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The UK boxer Lewis ‘Poochi’ Van Poetsch doesn’t try to lose, but as a career ‘journeyman’, he (very) often does. Age 31, and with a record of 10 wins, three draws and more than 140 losses, he’s settled into a career where a heavyweight title isn’t in his future, but he can still collect a pay cheque giving more talented youngsters ‘a tough night’s work’ while helping them pad their records. Tracking Van Poetsch as he prepares for yet another weekend fight, the UK director Robin Mason’s short documentary Welcome to the Pros (2022) is an affable – and to many, perhaps relatable – account of what it’s like to give up on a dream, accept limitations and, in the process, find comfort in one’s own skin.
Director: Robin Mason
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Animals and humans
Join seabirds as they migrate, encountering human communities along the way
13 minutes
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Stories and literature
Two variants of a Hindu myth come alive in an animated ode to Indian storytelling
14 minutes
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Technology and the self
The commodified childhood – scenes from two sisters’ lives in the creator economy
14 minutes
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Fairness and equality
There’s a dirty side to clean energy in the metal-rich mountains of South Africa
10 minutes
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Food and drink
The passage of time is a peculiar thing in a 24-hour diner
14 minutes
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Art
Background music was the radical invention of a trailblazing composer
17 minutes
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Anthropology
For an Amazonian female shaman, ayahuasca ceremonies are a rite and a business
30 minutes
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Gender
A filmmaker responds to Lars von Trier’s call for a new muse with a unique application
16 minutes
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Computing and artificial intelligence
Why large language models are mysterious – even to their creators
8 minutes