2015

S5.E1 ∙ Falu

Wed, Jul 03, 2019

Falu is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and performer who grew up in India, where she studied music religiously before even having the opportunity to touch a microphone. Although she had long blended American influences into her music, it wasn't until she moved to New York that she started creating in English. Falu offers her Brief But Spectacular take on finding identity through music.

0 /10

S5.E2 ∙ RaMell Ross

Wed, Jul 17, 2019

The documentary "Hale County This Morning, This Evening," about a community in the Alabama Black Belt, received an Academy Award nomination for best documentary earlier this year. RaMell Ross spent more than five years making the film, exploring the South as a black American from the North. He offers his Brief But Spectacular take on the black experience in documentary film.

0 /10

S5.E3 ∙ Prosanta Chakrabarty

Wed, Jul 24, 2019

Although Prosanta Chakrabarty grew up in Queens, he always loved nature. The wonder of the world's creatures inspired him to study biology, a field that illuminates which of Earth's beings are related to one another - and how an event in a single location of this interconnected planet can cause global repercussions. Chakrabarty offers his Brief But Spectacular take on life on Earth.

0 /10

S5.E4 ∙ Aml Ameen

Wed, Jul 31, 2019

For Aml Ameen, entertaining was a passion from childhood. At his request, the English actor's father sent him to drama school for 10 years. But it was a chance encounter with movie star Idris Elba that opened a path to honoring his Jamaican heritage - while further developing his career. Ameen shares his Brief But Spectacular take on finding his own identity while portraying a character.

0 /10

S5.E5 ∙ Utkarsh Ambudkar

Wed, Aug 07, 2019

Actor and singer Utkarsh Ambudkar has appeared in the movie "Pitch Perfect" and television's "The Mindy Project." This fall, he'll star on Broadway in Lin Manuel Miranda's "Freestyle Love Supreme." But despite these high-profile performances, Ambudkar, who is South Asian, hasn't found it easy to avoid casting cliches. He shares his Brief But Spectacular take on making up his career as he goes.

0 /10

S5.E6 ∙ Walton Ford

Wed, Aug 14, 2019

Walton Ford is a painter whose work examines the relationship between humans and animals in the wild. These creatures, he believes, "would rather be left alone." As a child, Walton was always inspired by the natural world and would bring a sketchbook to museums and zoos. Now focused on exploring wilderness beyond reality, Ford offers his Brief But Spectacular take on the imagined animal.

0 /10

S5.E7 ∙ Ben Rolnick

Wed, Aug 21, 2019

Going back to school can spark both excitement and stress, as students navigate social circles and workload. For 21-year-old college student Ben Rolnick, who suffers from severe social anxiety, meeting new people and facilitating conversation present a challenge - but that doesn't mean he doesn't think they're worth it. Rolnick offers his Brief But Spectacular take on seeking acceptance.

0 /10

S5.E8 ∙ Richard Ross

Wed, Aug 28, 2019

Photographer Richard Ross has documented the U.S. juvenile justice system for the better part of a decade, producing the books "Juvie Talk" and "Girls in Justice" based on his experiences with incarcerated youth. He believes the kids he meets are proof of how our system has failed - rather than failures themselves. Ross shares his Brief But Spectacular take on giving them a voice.

0 /10

S5.E9 ∙ Prumsodun Ok

Wed, Sep 04, 2019

In 2015, artist Prumsodun Ok formed Cambodia's first all-male and gay-identified Khmer dance company - in his living room. Part of his mission was to support the revival of an art form all but destroyed by the reign of the Khmer Rouge. Ok told his dancers they would need to be brave in order to give voice to a marginalized community. He shares his Brief But Spectacular take on honoring tradition.

0 /10

S5.E10 ∙ Angel Otero

Wed, Sep 11, 2019

Artist Angel Otero's brand of visual storytelling is a unique one: he creates oil skins from paint poured onto glass and peeled off in sheets once it dries. But as a child growing up in Puerto Rico, Otero had a very different understanding of what art was - and a more traditional career path laid out before him. Otero shares his Brief But Spectacular take on his artistic process and body of work.

0 /10

S5.E11 ∙ Toyin Ojih Odutola

Wed, Sep 18, 2019

Toyin Ojih Odutola was born in Nigeria but moved to the U.S. as a child. When her classmates hesitated to interact with her "otherness," Toyin turned to drawing as an alternate world in which to immerse herself. She found that portraiture in particular enabled her to build characters with whom she identified. Ojih Odutola shares her Brief But Spectacular take on drawing from a vivid imagination.

0 /10