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Over the past several decades, HIV has become a manageable condition, especially in more developed parts of the world. Still, in the United States, some 15,000 people with HIV/AIDS die each year. The disease disproportionately affects those living in the US South, where poverty, stigma and misinformation continue to fuel both cases and deaths. Directed by the US filmmakers Brian Bolster and Jonathan Napolitano, Departing Gesture shines a spotlight on this crisis via the work of Trey Sebrell, a funeral director in Ridgeland, Mississippi. In particular, the short video focuses on his work caring for the remains of those 10 to 12 people a year whose bodies go unclaimed by their families, often due to a stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and homosexuality. With artful framing and a gentle, humane touch, the filmmakers capture how Sebrell’s experiences at work and in his personal life enable him to provide a respectful burial for those who, even in death, face ignorance, shame and discrimination from their closest family.
Directors: Brian Bolster, Jonathan Napolitano
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Rituals and celebrations
A beginner’s guide to a joyful Persian tradition of spring renewal and rebirth
3 minutes
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Politics and government
How it looked to Afghan women to see the Taliban return to power
33 minutes
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Metaphysics
Simple entities in universal harmony – Leibniz’s evocative perspective on reality
4 minutes
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Biography and memoir
Passed over as the first Black astronaut, Ed Dwight carved out an impressive second act
13 minutes
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The ancient world
The six priestesses who kept the flame of ancient Rome alight at risk of death
5 minutes
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Engineering
A close-up look at electronic paper reveals its exquisite patterns – and limitations
9 minutes
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Architecture
West Africa was once an architectural laboratory. Is it time for a revival?
12 minutes
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Work
A Swedish expat in the Philippines wonders: what’s up with people sleeping at work?
14 minutes
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Biography and memoir
The unique life philosophy of Abdi, born in Somalia, living in the Netherlands
29 minutes