Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
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

video
Philosophy of mind
Do we have good reasons to believe in beliefs? A radical philosophy of mind says no
5 minutes

video
Love and friendship
When drawing your muse hundreds of times becomes an exercise in love
7 minutes

video
Family life
In Rwanda, Sébastien finds traces of personal history in the wake of national tragedy
21 minutes

video
Love and friendship
A decade after his wife was swept away in a tsunami, Yasuo still searches the sea
9 minutes

video
Philosophy of mind
We may never settle the ‘free will’ debate, but tapping into it is still worthwhile
32 minutes

video
Politics and government
Join the spirited debate at a women’s hair salon before a pivotal election in Tunisia
19 minutes

video
Language and linguistics
A master palindromist spells out his 40-year ‘love affair with reversibility’
6 minutes

video
History of technology
The long-awaited arrival of TV to Shetland sparks debate in this vintage clip
9 minutes

video
Wellbeing
Through a poetic account of childhood trauma, one woman reclaims her past
28 minutes