Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
The lost-wax technique (also known as lost-wax casting or cire-perdue in French) is an ancient sculpture-duplication process that dates back some six millennia. The technique is incredibly intricate and sophisticated, involving plastering, molding, detailing and casting, before the mold is smashed and the hollow, and therefore much lighter-weight, metal replica is revealed. This video from the Israeli animators Renana Aldor and Kobi Vogman combines stop-motion and 2D animation to demonstrate the ancient casting process using a bust of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who ruled in 117–138 CE.
Directors: Renana Aldor, Kobi Vogman
Website: The Israel Museum
video
Rituals and celebrations
A whale hunt is an act of prayer for an Inuit community north of the Arctic Circle
8 minutes
video
Music
The peculiar beauty of a song caught between composition and improvisation
3 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
video
The ancient world
The six priestesses who kept the flame of ancient Rome alight at risk of death
5 minutes
video
Engineering
A close-up look at electronic paper reveals its exquisite patterns – and limitations
9 minutes
video
Architecture
West Africa was once an architectural laboratory. Is it time for a revival?
12 minutes