Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
Stretching across half a mile of concrete in the San Fernando Valley, the Great Wall of Los Angeles depicts a striking people’s history of the city, often from the perspectives of women and members of minority communities. The sprawling mural is the brainchild of the US activist and artist Judy Baca, who, starting in 1976, worked with hundreds of young painters from local juvenile justice programmes to create its panels, which include depictions of everything from pre-Columbian life to the Red Scare. In this short documentary from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Baca recalls how the project was born in her commitment to improving and transforming her city, and her passion for bringing artworks out of museums and into public spaces, where non-museum-goers could experience them. Detailing the story of the Great Wall’s creation, which continues today, half a century later, the film makes a strong argument for both the power of communal art and the need for confronting works in public spaces.
Video by Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Directors: Alejandra Vasquez, Sam Osborn
Producer: Erin Wright
video
Human rights and justice
When a burial for slave trade victims is unearthed, a small island faces a reckoning
29 minutes
video
Technology and the self
A haunting scene from ‘Minority Report’ inspires a voyage into time and memory
7 minutes
video
Family life
The stream-of-consciousness thoughts and memories that emerge while cooking a meal
5 minutes
video
Ecology and environmental sciences
GPS tracking reveals stunning insights into the patterns of migratory birds
6 minutes
video
Human rights and justice
Can providing humanitarian aid be illegal? A troubling case from the US-Mexico border
17 minutes
video
Space exploration
The rarely told story of the fruit flies, primates and canines that preceded us in space
12 minutes
video
Film and visual culture
A lush animated opus evokes the frenzied pace of modern life
4 minutes
video
Family life
The precious family keepsakes that hold meaning for generations
10 minutes
video
Archaeology
What did the first people who entered Tutankhamun’s tomb see?
5 minutes