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There’s what looks like a rather large rocket sitting atop an otherwise innocuous apartment building in Los Angeles. Most people miss it or pass it by without giving it much thought, but Wesley Francis is determined to uncover the truth about the object. Well, he would be, if he could summon the nerve to properly investigate by working his way inside the building and, breaking a rule or two, climb the stairs to the top. The Rocket on the Roof follows him as he tries – or, at least, tries to try – to get to the bottom of what’s going on up there. Framing a lighthearted portrait of their friend around a small mystery, the US filmmakers Josh Polon and Ryan Maxey mine something surprisingly moving in his quest.
Directors: Josh Polon, Ryan Maxey, Wesley Francis
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Spirituality
Trek alongside spiritual pilgrims on a treacherous journey across Pakistan
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Meaning and the good life
The world turns vivid, strange and philosophical for one plane crash survivor
16 minutes
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Art
Inside the unique creative space where ‘outsider’ artists find their form
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Gender
When aggression is viewed as brilliance, it hurts women in science, and science itself
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Religion
From God’s shoes to satellites in heaven – children weigh in on religion
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Technology and the self
Why we should worry less about ‘sentient’ AIs and more about what we’re teaching them
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Sleep and dreams
How might the dreamworlds of other animals differ from our own?
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Home
Whether above a pub or in a castle, our childhood homes leave an indelible mark
15 minutes
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Biography and memoir
The busboy who comforted Robert F Kennedy as he lay dying shares his story
3 minutes