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In this moving short documentary, Leymo Mohammed, a 20-year-old student, filmmaker and aspiring actor on the autism spectrum, writes a heartfelt letter to his mother who died of COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic. Narrating over animations and scenes from his life, Leymo updates his mother on the ups and downs of finding his place as a young Black man in Toronto. From the challenges of self-taping auditions and dealing with bullies, to looking after his sister, the importance of friends and the unexpected joy of attending prom, Leymo shares his story with openness, showing that he’s more than the labels so often imposed on him by the outside world. The Japanese Canadian filmmaker Randall Okita provides thoughtful direction to accompany Leymo’s writing and storytelling, allowing him to control his own narrative. The result is in an unusually original and touching coming-of-age story, dotted with poignant moments, that ultimately reflects its subject’s gentle spirit and optimism for the future.
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Animals and humans
The wild tale of a young animal keeper, an angry tiger and a torn circle net
10 minutes
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Technology and the self
Why single Chinese women are freezing their eggs in California
24 minutes
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Beauty and aesthetics
Can you see music in this painting? How synaesthesia fuelled Kandinsky’s art
10 minutes
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Childhood and adolescence
The police camp where tween girls enter a sisterhood of law and order
28 minutes
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Astronomy
The remarkable innovations inspired by our need to know the night sky
5 minutes
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Knowledge
Why it takes more than a lifetime to truly understand a single meadow
11 minutes
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War and peace
‘She is living on in many hearts’ – Otto Frank on the legacy of his daughter’s diary
12 minutes
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Art
Why Diego Velázquez needed a lifetime to paint his enigmatic masterpiece
31 minutes
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Technology and the self
A haunting scene from ‘Minority Report’ inspires a voyage into time and memory
7 minutes