PhilosophySciencePsychologySocietyCulture
EssaysVideos

Popular

About
DONATENEWSLETTER
/
/
Aeon
DONATE//
/

Can negativism sweeten life’s small joys in the face of illness and death?

‘I’m doomed, but we all are.’

A self-proclaimed ‘negativist’ with a cynical outlook, Edward Buchanan has been defying the odds since he outlived doctors’ predictions by eight years following a hepatitis C diagnosis. Ed’s latest diagnosis, however, seems much less escapable: cancer has left him with perhaps just weeks to live. An intimate and moving portrait of the eccentric 57-year-old California musician, Perpetual Ed reveals a precarious combination of cantankerous negativism and a sensitive, humour-laced humanity.

Director: Max Good

1 September 2015
Photo of a man in a colourful patterned shirt lying in water looking upwards with a focused expression.

videoArt

Finding the spirit of Haiti through a tour of its contemporary art

20 minutes

Illustration of two figures holding hands with colourful reflections on a blue surface.

videoEthics

A deathbed scenario raises the question: how much power should a promise hold?

5 minutes

Blurry night photo through car window showing police lights and a figure, creating a dramatic scene with blue lighting.

videoDemography and migration

The volunteers who offer a last line of care for migrants at a contentious border

30 minutes

Photo of a woman sleeping, resting her head and hand on a large dog, creating a cosy atmosphere.

videoLove and friendship

What does it mean to say goodbye to a creature that doesn’t know you’re leaving?

13 minutes

Photo of two women hugging at an indoor event, one holding a piece of paper

videoLife stages

Grief, healing and laughter coexist at a unique retreat for widows and widowers

15 minutes

Illustration of three people, one with wide eyes and mouth open, another holding their head, third timing with a pocket watch.

videoMedicine

Drinking wine from toxic cups was the 17th century’s own dubious ‘detox’ treatment

11 minutes

Photo of a man lying on a bed with white sheets, looking peaceful against a blue background.

videoConsciousness and altered states

What do screens depicting serene natural scenes mean to those living in lock-up?

12 minutes

Blurry photo of a townscape with unfocused colourful lights strung across buildings in the evening.

videoAgeing and death

Memories of friends and neighbours light the streets of a seaside village in England

11 minutes

A white playroom with a boy in a tent and his mother reading to him holding stuffed animals, toys scattered around.

videoFamily life

A mother and child bond in an unusual prison visitation space in this poignant portrait

11 minutes