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
video
Anthropology
Why are witchcraft accusations so common across human societies?
4 minutes
video
Subcultures
Drop into London’s eclectic skate scene, where newbies and old-timers find community
5 minutes
video
Technology and the self
A deepfake porn victim confronts the pain of having her likeness stolen and vandalised
19 minutes
video
Wellbeing
Born in China, Zee seeks a gender-affirming life in the American Midwest
11 minutes
video
Rituals and celebrations
A whale hunt is an act of prayer for an Inuit community north of the Arctic Circle
8 minutes
video
Rituals and celebrations
A beginner’s guide to a joyful Persian tradition of spring renewal and rebirth
3 minutes
video
Politics and government
How it looked to Afghan women to see the Taliban return to power
33 minutes
video
Love and friendship
Love looks a bit different for a chain-smoking couple in a small apartment
11 minutes
video
Biography and memoir
Passed over as the first Black astronaut, Ed Dwight carved out an impressive second act
13 minutes