Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
While filming the full-length documentary Solitary Nation (2014) on the practice of solitary confinement in the US, the film crew for the PBS series Frontline captured the unnerving combination of banging, howling and screaming that accompany life in Maine State Prison’s solitary confinement unit. The resulting short film, Solitary Confinement Is Crazy Loud, is a brief, visceral blast of the intense psychological stress that solitary confinement places, both on inmates and on prison guards.
Director: Dan Edge
Website: Frontline
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Earth science and climate
The only man permitted in Bhutan’s sacred mountains chronicles humanity’s impact
22 minutes
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Art
‘If you’re creative, why can’t you create a solution?’ One artist’s imaginative activism
17 minutes
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The ancient world
An ancient Roman’s hilarious (and perhaps relatable) response to a social snub
2 minutes
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Death
A hunter’s lyrical reflection on the humbling business of being mortal
6 minutes
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Love and friendship
After his son’s terrorist attack, Azdyne seeks healing – and his granddaughter
25 minutes
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Art
More than breathtaking, ‘The Birth of Venus’ signalled an aesthetic revolution
19 minutes
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Childhood and adolescence
Striking shadow puppetry illuminates a skater kid’s memories of Boy Scout camp
12 minutes
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Values and beliefs
A Zen Buddhist priest voices the deep matters he usually ponders in silence
5 minutes
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Rituals and celebrations
Meet the entrepreneur whose business is crafting perfect peak experiences
12 minutes