This weekend's selection of essential journalism from the Guardian spans the deeply moving, the politically surreal, and the personally transformative. Kicking off with life-affirming tributes to a beloved actor, the wrap also delves into the devastation facing Gaza's healthcare workers and the bizarre geopolitical possibility of a US takeover of Greenland.
Heartfelt Tributes to Alan Rickman, Ten Years On
A decade after his passing, a collection of stories about the late actor Alan Rickman reveals the profound impact he had on colleagues and friends. Far from his on-screen persona of Severus Snape, Rickman is remembered as an "unusually loyal" and "nice and courteous" man who loved to host dinners, famously offering to pay with the words: "I've got two words to say to you: Harry. Potter."
He secretly arranged for terminally ill children to visit film sets, staying in character to fulfil their wish of meeting Snape. Director Richard Curtis once wanted him for the lead role in Four Weddings and a Funeral. A particularly poignant memory comes from Sigourney Weaver, who recalls Rickman's gentle, non-committal response to her excitement about a potential Galaxy Quest sequel shortly before his death.
A Doctor's Harrowing Return to a Shattered Gaza
In a starkly different report, Dr Ahmed Muhanna, a senior anaesthesiologist from Gaza, describes returning home after 665 days in an Israeli prison. He arrived to find his homeland and the al-Awda hospital where he works utterly transformed by destruction. The scale of loss is immense: 75 of his colleagues at al-Awda were killed during his detention.
Now, Muhanna and his surviving peers battle a collapsing healthcare system, facing an onslaught of disease and preventable deaths. According to Healthcare Workers Watch, approximately 1,200 Palestinian healthcare workers have been killed since October 2023.
Surreal Geopolitics: Could the US Invade Greenland?
The wrap also covers the surreal and alarming prospect of a US invasion of Greenland, an idea floated by former President Donald Trump. Ahead of talks in Washington, locals in Nuuk expressed fear and confusion, with one woman highlighting the existing generational trauma from Danish colonisation and questioning what American soldiers would do if they arrived.
While Denmark has firmly rejected the idea, the report captures the palpable anxiety and lack of clear information for Greenland's residents facing this bizarre geopolitical threat.
Other Highlights: Jodorowsky's Wisdom and Falling for the Bush
The selection also features a mesmerising interview with 96-year-old Chilean film-maker Alejandro Jodorowsky, who reflects on his life and art with profound clarity. Separately, writer Robert Dessaix recounts how buying a bush block in Tasmania changed his perception of the Australian landscape, transforming it from alien to vibrantly alive.
This weekend's reads collectively offer a powerful reminder of humanity's capacity for kindness, resilience in the face of devastation, and the enduring search for meaning and connection in an unpredictable world.
