endurocross (sport)

On Rottnest Island, off the coast of Western Australia, a peculiar marsupial has captivated the hearts of Instagram users worldwide—and supported a booming tourism economy. The quokka, a close cousin of the kangaroo, rocketed to internet fame when tourists began taking selfies with the animal, which is unafraid of humans and appears to smile for pictures.

“They are like living teddy bears,” filmmaker David Freid, who made a short documentary about the mammals and the attendant social media sensation, told The Atlantic. “When you see one, it's a bonafide heart-melter.” Read more: https://www.theatlantic.com/video/ind...

"Happy Animals" was directed by David Freid ( https://davidfreid.com). It is part of The Atlantic Selects, an online showcase of short documentaries from independent creators, curated by The Atlantic.

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For decades, Assam Hadhad ran a chocolate factory in Syria, the second-largest in the Middle East. In 2012, it was destroyed in a bombing. Hadhad and his family fled war-torn Damascus soon thereafter. After spending years in a Lebanese refugee camp, they were granted asylum in Canada. When they arrived in Nova Scotia in 2016, they had little more than the clothes on their back.

Hadhad, a chocolatier at heart, hoped to resume his profession once he was settled in his new country. But he spoke no English and had no resources. That’s when the community around him stepped in. Locals noticed Hadhad at the farmers’ market, where he sold sweets baked in his home kitchen. When they learned of his ambitions, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and other skilled workers from the community rallied around Hadhad to help build a factory. The family even received a loan to kick-start the business. “I was welcomed as [if] Canada was my homeland,” Tareq Hadhad, Assam’s son, has said.

One of those friendly and solicitous locals was Frank Gallant. “Rather than viewing Issam as an outsider, Frank simply saw him as a friend going through a tough time,” Jonathan Keijser, who made a short documentary about the pair, told The Atlantic. Keijser’s film Brothers premieres on The Atlantic today. It follows Gallant and Hadhad on the latter’s first-ever camping trip. “Frank told me about how he’d been wanting to introduce Assam to some ‘real Canadian experiences,’ and mentioned how Assam had never been camping before,” Keijser recalled. Read more: https://www.theatlantic.com/video/ind...

"Brothers" was directed by Jonathan Keijser. It is part of The Atlantic Selects, an online showcase of short documentaries from independent creators, curated by The Atlantic.

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In drug-ravaged Appalachia, a man tries to save lives by bringing death into the streets. Read more: https://www.theatlantic.com/video/ind...

"Heroin Hearse" was directed by Ryan Buckley and produced by Mark Winters. It is part of The Atlantic Selects, an online showcase of short documentaries from independent creators, curated by The Atlantic.

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