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Between 1986 and 2013, a man named Christopher Knight lived alone in the woods near North Pond in Maine, only occasionally venturing into civilisation to steal necessities. Over time, rumours of a local, wood-dwelling hermit who stole into homes to take food and supplies solidified into fact as evidence of his existence began to mount. When, after 27 years in solitude, Knight was finally arrested for robbery, he made national headlines and became a local sensation – inspiring songs, sandwiches and endless discussion among the townsfolk, who viewed him as everything from a disturbed loner to a gentle recluse. More psychological survey than outdoor survival story, this documentary from the French-American director Lena Friedrich captures – with heart and good humour – the extent to which our opinions of others are often autobiography.
Director: Lena Friedrich
Website: The Hermit
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Spirituality
Trek alongside spiritual pilgrims on a treacherous journey across Pakistan
6 minutes
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Meaning and the good life
The world turns vivid, strange and philosophical for one plane crash survivor
16 minutes
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Art
Inside the unique creative space where ‘outsider’ artists find their form
14 minutes
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Gender
When aggression is viewed as brilliance, it hurts women in science, and science itself
5 minutes
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Religion
From God’s shoes to satellites in heaven – children weigh in on religion
8 minutes
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Technology and the self
Why we should worry less about ‘sentient’ AIs and more about what we’re teaching them
16 minutes
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Sleep and dreams
How might the dreamworlds of other animals differ from our own?
8 minutes
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Home
Whether above a pub or in a castle, our childhood homes leave an indelible mark
15 minutes
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Biography and memoir
The busboy who comforted Robert F Kennedy as he lay dying shares his story
3 minutes