Our editor Francesca Monticelli points you in the direction of a few articles and films guaranteed to make you ponder. Read about JFK conspiracy theories, how to navigate antidepressants, and get a glimpse of a movie about three Palestinian female flatmates in Tel Aviv. 

For what it’s worth, my history knowledge is incredibly limited, so I am surprised, but also glad, that I am sat here recommending this history article. The nuances of the JFK conspiracy theories have and will continue to be contested. Shedding new light on a zealously studied moment in history is arduous and Philip Shelnon’s book extract in The Guardian which has excelled at doing exactly so. I particularly enjoyed how he reiterates continuously throughout the piece how this conspiracy theory is true almost as if to validate all conspiracy theorists. Interesting stance. After reading it I felt: well if this one has turned out to be true, could the others be too? What the article does is provide a snippet on the timeline and motivation behind the secret service’s’ involvement with Oswald and his poorly timed trip to Cuba, The article is a mole hill compared to the mountain of hundreds of thousands of papers that are due to be released online from the National Archives. Evidence that will prove even further the CIA and FBI’s cover up of the JFK assassination. These are, supposedly, the last of the government’s files linked to John Francis Kennedy’s assassination. You could call it the end of era, but I am terrified of what is to come, albeit as Shelnon is, rather excited too.

It was national mental health awareness week in the UK not too long ago (N.B when I wrote this sentence I genuinely thought it wasn’t too long ago and it turns out it was back in May, where has this year gone, huh?) Nonetheless, I stumbled across this still-relevant article on antidepressants. My understanding of antidepressants, is somewhat clinical. I have studied the biochemical pathway in the body and to some degree the adverse effects. So I thought I knew some things. But I didn’t really and that’s why maybe I found the article so interesting and effective. It is a pseudo-essential guide to navigating antidepressants and thoughts on antidepressants from a first count-tale. I find it is essential for articles like these to help those who are affected or who know people who are to explore the theme in manner which is helpful but not patronising, kind not overbearing. It is also written from someone who is not a scientist nor a doctor and this no-bullshit approach is an effective medium to inform others on such a topic. Beth McConnell, Dazed writer, I can confirm her writing is incredibly poignant and necessary and a pleasure to read. As a side note: a similarly useful guide if you fancy a read of *essential* top 10 vagina facts, here you go.

If it’s one thing you do tonight or this week or even this weekend, is watch In Between. Not The Inbetweeners, clever fox, that was a good show in 2007 tops.  In Between is a feel-good, empowering story of three Palestinian female flatmates in Tel Aviv. Not entirely merry for the 101 mins duration but is underpinned with humanity and intelligence. Initially, these women have very different life goals and ambitions. Yet delve a bit deeper into their lives and the issues each face are not so different, often interconnected. Mayasaloum Hamoud, the director, sees herself as part of a new wave of Palestinian directors, championing female stories and looking beyond the West Bank and Gaza conflicts. The soundtrack is dreamy, too.

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    Francesca Monticelli

    Former Editor

    Francesca Monticelli did a Masters in Public Health at KCL. She graduated with a BSc in Biomedical Sciences from UCL and worked in PR for a bit. She is interested in health policy, popular science and food. Francesca is Italian, from Rome and you can follow her on Twitter: @franmonticelli

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