Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
In Vietnam, radio is dominated by the state broadcaster, the Voice of Vietnam, whose plethora of programmes is estimated to reach more than 90 per cent of households across the country. The Vietnamese filmmaker and artist Phạm Ngọc Lân turns this ubiquity into a beguiling exploration of connections between people and their contexts in his short The Story of Ones (2011). Bouncing from scene to scene in a manner that mimics flipping between radio stations, the short provides brief glimpses into the everyday lives of people in Vietnam as they tune in to broadcasts of melodramas, emotional call-in advice shows and love songs. With each sequence unfolding like a puzzle, the film is simultaneously confounding and engrossing, revealing a distinctive characteristic of Vietnamese life while defying facile interpretations.
Director: Phạm Ngọc Lân
video
Art
‘If you’re creative, why can’t you create a solution?’ One artist’s imaginative activism
17 minutes
video
The ancient world
An ancient Roman’s hilarious (and perhaps relatable) response to a social snub
2 minutes
video
Death
A hunter’s lyrical reflection on the humbling business of being mortal
6 minutes
video
Art
More than breathtaking, ‘The Birth of Venus’ signalled an aesthetic revolution
19 minutes
video
Childhood and adolescence
Striking shadow puppetry illuminates a skater kid’s memories of Boy Scout camp
12 minutes
video
Rituals and celebrations
Meet the entrepreneur whose business is crafting perfect peak experiences
12 minutes
video
Human rights and justice
A reporter orphaned by night raids in Afghanistan investigates their cruel legacy
17 minutes
video
Work
Does capitalism make ‘non-playable characters’ of us all? An uncanny exploration
21 minutes
video
Technology and the self
A ‘virtual outing’ on Google Maps reveals a treasured image from Diego’s past
6 minutes