 --> 00:02:53,060 the impacts of it all around. 42 00:02:54,340 --> 00:02:58,260 The delicate balance that's created this fire environment, though, 43 00:02:58,260 --> 00:03:00,580 is changing. Fast. 44 00:03:00,580 --> 00:03:03,300 This part of Wyoming is at the forefront 45 00:03:03,300 --> 00:03:05,500 of the effects of climate change. 46 00:03:05,500 --> 00:03:08,460 They're seeing more larger fires here, 47 00:03:08,460 --> 00:03:11,540 which increasingly burn out of control. 48 00:03:11,540 --> 00:03:14,940 The ecology is struggling to keep up. (BIRD SHRIEKS) 49 00:03:14,940 --> 00:03:17,260 And for the growing number of people 50 00:03:17,260 --> 00:03:19,780 who want to call this landscape home, 51 00:03:19,780 --> 00:03:22,700 the fires are getting too close for comfort. 52 00:03:24,300 --> 00:03:28,340 This is where the fire came and burned our back fence. 53 00:03:28,340 --> 00:03:31,540 Margaret Wells's family has lived on this ranch 54 00:03:31,540 --> 00:03:34,980 in the Shoshone National Forest for generations. 55 00:03:36,060 --> 00:03:41,980 Last year, a fire on the nearby Lava Mountain spread out of control. 56 00:03:41,980 --> 00:03:43,740 They said if it came over the mountain, 57 00:03:43,740 --> 00:03:45,900 we'd have 20 minutes to get out of here. 58 00:03:45,900 --> 00:03:48,420 And on a Saturday it blew up. 59 00:03:48,420 --> 00:03:51,660 Then, it... They lost control of it. 60 00:03:51,660 --> 00:03:54,020 And...and this is what happened. 61 00:03:54,020 --> 00:03:55,700 It came down the valley. 62 00:03:55,700 --> 00:03:58,940 So when you saw it right up against the back of your property, 63 00:03:58,940 --> 00:04:02,300 how...how did you feel? I thought, "Oh, my God, OK." 64 00:04:02,300 --> 00:04:05,380 Our, you know... Everything's gone back there. 65 00:04:06,380 --> 00:04:08,380 You know, it is scary. 66 00:04:08,380 --> 00:04:11,940 And you see your lifestyle, you see your... 67 00:04:11,940 --> 00:04:14,500 everything that you worked for, in danger. 68 00:04:14,500 --> 00:04:19,460 That's how close it got? Yeah. It took me until just this summer 69 00:04:19,460 --> 00:04:23,900 to really see the damage that had happened, how lucky we were. 70 00:04:25,380 --> 00:04:27,020 The Lava Mountain fire 71 00:04:27,020 --> 00:04:30,380 burned through thousands of acres of mountainside. 72 00:04:30,380 --> 00:04:34,980 And Margaret was lucky that it didn't burn down her entire home. 73 00:04:34,980 --> 00:04:37,660 Because right across the American West, 74 00:04:37,660 --> 00:04:41,380 the amount and intensity of fires is on the rise. 75 00:04:42,620 --> 00:04:47,100 Wildfires have doubled here in the last 30 years. 76 00:04:47,100 --> 00:04:51,020 To tackle them, expert crews parachute or hike 77 00:04:51,020 --> 00:04:53,500 into the heart of extreme danger areas. 78 00:04:54,620 --> 00:04:58,140 These crews are on constant alert during the summer, 79 00:04:58,140 --> 00:05:01,820 training every day to stay sharp and ready. 80 00:05:03,580 --> 00:05:06,540 There's definitely danger involved in the job. Um... 81 00:05:06,540 --> 00:05:09,020 Literally, sometimes you go where lightning struck, 82 00:05:09,020 --> 00:05:10,860 and you don't know where that's gonna be, 83 00:05:10,860 --> 00:05:12,540 or how you're gonna get out of it, 84 00:05:12,540 --> 00:05:14,220 so it's an adventure just, 85 00:05:14,220 --> 00:05:16,180 A - finding the fire, putting the fire out, 86 00:05:16,180 --> 00:05:18,700 and then hiking out to a truck 87 00:05:18,700 --> 00:05:22,620 that's maybe, I don't know, anywhere from five to seven miles away, 88 00:05:22,620 --> 00:05:24,380 and you just kinda gotta... 89 00:05:24,380 --> 00:05:26,780 fjord rivers and do some problem-solving. 90 00:05:26,780 --> 00:05:29,340 How have fires themselves changed in this area 91 00:05:29,340 --> 00:05:31,060 since you started working here? 92 00:05:31,060 --> 00:05:34,220 We've seen in the last few years what they're calling mega-fires, 93 00:05:34,220 --> 00:05:37,340 uh...which are fires over 100,000 acres, I believe, 94 00:05:37,340 --> 00:05:40,420 and, uh...that didn't used to be so common. 95 00:05:40,420 --> 00:05:44,580 So, yeah, I think that our environment is definitely changing. 96 00:05:45,620 --> 00:05:48,020 Researchers say that that change 97 00:05:48,020 --> 00:05:50,620 is the local impact of a warming planet. 98 00:05:51,940 --> 00:05:55,340 As temperatures increase, the ground gets drier, 99 00:05:55,340 --> 00:05:59,020 the plants and the trees hold onto a lot less moisture, 100 00:05:59,020 --> 00:06:02,140 and that means that fires can start more easily. 101 00:06:02,140 --> 00:06:05,780 And when they do start, they can go on for much longer. 102 00:06:06,980 --> 00:06:11,820 This changing climate doesn't just need expert firefighters. 103 00:06:11,820 --> 00:06:14,820 Forest rangers, such as Clint Dawson, 104 00:06:14,820 --> 00:06:18,740 are starting to develop new ways to prepare people, 105 00:06:18,740 --> 00:06:22,260 buildings and land for the dangerous summers. 106 00:06:22,260 --> 00:06:24,420 We've gone proactive. 107 00:06:24,420 --> 00:06:28,460 Basically, going in before a fire, on our terms, 108 00:06:28,460 --> 00:06:30,780 well ahead of a fire, and thinning the trees. 109 00:06:30,780 --> 00:06:33,380 To where a tree that torches 110 00:06:33,380 --> 00:06:36,460 doesn't necessarily torch the tree adjacent to it. 111 00:06:36,460 --> 00:06:38,300 Keeping it on the surface, 112 00:06:38,300 --> 00:06:40,820 removing the dead and down fuels that are on the ground. 113 00:06:40,820 --> 00:06:43,180 In this case, with the Lava Mountain fire, 114 00:06:43,180 --> 00:06:46,140 had this fire occurred ten years ago, 115 00:06:46,140 --> 00:06:48,540 I am confident we would have lost a lot of structures. 116 00:06:48,540 --> 00:06:51,860 And though it might seem paradoxical, 117 00:06:51,860 --> 00:06:54,180 stopping fires isn't always 118 00:06:54,180 --> 00:06:58,060 the best way to keep people and environments safe, 119 00:06:58,060 --> 00:07:01,740 since that can just store up problems for the future. 120 00:07:02,860 --> 00:07:07,020 Fires serve to clear away dead wood here, allowing for new growth. 121 00:07:08,300 --> 00:07:10,620 Local ecologist Kevin Krasnow told me 122 00:07:10,620 --> 00:07:14,100 that many of the trees here are adapted to, 123 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:17,140 and even depend on, the extreme heat. 124 00:07:18,420 --> 00:07:21,820 These fires that kill all the trees are natural in this area, 125 00:07:21,820 --> 00:07:24,140 and actually, a lot of trees have adaptations 126 00:07:24,140 --> 00:07:25,740 to regenerate after that. 127 00:07:25,740 --> 00:07:27,780 Certain species do really well after fires, 128 00:07:27,780 --> 00:07:31,540 there are other species that do well in long fire-free intervals. 129 00:07:31,540 --> 00:07:34,620 So what fires do is they mix up that species mix across the landscape, 130 00:07:34,620 --> 00:07:37,900 and that provides for a lot of biological diversity. 131 00:07:37,900 --> 00:07:40,220 In burnt-out forests like this, 132 00:07:40,220 --> 00:07:43,740 Krasnow takes cores from the dead tree trunks. 133 00:07:44,420 --> 00:07:49,260 By examining a tree's growth rings, he can piece together a timeline 134 00:07:49,260 --> 00:07:51,220 for all the major forest fires 135 00:07:51,220 --> 00:07:53,780 that have occurred in the history of the area. 136 00:07:53,780 --> 00:07:56,860 And that can help us reconstruct historical fires. 137 00:07:56,860 --> 00:07:58,900 He's confirmed scientifically 138 00:07:58,900 --> 00:08:01,940 what firefighters and forest rangers have seen 139 00:08:01,940 --> 00:08:03,660 through their experience - 140 00:08:03,660 --> 00:08:07,860 a rapid, worrying increase in the fire regime. 141 00:08:07,860 --> 00:08:09,700 This is a map from 1898. 142 00:08:09,700 --> 00:08:11,380 Uh...it was made by TS Brandigey, 143 00:08:11,380 --> 00:08:14,620 who worked for the US Geological Survey at the time. 144 00:08:14,620 --> 00:08:16,300 One of the things he mapped, 145 00:08:16,300 --> 00:08:19,500 which we're particularly interested in, were recently burned areas. 146 00:08:19,500 --> 00:08:23,580 Let me show you this map. This is a modern map of the same area, 147 00:08:23,580 --> 00:08:27,220 and in orange we show the historical fires from the late 1800s. 148 00:08:27,220 --> 00:08:30,980 And in purple we've showed what's burned in the last 31 years. 149 00:08:30,980 --> 00:08:34,540 And when we calculate the average rate of burning for the modern era, 150 00:08:34,540 --> 00:08:37,220 it's more than double what we saw in the late-1800s. 151 00:08:37,220 --> 00:08:40,780 So the concern here is that the pace and scale of fire 152 00:08:40,780 --> 00:08:44,420 would outstrip the adaptations that the plants and animals have. 153 00:08:44,420 --> 00:08:47,780 So fires become so frequent that, say, for instance, 154 00:08:47,780 --> 00:08:50,380 trees don't make seeds by the time that they burn, 155 00:08:50,380 --> 00:08:54,020 that's really gonna change how that forest regenerates. 156 00:08:55,100 --> 00:08:57,780 The changing ecology is a big concern 157 00:08:57,780 --> 00:09:00,700 for the people of the nearby town of Jackson, 158 00:09:00,700 --> 00:09:03,220 which sits among several national forests, 159 00:09:03,220 --> 00:09:06,580 and at the foot of the Yellowstone National Park. 160 00:09:06,580 --> 00:09:10,820 A healthy environment is the backbone of our way of life here, 161 00:09:10,820 --> 00:09:16,380 and climate change and forest fires can have drastic effects on tourism. 162 00:09:16,380 --> 00:09:19,540 Smoky skies that impede views of the mountains 163 00:09:19,540 --> 00:09:22,020 are not going to bring tourists here. 164 00:09:22,020 --> 00:09:24,220 Jim Stanford and his fellow townspeople 165 00:09:24,220 --> 00:09:26,340 are often at odds with the federal government, 166 00:09:26,340 --> 00:09:28,700 which, under the new president, 167 00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:31,060 has shifted to a more hardline approach 168 00:09:31,060 --> 00:09:34,940 against international efforts to tackle climate change. 169 00:09:34,940 --> 00:09:38,500 Tell me how you felt when the US decided to step down 170 00:09:38,500 --> 00:09:41,060 from its global leadership position on climate change. 171 00:09:41,060 --> 00:09:42,780 I was disgusted. 172 00:09:42,780 --> 00:09:46,900 Personally and politically, it's something that's dear to my heart. 173 00:09:46,900 --> 00:09:50,500 And the absence of US leadership is a real let-down. 174 00:09:50,500 --> 00:09:53,100 We need to be working together globally 175 00:09:53,100 --> 00:09:55,580 to tackle such a huge problem. 176 00:09:55,580 --> 00:09:58,380 I think it's only hardened our resolve 177 00:09:58,380 --> 00:10:02,300 to continue to make progress, to...increase efficiency, 178 00:10:02,300 --> 00:10:05,340 to consume less energy, to pollute less, 179 00:10:05,340 --> 00:10:07,340 and to save our citizens money. 180 00:10:08,700 --> 00:10:11,420 But that concern isn't shared across the state. 181 00:10:11,420 --> 00:10:14,700 Many Americans agree with the new president. 182 00:10:14,700 --> 00:10:17,940 Wyoming produces 40% of the coal in the US. 183 00:10:17,940 --> 00:10:20,340 And in the eastern half of the state, 184 00:10:20,340 --> 00:10:23,220 fossil fuels provide wealth and jobs. 185 00:10:23,220 --> 00:10:27,260 Here, climate has never traditionally been a central issue. 186 00:10:29,460 --> 00:10:32,660 But perhaps, this undeniable transformation 187 00:10:32,660 --> 00:10:34,860 of an iconic American heartland 188 00:10:34,860 --> 00:10:37,380 will finally wake people up to the problem. 189 00:10:38,460 --> 00:10:41,900 For the people of Wyoming, climate change is here, 190 00:10:41,900 --> 00:10:45,140 now, right on their doorstep. 191 00:10:48,260 --> 00:10:49,900 Alok Jha in Wyoming. 192 00:10:49,900 --> 00:10:52,660 Next, the wars in former Yugoslavia 193 00:10:52,660 --> 00:10:55,340 are considered to be among Europe's most deadly conflicts 194 00:10:55,340 --> 00:10:57,020 since the Second World War. 195 00:10:57,020 --> 00:10:59,380 The nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 196 00:10:59,380 --> 00:11:01,700 suffered the heaviest burden of the fighting, 197 00:11:01,700 --> 00:11:05,020 with more than 100,000 people killed. 198 00:11:05,020 --> 00:11:06,900 As the dust settled at the end of the war, 199 00:11:06,900 --> 00:11:09,980 Julie Etchingham travelled to the Bosnian city of Mostar 200 00:11:09,980 --> 00:11:12,180 for the children's TV programme, Newsround, 201 00:11:12,180 --> 00:11:15,620 to report on the opening of a special music school. 202 00:11:15,620 --> 00:11:18,620 As it prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary, 203 00:11:18,620 --> 00:11:20,380 Julie returned to the school 204 00:11:20,380 --> 00:11:23,820 to find out how Mostar has healed in the last two decades. 205 00:11:27,500 --> 00:11:31,060 JULIE: Three hours across the mountains from the Croatian coast, 206 00:11:31,060 --> 00:11:34,780 Mostar is the jewel of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 207 00:11:35,940 --> 00:11:39,340 Its iconic bridge and the cool waters of the Neretva 208 00:11:39,340 --> 00:11:42,740 draw tourists once again from all over the world. 209 00:11:44,340 --> 00:11:46,340 Walking its streets, it's hard to believe 210 00:11:46,340 --> 00:11:49,940 just a generation ago, as the former Yugoslavia collapsed, 211 00:11:49,940 --> 00:11:52,780 it was tearing itself apart 212 00:11:52,780 --> 00:11:56,940 in one of the bloodiest battles of the Bosnian War. 213 00:11:56,940 --> 00:12:00,820 The fighting between the Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Muslims, 214 00:12:00,820 --> 00:12:02,500 who'd long shared the city, 215 00:12:02,500 --> 00:12:05,940 left hundreds dead and thousands displaced. 216 00:12:06,980 --> 00:12:08,940 In a rout of ethnic cleansing, 217 00:12:08,940 --> 00:12:13,100 Muslims living in Mostar's west were ejected to the east. 218 00:12:15,500 --> 00:12:19,260 When its ancient bridge, which had stood since the 16th century, 219 00:12:19,260 --> 00:12:23,300 was blown up, it felt as though all hope was lost. 220 00:12:24,380 --> 00:12:27,500 I came here over 20 years ago, at the end of the war, 221 00:12:27,500 --> 00:12:31,980 to see a unique project to help children traumatised by the conflict, 222 00:12:31,980 --> 00:12:34,300 and to heal ethnic divisions. 223 00:12:34,300 --> 00:12:38,020 A music centre for children of all backgrounds, 224 00:12:38,020 --> 00:12:40,940 established by the British charity, War Child, 225 00:12:40,940 --> 00:12:44,140 and backed by Luciano Pavarotti. 226 00:12:44,140 --> 00:12:45,820 The opening of the music centre 227 00:12:45,820 --> 00:12:47,820 represents an extraordinary achievement. 228 00:12:47,820 --> 00:12:50,620 The organisers want it to be a symbol of hope, 229 00:12:50,620 --> 00:12:53,260 and raising it from the ruins hasn't been easy. 230 00:12:55,620 --> 00:12:59,580 Today I've returned with its first director, David Wilson. 231 00:12:59,580 --> 00:13:02,540 And joyfully, its walls are still echoing 232 00:13:02,540 --> 00:13:04,900 to the sounds of a new generation. 233 00:13:04,900 --> 00:13:07,460 (PIANO PLAYS) 234 00:13:07,460 --> 00:13:09,780 How amazing to see it all these years on. 235 00:13:09,780 --> 00:13:12,740 Yes. And this was still here... 236 00:13:12,740 --> 00:13:16,140 Yes. ..from when Pavarotti came to open it. Yes. Yes. 237 00:13:17,220 --> 00:13:19,220 Talk to me about the aims of the centre. 238 00:13:19,220 --> 00:13:22,620 Insofar that it was trying to mend some of the divisions. Yeah. 239 00:13:22,620 --> 00:13:26,620 It was difficult because parents and people from one side 240 00:13:26,620 --> 00:13:30,140 didn't like contact with parents and kids and people from the other. 241 00:13:30,140 --> 00:13:34,060 So we broke that. Kids came here from all the communities. 242 00:13:34,060 --> 00:13:36,940 When you were sitting with a group of kids, 243 00:13:36,940 --> 00:13:40,780 just explain to me what... change you could see in them. 244 00:13:40,780 --> 00:13:43,660 Oh, you could see life returning to dull eyes. 245 00:13:43,660 --> 00:13:45,420 That's how I would put it. 246 00:13:45,420 --> 00:13:48,940 Erm...I can remember a mother coming to a workshop 247 00:13:48,940 --> 00:13:50,900 with her five or six-year-old daughter, 248 00:13:50,900 --> 00:13:54,060 and we gave her a triangle and she wouldn't hit it, 249 00:13:54,060 --> 00:13:56,420 and the mother said, "No, she's never gonna do it." 250 00:13:56,420 --> 00:13:59,460 After about five minutes, the girl started hitting the triangle 251 00:13:59,460 --> 00:14:02,700 and...lit up with a smile. The mother said, "This is just... 252 00:14:02,700 --> 00:14:06,060 My child hasn't smiled since the beginning of this war." 253 00:14:06,060 --> 00:14:08,580 Yeah. Just a triangle did it. 254 00:14:11,260 --> 00:14:13,500 Testament to the centre's legacy, 255 00:14:13,500 --> 00:14:16,620 a friendship we filmed all those years ago, 256 00:14:16,620 --> 00:14:18,900 founded on a piano stool. 257 00:14:21,380 --> 00:14:25,580 It was wonderful to see Nina and Mirna side by side again, 258 00:14:25,580 --> 00:14:28,420 even joined by their former teacher. 259 00:14:28,420 --> 00:14:32,180 But their memories of war are still difficult to bear, 260 00:14:32,180 --> 00:14:34,300 with families torn apart. 261 00:14:35,020 --> 00:14:37,220 I was four years when war started. 262 00:14:37,220 --> 00:14:40,380 I remember some things, but... 263 00:14:40,380 --> 00:14:44,420 we don't like to...talk about it. It's hard to us. 264 00:14:44,420 --> 00:14:46,140 It's... 265 00:14:46,140 --> 00:14:47,900 It's too hard. 266 00:14:47,900 --> 00:14:50,260 I think I pushed my memories back. 267 00:14:50,260 --> 00:14:53,100 I don't remember some, uh... 268 00:14:53,100 --> 00:14:56,020 situation...by war, 269 00:14:56,020 --> 00:15:00,540 but I still remember my emotions. I was so scared and terrified. 270 00:15:00,540 --> 00:15:03,460 And it's a lot for a child to process 271 00:15:03,460 --> 00:15:05,180 even when you're older. 272 00:15:05,180 --> 00:15:08,140 Yeah, we lost some from our family. 273 00:15:09,620 --> 00:15:11,540 Hard times. Yeah. 274 00:15:12,620 --> 00:15:14,660 We were... 275 00:15:14,660 --> 00:15:17,740 Separate. We were seperate. 276 00:15:17,740 --> 00:15:19,780 Don't cry. 277 00:15:19,780 --> 00:15:22,260 So this lovely friendship 278 00:15:22,260 --> 00:15:28,380 that's lasted all these years, through war and a difficult peace. 279 00:15:35,980 --> 00:15:38,380 The two are now teachers here 280 00:15:38,380 --> 00:15:43,180 and sharing the stool today, a Bosnian Muslim and a Bosnian Croat. 281 00:15:43,180 --> 00:15:45,260 What better symbol of reconciliation? 282 00:15:45,260 --> 00:15:47,900 It was hard to comprehend the horrors witnessed 283 00:15:47,900 --> 00:15:51,580 by Mostar's children and young people, 284 00:15:51,580 --> 00:15:55,220 and understandably many are reluctant to relive it now. 285 00:15:59,300 --> 00:16:02,580 Some graduates of the music school like Oha Maslo 286 00:16:02,580 --> 00:16:06,060 were even drawn into the fighting as child soldiers. 287 00:16:09,100 --> 00:16:11,580 It was fun for the beginning. 288 00:16:11,580 --> 00:16:16,980 But then after, every day a few of your people from the unit 289 00:16:16,980 --> 00:16:18,940 lose lives. 290 00:16:18,940 --> 00:16:23,020 And when you see them, when you see the holes in their heads, 291 00:16:23,020 --> 00:16:26,660 then you actually start to be scared of it 292 00:16:26,660 --> 00:16:30,980 because you can kind of project yourself laying there. 293 00:16:35,660 --> 00:16:38,620 The music centre changed his life. 294 00:16:38,620 --> 00:16:40,300 He's now the head of its rock school. 295 00:16:41,740 --> 00:16:43,900 The music centre was actually a bright side, 296 00:16:43,900 --> 00:16:45,620 was a part 297 00:16:45,620 --> 00:16:50,460 that showed me which direction to go I would say, actually. 298 00:16:50,460 --> 00:16:53,340 And still now I'm there, 299 00:16:53,340 --> 00:16:55,260 I'm on that path and I'm in that building. 300 00:16:55,260 --> 00:16:58,260 I'm working with new generations, 301 00:16:58,260 --> 00:17:01,900 somebody who was in my shoes. 302 00:17:07,180 --> 00:17:09,780 But whatever the many achievements of the music centre, 303 00:17:09,780 --> 00:17:13,420 sadly divisions beyond the walls have been harder to mend. 304 00:17:15,740 --> 00:17:19,460 Mostar's iconic bridge may have been rebuilt in 2004 305 00:17:19,460 --> 00:17:21,340 but away from the bustle of tourists 306 00:17:21,340 --> 00:17:26,180 there are many reminders of what we saw here at the end of the war. 307 00:17:29,060 --> 00:17:30,860 This would have been a very dangerous spot to film in 308 00:17:30,860 --> 00:17:33,980 because it was the frontline between the Bosnian Muslims in the east 309 00:17:33,980 --> 00:17:35,900 and the Croats in the west. 310 00:17:35,900 --> 00:17:39,100 Today people are starting to move around the city a little more freely 311 00:17:39,100 --> 00:17:41,100 but the peace is an uneasy one. 312 00:17:44,700 --> 00:17:47,140 It's strange to be back here after all this time. 313 00:17:47,140 --> 00:17:49,780 We filmed on this spot 20 years ago 314 00:17:49,780 --> 00:17:52,860 because this was the frontline in the war. 315 00:17:52,860 --> 00:17:55,220 Some of the buildings survived in a decent state, 316 00:17:55,220 --> 00:17:58,300 but of course very many of them were absolutely bombed out. 317 00:17:58,300 --> 00:18:01,700 People here in Mostar will probably just go about their daily business, 318 00:18:01,700 --> 00:18:03,860 really not taking much notice of it any more 319 00:18:03,860 --> 00:18:05,860 but I find it remarkable after all this time 320 00:18:05,860 --> 00:18:08,420 that so many of the buildings have been left 321 00:18:08,420 --> 00:18:10,460 in a truly terrible state, 322 00:18:10,460 --> 00:18:13,460 a really stark reminder of the horrors that happened here. 323 00:18:16,500 --> 00:18:19,420 The reason? A political stalemate 324 00:18:19,420 --> 00:18:23,660 between the Bosnian Croats and Muslims who, as part of the peace deal, 325 00:18:23,660 --> 00:18:26,260 are supposed to run this city together. 326 00:18:26,260 --> 00:18:28,580 But it is still a city struggling with its legacy. 327 00:18:30,860 --> 00:18:32,660 Children attend the same schools 328 00:18:32,660 --> 00:18:36,460 but in different shifts, according to their ethnicity. 329 00:18:36,460 --> 00:18:38,180 There are two electricity companies, 330 00:18:38,180 --> 00:18:39,820 east and west. 331 00:18:39,820 --> 00:18:41,820 The same for water and phone lines. 332 00:18:45,660 --> 00:18:48,540 But despite the frustrations of politics 333 00:18:48,540 --> 00:18:52,100 the harmony created by the music centre 334 00:18:52,100 --> 00:18:55,060 is a constant source of hope to Mostar's generation 335 00:18:55,060 --> 00:18:56,780 of war children. 336 00:18:56,780 --> 00:18:58,780 Sounds good, doesn't it? 337 00:19:00,380 --> 00:19:03,700 Jasmina, who lost her father when she was four, 338 00:19:03,700 --> 00:19:05,540 had the honour of welcoming Pavarotti 339 00:19:05,540 --> 00:19:07,540 at the centre's opening ceremony. 340 00:19:10,100 --> 00:19:11,620 I hope it will get better 341 00:19:11,620 --> 00:19:13,820 because the young people, 342 00:19:13,820 --> 00:19:18,860 they are overcoming these differences 343 00:19:18,860 --> 00:19:22,380 so it's not really more important. 344 00:19:22,380 --> 00:19:25,780 They are fighting more about their music tastes 345 00:19:25,780 --> 00:19:28,300 and about their dress and something else. 346 00:19:28,300 --> 00:19:31,180 This music centre is an excellent example. 347 00:19:31,180 --> 00:19:35,220 They are like a big family, a big, happy, creative family. 348 00:19:37,220 --> 00:19:39,420 Tonight Jasmina is getting married. 349 00:19:39,420 --> 00:19:41,820 An occasion full of family memories 350 00:19:41,820 --> 00:19:43,820 but also of great hope for the future. 351 00:19:47,660 --> 00:19:49,900 The music plays and echoes through Mostar. 352 00:19:50,980 --> 00:19:55,140 Helping to consign the sounds of war still deeper into history. 353 00:19:57,020 --> 00:19:59,780 And in the hope it may herald a time 354 00:19:59,780 --> 00:20:03,540 when East and West Mostar will be full united once more. 355 00:20:07,780 --> 00:20:09,660 Julie Etchingham in Mostar. 356 00:20:09,660 --> 00:20:13,740 And finally, sandwiched between Romania and the Ukraine, 357 00:20:13,740 --> 00:20:16,180 Moldova is Europe's poorest country 358 00:20:16,180 --> 00:20:19,780 but one whose climate is perfect for wine production. 359 00:20:19,780 --> 00:20:23,340 It is in fact one of the world's top producers 360 00:20:23,340 --> 00:20:25,660 Russia has traditionally been 361 00:20:25,660 --> 00:20:28,420 this ex-Soviet republic's top export market 362 00:20:28,420 --> 00:20:30,900 but recently this relationship has soured 363 00:20:30,900 --> 00:20:33,060 with the tiny nation of Moldova 364 00:20:33,060 --> 00:20:36,980 apparently caught a political tug between Russia and the West. 365 00:20:36,980 --> 00:20:40,740 Emma Murphy travelled to the region to find out how Russian embargos 366 00:20:40,940 --> 00:20:44,180 have been an unexpected engine for change. 367 00:20:48,620 --> 00:20:52,340 The shadow of the USSR still hangs heavy over Moldova. 368 00:20:52,340 --> 00:20:54,380 The Soviet influence ever present 369 00:20:54,380 --> 00:20:57,660 more than a quarter of a century after independence. 370 00:21:00,980 --> 00:21:02,940 (MARCHING MUSIC) 371 00:21:03,380 --> 00:21:05,860 But now this tiny nation is seeking a path forward 372 00:21:05,860 --> 00:21:09,140 without the shackles of its former motherland, 373 00:21:09,140 --> 00:21:11,700 using the skills of the past to secure a future. 374 00:21:15,660 --> 00:21:18,020 Every year there is a two-day national celebration 375 00:21:18,020 --> 00:21:20,780 to cherish Moldova's rich history of winemaking 376 00:21:20,780 --> 00:21:25,900 and celebrate an industry which brings in a 12th of its gross domestic product. 377 00:21:27,860 --> 00:21:29,820 The festival brings together the winemakers 378 00:21:29,820 --> 00:21:33,100 who have worked to get Moldova into the top 20 of wine producers, 379 00:21:33,100 --> 00:21:34,900 just behind New Zealand. 380 00:21:42,500 --> 00:21:46,220 Their harvest produces between 200 and 300 million bottles of wine, 381 00:21:48,060 --> 00:21:50,260 and provides work for 250,000 people. 382 00:21:52,980 --> 00:21:56,220 It is critical in helping this nation turn from east to west. 383 00:21:59,780 --> 00:22:01,940 To learn more about how Moldova's wine heritage 384 00:22:01,940 --> 00:22:03,580 will provide for its future, 385 00:22:03,580 --> 00:22:07,340 I met with Yon who works for one of Moldova's leading wine producers. 386 00:22:08,580 --> 00:22:10,180 This is merlot. 387 00:22:10,180 --> 00:22:11,940 Oh. So these are for merlot? 388 00:22:11,940 --> 00:22:13,900 Yeah. Thank you. 389 00:22:16,260 --> 00:22:18,260 Mmmm, they're very sweet. 390 00:22:18,260 --> 00:22:20,660 Established in 1827 391 00:22:20,660 --> 00:22:23,740 Pucari has endured through almost 200 years of history. 392 00:22:25,940 --> 00:22:27,820 So here we are in the cellars. 393 00:22:27,820 --> 00:22:29,820 Gosh, you can really smell the wine. 394 00:22:30,900 --> 00:22:33,980 Although it briefly shut down after the collapse of the Soviet Union 395 00:22:33,980 --> 00:22:38,420 it survived the Ottomans and two world wars. 396 00:22:54,540 --> 00:22:58,740 Among those bottles, some destined for tables closer to home. 397 00:22:58,740 --> 00:23:00,780 Wow. 398 00:23:00,780 --> 00:23:02,780 Her Majesty collection. 399 00:23:16,020 --> 00:23:17,980 Can I have a look at some? 400 00:23:19,980 --> 00:23:23,100 All written in English on the label for the English table. 401 00:23:32,260 --> 00:23:34,180 Gaining independence from Russian rule 402 00:23:34,180 --> 00:23:36,780 has allowed Moldova to begin expressing its identity 403 00:23:36,780 --> 00:23:38,740 through its wine. 404 00:23:38,740 --> 00:23:40,740 I got to taste the Freedom Blend. 405 00:24:01,980 --> 00:24:04,260 But though the industry may celebrate freedom 406 00:24:04,260 --> 00:24:05,860 it is a fragile concept. 407 00:24:06,660 --> 00:24:08,620 It's a very nice wine. 408 00:24:10,580 --> 00:24:15,380 During the Soviet era half of all the wine drunk was from Moldova. 409 00:24:15,380 --> 00:24:18,620 However in 2006 and 2013, 410 00:24:18,620 --> 00:24:25,060 as Moldova shifted its sights towards the EU, Russia banned all imports. 411 00:24:25,060 --> 00:24:28,420 They said it was because the wine was not of sufficient quality. 412 00:24:30,460 --> 00:24:34,820 The Moldovan government estimated the cost to be over $1 billion, 413 00:24:34,820 --> 00:24:36,580 and thousands lost their jobs. 414 00:24:38,460 --> 00:24:41,300 Recovery from the embargo has been slow. 415 00:24:41,300 --> 00:24:44,940 It is a measure of how much wine matters to Moldova 416 00:24:44,940 --> 00:24:47,140 that the Prime Minister agreed to be interviewed 417 00:24:47,140 --> 00:24:49,740 about the challenges of protecting the national industry 418 00:24:49,740 --> 00:24:51,740 from external pressures. 419 00:25:09,700 --> 00:25:13,180 Do you think the embargo was a deliberate attempt by Russia 420 00:25:13,180 --> 00:25:16,020 to stop you moving towards the West? 421 00:25:37,580 --> 00:25:39,540 And that perhaps gives an indication why 422 00:25:39,540 --> 00:25:42,740 since the embargoes America began investing millions 423 00:25:42,740 --> 00:25:46,100 in Moldova's wine industry. 424 00:25:46,100 --> 00:25:48,660 We've had a partnership with Moldova for 25 years. 425 00:25:48,660 --> 00:25:53,180 Karen Hilliard was responsible for investing US government money 426 00:25:53,180 --> 00:25:54,980 via the NGO USAID. 427 00:25:54,980 --> 00:25:57,700 Frankly the sector was utterly devastated. 428 00:25:57,700 --> 00:26:01,580 There were an estimated $200m in losses, 429 00:26:01,580 --> 00:26:05,660 but we saw an opportunity there to transform a sector 430 00:26:05,660 --> 00:26:08,860 from one that produced low-quality bulk wine 431 00:26:08,860 --> 00:26:10,780 for the Russian market 432 00:26:10,780 --> 00:26:13,780 to one that could produce high-quality bottled wine 433 00:26:13,780 --> 00:26:15,460 for the international market. 434 00:26:15,460 --> 00:26:18,180 And did the fact that you could annoy Russia in the process 435 00:26:18,180 --> 00:26:19,820 have anything to do with it? 436 00:26:19,820 --> 00:26:21,820 No comment. 437 00:26:22,900 --> 00:26:25,540 Well, they did what they did and we did what we did. 438 00:26:26,500 --> 00:26:29,660 However great their wish to negate Russian influence 439 00:26:29,660 --> 00:26:31,780 it is impossible to underestimate it. 440 00:26:31,780 --> 00:26:34,900 Even now the wines of the future 441 00:26:34,900 --> 00:26:38,300 created in a Soviet-built winery of spectacular proportion. 442 00:26:40,260 --> 00:26:42,820 So this is the way you get around the tunnels? 443 00:26:42,820 --> 00:26:45,020 This is our train. It's amazing. 444 00:26:45,020 --> 00:26:47,580 You need a train in order to see all the barrels. 445 00:26:48,740 --> 00:26:50,700 Thank you. 446 00:26:54,580 --> 00:26:57,220 Tell me how many miles of tunnels do you have here. 447 00:27:20,500 --> 00:27:22,900 Among the international visitors Vladimir Putin, 448 00:27:22,900 --> 00:27:25,260 who celebrated his 50th birthday here 449 00:27:25,260 --> 00:27:30,660 and stores his bottles amid the 1.3 million-strong collection. 450 00:27:30,660 --> 00:27:32,660 Who have you got in here? 451 00:27:37,740 --> 00:27:39,700 Oh, John Kerry, yeah. 452 00:27:44,420 --> 00:27:46,780 So this is Putin's private collection. 453 00:27:47,940 --> 00:27:49,900 My goodness. 454 00:28:00,100 --> 00:28:02,260 Oh, President Poroshenko, yeah. 455 00:28:02,260 --> 00:28:04,700 Angela Merkel. 456 00:28:04,700 --> 00:28:08,500 Gosh, you've got everybody's very personal collection in here. 457 00:28:08,500 --> 00:28:11,620 When you walk around and see the collections 458 00:28:11,620 --> 00:28:14,420 of different international statesmen and women, 459 00:28:14,420 --> 00:28:18,940 you realise just what a political game wine is in Moldova. 460 00:28:20,020 --> 00:28:22,820 With Moldovan wine now becoming an international commodity, 461 00:28:22,820 --> 00:28:27,420 the vintners are looking beyond Europe to the Far East for trade. 462 00:28:27,420 --> 00:28:30,940 South Korea and Japan both sending teams of buyers 463 00:28:30,940 --> 00:28:33,100 to test out the product. 464 00:28:33,100 --> 00:28:38,740 Japan is now investing $4.8 million in agriculture to help the industry. 465 00:28:38,740 --> 00:28:42,100 I want to promote Moldova, the country itself, 466 00:28:42,100 --> 00:28:44,220 and the Moldovan wines too. 467 00:28:44,220 --> 00:28:48,940 Because Moldova is one of the most oldest makers of wine in the world. 468 00:28:48,940 --> 00:28:51,020 So that's why I want to open the market. 469 00:28:51,700 --> 00:28:53,660 (MARTIAL MUSIC) 470 00:28:58,580 --> 00:29:02,540 And so Moldova's quest for a future will continue to grow from its past. 471 00:29:03,780 --> 00:29:07,460 New markets will protect against the worst effects of Russian embargoes 472 00:29:07,460 --> 00:29:12,220 but it seems geopolitics will remain as much a part of this industry 473 00:29:12,220 --> 00:29:14,460 as the grapes from which it grows. 474 00:29:15,940 --> 00:29:17,900 Emma Murphy in Moldova. 475 00:29:17,900 --> 00:29:20,380 That's it for tonight but join us next Tuesday 476 00:29:20,380 --> 00:29:23,740 when John Irving visits the Taj Mahal to investigate 477 00:29:23,740 --> 00:29:28,300 why the world-famous monument to love is at the centre of a controversy. 478 00:29:28,300 --> 00:29:30,820 Until then, from me and the rest of the team, 479 00:29:30,820 --> 00:29:32,660 good night and thank you for watching. 480 00:29:48,500 --> 00:29:50,460 subtitles by Deluxe