Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
You’ve probably heard that there are dozens of Inuit names for snow, but what do they each mean, and what purpose do they each serve? In this short documentary, the Inuk filmmaker Rebecca Thomassie from the remote village of Kangirsuk in the far north of Quebec in Canada learns many of these terms from a local elder, Tommy Kudlak, so that she might pass them along to her three-year-old daughter. As Thomassie and Kudlak travel by snowmobile through the pristine white landscape, he teaches teaches her words describing snow that’s ideal for building igloos or shelters, snow that’s good for drinking, and more. Produced by Wapikoni Mobile, a nonprofit organisation that helps Indigenous filmmakers craft films that reflect their cultures, issues and rights, Thomassie’s short makes for a charming and fascinating window into Inuit cultural knowledge.
Director: Rebecca Thomassie
Website: Wapikoni Mobile
video
Childhood and adolescence
Marmar is living through a devastating war – but she’d rather tell you about her new dress
8 minutes
video
Meaning and the good life
Wander through the English countryside with two teens trying to make sense of the world
10 minutes
video
Computing and artificial intelligence
The ‘cloud’ requires heaps of energy to stay aloft. Could synthetic DNA be the answer?
12 minutes
video
Art
A puppeteer makes sense of an overwhelming world by shrinking it down to size
5 minutes
video
Biology
Brilliant dots of colour form exquisite patterns in this close-up of butterfly wings
3 minutes
video
Genetics
Why it took a century to work out that humans interbred with Neanderthals
22 minutes
video
Personality
A ‘dumpster archeologist’ reconstructs strangers’ stories via what they’ve discarded
14 minutes
video
Ageing and death
We’re not the only animals that appear to grieve. What are the implications?
6 minutes
video
Love and friendship
For two brothers who rely on one another, love is a daily act of devotion
11 minutes