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At the age of 24, John Fudge took a violent fall while climbing the white cliffs of Dover in the south of England, splitting open his head and losing consciousness. The extent of his injuries weren’t revealed until decades later, when doctors decided to perform a brain scan after John slipped into a deep depression. The results revealed extensive brain damage, including a progressive form of dementia. Now, 10 years on from his diagnosis, John’s wife Geraldine compares his brain to an oak tree, its limbs of knowledge being slowly trimmed away, causing John great mental anguish. His only relief comes when he’s able to live in the moment, such as when he plays guitar and sings – his musical abilities being an as-yet untrimmed branch. Don’t Think Twice offers an insight into John’s life, including visits from Jon, a young volunteer who joins him for music sessions at home. An affecting and unusually honest portrait of dementia, the UK director Harry Hitchens leaves his viewers to find relief and peace, like John, in the musical moments tucked in between difficult realities.
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Film and visual culture
At the movies with Pauline Kael – in the arthouse cinema where she got her start
19 minutes
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Mood and emotion
‘Let me dream you into my reality’: memories illuminate an unthinkable isolation
12 minutes
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Biology
Journey deep into the Philippine forest in search of the world’s largest, rarest eagle
95 minutes
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Art
What does an AI make of what it sees in a contemporary art museum?
15 minutes
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Personality
Wesley wants to solve the rooftop mystery – but does he have what it takes?
14 minutes
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Rituals and celebrations
From roaring fire and molten glass an artist creates a healing ritual
13 minutes
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Ecology and environmental sciences
Producing food while restoring the planet – a glimpse of farming in the future
7 minutes
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Astronomy
From zero to 5,000 – music and visuals express 30 years of exoplanet discoveries
1 minute
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Ecology and environmental sciences
Yo-Yo Ma performs a work for cello in the woods, accompanied by a birdsong chorus
4 minutes