Afternoons for Thursday 8 August 2024

1:15 Erana James, star of We Were Dangerous

Erana James was still in high school when she landed her first big movie role. That was back in 2017 in The Changeover. Since then, she's had numerous roles, including in the popular Amazon Prime survival drama The Wilds.

She stars in the just released New Zealand feature film We Were Dangerous - a fictional story about a female rebellion at a 1950s New Zealand reform school for so-called delinquent girls. The film premiered to packed screenings at the South by Southwest Festival in the US earlier this year where it was awarded a Special Jury Award. She joins Jesse fresh from opening the Auckland leg of the New Zealand International Film Festival.

1:25 The 'Igloo' - a chance for kids to cool off

Youth crime seems never far from the headlines these days. However, a new initiative in Ōtautahi Christchurch is aiming to turn things around and is already having a positive impact.

A new youth hub at has been set up at Christchurch's bus interchange. 'The Igloo' is being funded by the Christchurch City Council. Jesse chats to Jared Keil is one of the leaders at The Igloo.

1:35 Richard Pearce flies again

Folklore holds that in 1903 Canterbury based farmer Richard Pearce pipped the Wright Brothers at the post and made the world’s first powered flight in an aircraft.  The Classic Flyers Aviation Museum has just installed a full-sized replica of the Pearce flyer painstakingly reconstructed over 15 years by late Auckland engineer Ivan Mudrovcich. Museum head Andrew Gormlie joins Jesse to talk about their flyer and its history.  

1:45 Great album: L.A.B, VI

In March this year L.A.Bs sixth album, appropriately titled VI, hit the shelves. After recording and releasing five albums in five years the hard-working band took their time with this one. 

They took two years to hone this collection of 11 tracks, resulting in a record that Rolling Stone called "full of formidable prowess" and "soulful vocals" by lead singer Joel Shadbolt. 

2:10 Music Critic: Abdul Raheem and R.E.M.

Resident music journalist Tony Stamp plays for us Alaiye by Ghanaian musician Abdul Raheem, taken from the compilation Ghana Special 2: Electronic Highlife & Afro Sounds in the Diaspora, 1980​-​93. 

And he revisits an oldie from R.E.M: Strange Currencies from the 1994 album Monster. 

2:30 NZ Sporting History: the life of the skeleton racer at 130kph. 

Ben Sandford is one of only seven Kiwis who has competed in this event at the Winter games, and our sole medallist at the IBSF World Championships [that's International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation]. If you're not familiar, skeleton is a dangerous, high-speed event where racers shoot head-first down an ice track on a small sled.  Racers can reach speeds of around 130kph and experience accelerations up to 5g. What kind of mind do you have to have to take part in this? Ben explains all to Jesse.

3:15 Your Money with Mary Holm

This week Mary explains index funds and ETFs; what are they and why you look at them for somewhere to invest. 

3:35 BBC Witness History

The story of the Situation Room photograph. Pete Souza was Chief Official White House Photographer during Barack Obama's presidency. His photo from when Bin Laden was killed by US soldiers has become one of his most famous.

3:45 The pre-Panel