KAROLINA PACZKOWSKA

Vice / Editor / 32 min
The Great Escape | Rule Britannia
dir. William Fairman

Late in 2024, the Prime Minister of the UK Keir Starmer responded to a prison capacity crisis by sanctioning early release for more than 16,400 inmates across the country. While sections of the public and media jeered the government’s decision, painting the move as an easy let off for thousands of criminals convicted for an illicit buffet of varying offences, not all prisoners found life after incarceration to be a bed of roses.

Vice News / Editor / 11 min
The Battle Over HIV in the Military
dir. Justin Silverman

As part of an ongoing series of films about breaking down the stigmas associated with living with HIV, Vice News profiles newly commissioned officer Nicholas Harrison as he attends the Direct Commissioning Course (DCC) at Fort Moore. Lt. Harrison recently won a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense to allow him to become the first person to receive a commission while living openly with HIV.

Vice News / Editor / 8 min
How Living with HIV is Criminalized
dir. Justin R. Silverman

In dozens of states around the country, there is a special class of crimes that apply only to people living with HIV. Those who allegedly don't inform sex partners of their HIV status can be charged with "criminal exposure to HIV," arrested and put behind bars. The charge is often the same whether or not any actual HIV transmission took place. In some states a conviction can even land the HIV positive person on a sex offender registry.

Vice / Editor / 10 min
Beating Scammers at Their Own Game | Super Users
dir. Louise McLoughlin

It's hacker versus scammer. Scam baiter @JimBrowning beats call center scammers at their own game. He’s able to hack their computer systems and watch their every move as they try to trick people out of their life savings. The scammers target anyone – and they will drain all of your money if they get the chance. But if he’s lucky and quick to act, Jim can save the victims just in time. In our series Super Users, VICE World News explores the latest technology being used to fight crime, trafficking, climate change and social injustice.

Vice / Editor / 15 min
How China Is Fuelling America's Drug Epidemic | News on Drugs

Last year over 100,000 people in the US were killed by overdose. The drug most connected to these deaths is fentanyl – a synthetic opioid over 50 times stronger than heroin. Fentanyl is at the centre of the North American opioid crisis, provoking some wild myths, poor reporting and politicised scare stories. But where does this drug actually come from? How does it get made? And is the Chinese government actually supporting the production of a drug that is killing tens of thousands of people across North America and the world? Ben Westhoff has travelled to China to see first-hand the factories and labs that produce fentanyl and its precursor chemicals. He reveals the secrets of how this drug is being produced – and the involvement of the Chinese government.

Vice / Editor / 11 min
The Crack Epidemic Taking Over Europe | War on Drugs
dir. Alexi Phillips

This is how surging cocaine trafficking has fueled a burgeoning crack crisis, which is taking hold across Western Europe.
For the latest episode of VICE’s War on Drugs series, we explore Germany’s growing appetite for crack cocaine and how it’s ravaging the drug taking communities on the streets of cities like Düsseldorf.

Vice News / Editor / 10 min
Having HIV Forced Me Onto the Sex Offender Registry
dir. Justin R. Silverman

VICE News talks to Robert Suttle, an HIV activist who was forced onto the sex offender registry under a Louisiana law of criminally exposing someone to HIV. New York has no such law, but when Suttle moved to NYC he was required to register as a sex offender anyway.

Vice / Additional Editor / 20 min
Roid Renaissance: The UK’s Steroid Epidemic | High Society
Dir. Tir Dhondy

An estimated half a million men in the UK are addicted to steroids. In fact, the class C drug is the second most used drug after Cannabis. But steroids come with some pretty alarming side effects - from liver and kidney failure as well as mood swings and increased oestrogen which results in men needing breast reduction surgery. In this episode of High Society, we dive into the UK’s steroid epidemic - from the dealers selling it, to the young men getting hooked on it. How dangerous are steroids?

i-D / Editor / 31 min
Stormzy & Rick Rubin | i-N Conversation
dir. Sylvia Hong

‪@stormzy‬'s new album, This Is What I Mean, was three years and a pandemic in the making. We sat down with Stormzy and the founder of the original Def Jam label, Rick Rubin, to listen to the album in full.

Vice / Editor / 11 min
Pretending To Die in a Canoe Accident to Claim Insurance | Fakes, Frauds & Scammers
dir. Louise McLoughlin

How did a seemingly innocent photo expose one of the UK’s biggest cons? This is the story of a British prison officer who drowned in a dramatic canoeing accident but then reappeared five years later after he walked himself into a police station.

Sky x Boots / Editor / 14 min
First England cap, cup final heroics & mental health in football | Dan Burn

Vice Munchies / Editor / 11 min
Family Food: Central Cee Cooks Authentic Guyanese Food
dir. Tayo Yusuff

Umana Yana is a beloved Guyanese restaurant in Southeast London, run by Debbie Monfries and her husband Junior. For a decade-plus, they’ve been making fresh, authentic Caribbean food that’s up there with the best in all of London. But the last 12 years have been a struggle after massive telecom boxes were constructed right outside, damaging trade. Luckily, the community has rallied behind this independent business in its battle with the council, including one notable patron: ‪@CentralCee‬. The rapper, who himself has Guyanese heritage, joins the Monfries family to learn about their fight, and how to make the delicious signature dishes worth fighting for.

Vice / Editor / 23 min
Cajun Mardi Gras | Vice Guide To Travel
dir. Michelle Leung

Inside America’s Oldest Party Thriving in the Deep South.
In this video, VICE correspondent and Southern native Jackson Garrett explores his favorite southern tradition, Mardi Gras, but this time it's Cajun style. We interview several local experts on Cajun Mardi Gras history and culture, before our host dives in head first, getting whipped, muddy, and rowdy while he attempts to catch the ever elusive prized chicken on the big Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras run.

Noisey / Editor / 7 min
Stormzy Gives Cute Kids Life Advice
dir. Tayo Yusuff

After being awarded an honorary degree from Exeter University for his contributions in combating social, educational, and racial inequality, Noisey favorite and superstar rapper ‪@stormzy‬ goes back to his old primary school to give life advice to a bunch of six year olds.

Munchies / Editor & Producer & Director / 13 min
Shop Around: How To Shop Like a Vietnamese Chef
dir. Karolina Paczkowska

Vice / Editor / 18 min
Crackhead Barney The Ambush Interviewer Trolling America | My Life Online
dir. Will Tilghman

In this episode of My Life Online, we meet Crackhead Barney, the incendiary influencer and host of the internet show 'Crackhead Barney and Friends.' We learn the backstory of how Crackhead Barney became an online sensation by carving a niche in trolling MAGA rallies and gatherings, creating chaos, and pissing off people across the country and the political spectrum. However, along with internet fame come significant risks. We witness how Barney’s quest for internet hype is intertwined with real dangers to her personal life and safety. We gain an inside look at the ups and downs that accompany being one of the biggest trolls on the internet.

i-D / Editor / 14 min
Raul Lopez on LUAR, Family and Fashion Inspiration in the Changing Face of Brooklyn | i-D Hometown

i-D travels to South Williamsburg, the New York City neighbourhood where agenda-setting Dominican-American fashion designer Raul Lopez was born, raised and still lives today.

i-D / Editor / 12 min
i-D Meets: Will Gao
dir. Sylvia Hong

i-D Meets, Chinese-british actor and musician Will Gao, known for his role as Tao Xu, the lovable yet outspoken teen from Netflix’s hit show Heartstopper. As we join Will and his dog Jesse in South London, he discusses everything from his dream collaborator to a childhood spent performing in his parents' living room to British classics, The Beatles and Abba.

i-D / Editor / 7 min
i-D Meets: The Clermont Twins
dir. Tyler Kohlhoff

i-D meets Shannon and Shannade Clermont – better known as The Clermont Twins – the LA-based modern-day It-girls that have taken the fashion world by storm with their larger-than-life-looks.

i-D / Editor / 5 min
What It's Like To Be A 16-Year-Old in Lagos
dir. Christina Nwabugo

i-D travels to Lagos to meet teenage surfers, skaters and musicians as they talk about their dream careers and the expectations of being a 16-year-old in their hometown.