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‘I don’t know what you’re thinking. Give me a clue …’
Jamie has a rich personality – he’s empathetic, funny, and a lover of some of the finer things in life, including music, food and clowns. But because he has Down’s syndrome and is close to nonverbal, his internal world is all but a mystery to his loving family. In Music and Clowns, Jamie’s brother, the UK filmmaker Alex Widdowson, speaks openly with his mother and father about the many challenges and blessings of having Jamie in their lives, including plans for his brother’s future, after his parents have died. Melding eclectic animation styles with home video footage, Widdowson’s touching film captures the subtleties of his family’s dynamics, with Jamie at the centre. In doing so, Widdowson aims to counter the notion that people with Down’s syndrome are a burden to their families, writing: ‘Jamie has enriched our lives and I believe a society can be measured by its capacity to nurture those who are most vulnerable.’
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Wellbeing
Through a poetic account of childhood trauma, one woman reclaims her past
28 minutes
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Politics and government
‘Without a poster, you don’t exist!’ – on the curious political banners of Mumbai
20 minutes
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Earth science and climate
A biologist on the sorrows of documenting the Great Salt Lake’s collapse
6 minutes
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Film and visual culture
The old-time cinema experience endures in a quiet corner of Japan
5 minutes
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Gender and identity
‘I didn’t fall in love with a couple of body pieces’ – on marriage and transition
3 minutes
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Sports and games
The brutality and beauty of the West African martial art of ‘dambe’
15 minutes
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Animals and humans
What happened when one woman raised an abandoned squirrel as her own
8 minutes
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Life stages
At 14, Asal is excited about her engagement. Her relatives all have their own opinions
33 minutes
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The future
What’s the healthiest way to handle a creeping feeling that the world is ending?
15 minutes