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In September 2019, the Swedish-American biologist and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir realised her lifelong dream of travelling to space when she launched from Kazakhstan to the International Space Station (ISS), where she would serve as flight engineer for the next seven months. Featuring remarkable footage – including Meir’s euphoric first steps into the ISS and her participation, with fellow astronaut Christina Koch, in the first-ever all-female spacewalk – this short documentary captures scenes from Meir’s roundtrip journey with intimacy and grandeur. Occurring over the course of many tumultuous months on Earth, including the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the film also ponders what it’s like to experience the trials of humanity from 254 miles above.
Directors: Vladimir Potop, Alina Manolache
Website: Guardian Documentaries
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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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Evolution
How – and how not – to think about the role randomness plays in evolution
60 minutes
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Art
A prisoner in Guantánamo finds some escape in building intricate model ships
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Meaning and the good life
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Sex and sexuality
From secret crushes to self-acceptance – a joyful chronicle of ‘old lesbian’ stories
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Making
Forging a cello from pieces of wood demands its own form of virtuosity
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Education
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Physics
The rhythms of a star system inspire a pianist’s transfixing performance
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Art
Watch as Japan’s surplus trees are transformed into forest-tinted crayons
4 minutes