Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
The oil and natural gas boom in the US is frequently depicted as a blight on the environment by liberals and as an unprecedented economic opportunity by conservatives. It may be both, but as the director Isaac Gale shows in this stark portrait of Williston, North Dakota, the life of oil workers in shale boomtowns is another matter altogether – filled with enormous uncertainty and propelled by the promise of big money. For those enduring the tough new life on the plains, there’s a common refrain that is half hard-nosed, half despairing: ‘You just do what you gotta do.’
Director: Isaac Gale
Producer: Alec Soth
video
Politics and government
How it looked to Afghan women to see the Taliban return to power
33 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
video
Work
A Swedish expat in the Philippines wonders: what’s up with people sleeping at work?
14 minutes
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