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Coinciding with the spring equinox, Nowruz marks the Persian new year, a festival of rebirth and renewal that’s rooted in Zoroastrianism, but has been celebrated across secular lines for millennia. And, as the Iranian-born, Denmark-based director Naghmeh Pour writes in the introduction for her short film on Nowruz, it’s ‘a tradition that’s stood the test of time and regimes that tried to ban it without luck’. Walking viewers through the symbols, small rituals, cultivation of good habits and shared good times that comprise Nowruz, Pour creates a joyful introduction to a deeply rooted custom that, today, is celebrated by some 300 million people around the world.
Director: Naghmeh Pour
Producer: Sara Samsøe Moghaddas
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Subcultures
Drop into London’s eclectic skate scene, where newbies and old-timers find community
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Technology and the self
A deepfake porn victim confronts the pain of having her likeness stolen and vandalised
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Wellbeing
Born in China, Zee seeks a gender-affirming life in the American Midwest
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Rituals and celebrations
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Music
The peculiar beauty of a song caught between composition and improvisation
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Love and friendship
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Metaphysics
Simple entities in universal harmony – Leibniz’s evocative perspective on reality
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Biography and memoir
Passed over as the first Black astronaut, Ed Dwight carved out an impressive second act
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Engineering
A close-up look at electronic paper reveals its exquisite patterns – and limitations
9 minutes