Smog in Beijing – one of the ten most polluted cities in the world – means most photographs of the city reveal dreary, industrialised landscapes with grey skies looming above. Photo app Blue Sky is one of many that are enabling locals and tourists alike to edit out the issue.

Slow permeates all aspects of 21st–century culture, especially with growing demand for technology with a human filter. It presents people with a choice between functionality and richness of experience.

Described as a “small revolution” by French viewers, Tokyo Reverse is a nine-hour movie of a man walking backwards through the streets of Tokyo. Fans say it gives viewers a chance to get deeply interested in details that are usually missed in a world all about speed.

As pressure mounts for young Brazilian professionals, can ‘slow drinks’ – the antithesis of Red Bull – really relieve the stress? And what can their sudden popularity reveal about the broader attitudes towards work, play and daily life?