大象传媒

Vanessa Kisuule – writer, performer and host of the Seriously… podcast

With so many incredible stories at your fingertips on 大象传媒 Sounds, it’s hard to know where to start. If you’re anything like me, you’re prone to feeling paralysed by too much choice. Luckily, you’ve stumbled on this snappy article where I’ve selected five especially sparkly gems in the Seriously… treasure chest. Covering poetry, photography, face transplants and much more, this eclectic list has something to suit any and all tastes.

Let’s dive in...

Making Demille

This is an essential listen for a sobering glimpse into the realities of the gig economy. It follows the experiences of cycle courier Demille over five years as he racks up countless miles on his bike, grappling with low pay and even lower prospects. We follow him as he takes his company to court to fight for better working conditions, hear interviews from his friends and mother and learn the deleterious effects of this work on Demille’s physical and mental health. But Demille is not portrayed as a pitiful case study; his passion, humour and faith also shine through. The result is a beautifully humane portrayal of a young man trying to live with integrity and the unjust systems that stand in his way.

Listen to Demille's whole story here.

Losing It

Poet Caleb Femi

Written and presented by critically acclaimed poet Caleb Femi, this documentary is a refreshingly honest exploration of how young men feel about sex and intimacy. Exploring fear, bravado and misinformation, Femi mines his own experience as well as talking to teenage boys about their perspectives. The seamless mix of poetry, interviews and personal reflection sets this documentary apart and makes for a moving and poetic half an hour.

Listen to Caleb's exploration of sex and intimacy here.

Can I Talk About Heroes?

This poignant documentary from writer Vicky Foster will challenge your notions about what it means to be a hero. Vicky details the harrowing story of her ex-partner’s murder in 2005 and how his killer Stephen Gallant was later declared a hero after tackling a terrorist during the London Bridge attack in 2019. Unafraid to explore the messy contradictions of human nature, Vicky’s grace and even-handedness make this often-heartbreaking piece one of tentative hope.

Hear Vicky's fascinating story here.

I Am Robert Chelsea

Robert Chelsea

After a serious road accident in 2015, Robert Chelsea became the first African American man to undergo a full face transplant. The main obstacle to this was a suitable donor: only 17% of black patients receive organ donations compared to 30% of white patients, demonstrating the stark disparities in health care provision. Amongst this, we hear heartening testimony from his friends and family who supported him along the way. This is a fascinating glimpse into how medicine, equality and ethics intersect through one man’s unique story.

Click here to learn more about Robert's incredible life.

The Last Exposure

‘There’s a generation of people who had dark rooms in their life’. So begins this elegiac and bittersweet documentary detailing the demise of traditional photography. With the near total precedence of digital technology, the materials and instruments required for analogue photography are fast becoming obsolete. We follow photographer Garry Fabian-Miller in his studio in Dartmoor as he conducts an intricate ritual of photo development for the last time. With fascinating detours on colour, nature and the history of photography, it will make you look at this dying art form with fresh eyes.

Hear more tales from Garry's darkroom.