Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
Chocolate has deep cultural and spiritual roots in Mesoamerica where cacao originated. The Mayans worshipped a god of cacao, and drank a sacred chocolate beverage at celebrations and ceremonies. The Aztecs believed that the cacao tree was a bridge connecting heaven and earth – a gift from Quetzacoatl, the God of Wisdom. In recent years, however, Mexican chocolate production has significantly declined as the country has pivoted towards more lucrative industries, such as petroleum. Among younger generations, chocolate cultivation is largely viewed as an outdated, undesirable vocation. Through interviews with an indigenous cacao farmer and a chocolatier dedicated to keeping the rich tradition of Mexican chocolate alive, An Act of Resistance examines the endangered ‘spirituality of chocolate’ in Mexican culture.
Directors: Mirra Fine, Daniel Klein
Website: The Perennial Plate
video
Stories and literature
Robert Frost’s poetic reflection on youth, as read in his unforgettable baritone
5 minutes
video
Film and visual culture
‘Bags here are rarely innocent’ – how filmmakers work around censorship in Iran
8 minutes
video
Language and linguistics
Closed captions suck. Here’s one artist’s inventive project to make them better
8 minutes
video
Thinkers and theories
A rare female scholar of the Roman Empire, Hypatia lived and died as a secular voice
5 minutes
video
Architecture
The celebrated architect who took inspiration from sitting, waiting and contemplating
29 minutes
video
Anthropology
Why are witchcraft accusations so common across human societies?
4 minutes
video
Subcultures
Drop into London’s eclectic skate scene, where newbies and old-timers find community
5 minutes
video
Wellbeing
Born in China, Zee seeks a gender-affirming life in the American Midwest
11 minutes
video
Rituals and celebrations
A whale hunt is an act of prayer for an Inuit community north of the Arctic Circle
8 minutes