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Kindness as self-defence – the power of ‘non-complementary behaviour’
People instinctively reciprocate anger with anger and kindness with kindness, but what happens when someone breaks this ‘complementary behaviour’ chain? Using the story of a home robbery that was disarmed by an offer of wine as a starting point, this cleverly conceived video investigates the surprising power of non-complementary behaviour to diffuse small-scale conflicts and even completely restructure societies. The audio in this video is excerpted from a full-length episode of NPR’s Invisibilia podcast.
Producers: Mito Habe-Evans, Claire O’Neill, Liana Simonds
Puppetry: Manual Cinema
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Personality
A ‘dumpster archeologist’ reconstructs strangers’ stories via what they’ve discarded
14 minutes
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Ageing and death
We’re not the only animals that appear to grieve. What are the implications?
6 minutes
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Love and friendship
For two brothers who rely on one another, love is a daily act of devotion
11 minutes
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Meaning and the good life
A Japanese religious community makes an unlikely home in the mountains of Colorado
9 minutes
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Sex and sexuality
From secret crushes to self-acceptance – a joyful chronicle of ‘old lesbian’ stories
29 minutes
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Education
Scenes from a school year paint a refreshingly nuanced portrait of rural America
25 minutes
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Pleasure and pain
The volunteer musicians who perform in the aftermath of violence and tragedy
12 minutes
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Food and drink
Local tensions simmer amid a potato salad contest at the Czech-Polish border
14 minutes
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Technology and the self
A filmmaker finds a tactile beauty in the creation of her prosthetic leg
11 minutes