The Fulcrum

An Imperial Japanese Army regiment surrenders to British forces in Burma at the close of World War II and finds harmony through song. A private, thought to be dead, disguises himself as a Buddhist monk and stumbles upon spiritual enlightenment. Magnificently shot in hushed black and white, Kon Ichikawa’s The Burmese Harp is an eloquent meditation on beauty coexisting with death and remains one of Japanese cinema’s most overwhelming antiwar statements, both tender and brutal in its grappling with Japan’s wartime legacy.

Forever paired in the jazz consciousness with its follow-up—1962's Waltz for Debby, which was recorded on the same day—Sunday at the Village Vanguard was the first album by the Bill Evans Trio to be released after the untimely death of bassist Scott LaFaro.

Oil and coal have built our civilization, created our wealth, and enriched the lives of billions. Yet, their rising costs to our security, economy, health, and environment now outweigh their benefits. Moreover, that long-awaited energy tipping point―where alternatives work better than oil and coal and compete purely on cost―is no longer decades in the future. It is here and now. And it is the fulcrum of economic transformation.