Saturday Morning for Saturday 4 February 2023

8.10 Women Talking: child star turned feminist filmmaker Sarah Polley

Canadian filmmaker Sarah Polley first came to attention as a child actor, playing Ramona in the '80s television series of the same name, based on the Beverly Cleary books. Today she is hailed as a feminist director, rewriting the way films are made. 

Women Talking is the fourth film she has directed, written and produced. Based on a Miriam Toews novel, it's inspired by the real-life story of sexual abuse within a ultraconservative Mennonite community and the struggle women face when leaving is as hard as staying.
 
Women Talking is in cinemas from February 16.

 

  

8.30 Prof Michelle Simmons: making machines at the atomic limit

Professor of quantum physics Michelle Simmons believes new worlds will open up to humanity if we better understand how nature works at an atomic scale. 

In June her team at Silicon Quantum Computing at the University of New South Wales announced they had built a quantum processor in silicon that simulates the behaviour of a small organic molecule  -  a major milestone towards the world's first quantum computer.

In 2018 Simmons was admitted as a Fellow to the Royal Society of London and named Australian of the Year.

Professor Simmons is speaking at the 10th International Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology in Rotorua, 7- 10 February 

9.05 Kevin Jared Hosein: the hungry ghosts of Trinidad's colonial legacy

Set in 1940s rural Trinidad, Kevin Jared Hosein's debut novel Hungry Ghosts reflects on the fractures left for the Southern Caribbean island by a complex colonial legacy. 

The book arose from conversations Hosein had with his grandfather about his life as a young man. 

Hosein describes the 1940s as a dark time, with the US military stationed there at the invitation of the British. Trinidad and Tobago gained independence in 1962.

A teacher based in Trinidad, Hosein won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2018. 

9.30 Byron C. Clark: fear and loathing in Aotearoa

Over Waitangi weekend 2022 a convoy, travelling both islands, made its way to Parliament in Wellington. It transformed into an occupation of parliament grounds that was to last for over three weeks. 

While the anti-Covid vaccine mandate message was clear, a wild range of conspiracy theories circulated. Most disturbingly, amongst the diversity of those gathered were far-right extremists.
 
In Fear: New Zealand's hostile underworld of extremists Christchurch activist Byron C Clark traces the roots of the occupation to the reemergence of the alt-right. 

A video essayist on Youtube, Clark began his "deep-web" research into extremist groups and the spread of misinformation after the mosque terrorist attacks in 2019. 

10.05 John Otway: the success of rock 'n' roll's biggest failure

 

Last year eccentric English singer-songwriter John Otway celebrated his 5000th show. Yet it's taken till this month for him to tour New Zealand. 

Self-dubbed "rock n roll's greatest failure", in 1977 Otway shot to UK attention for his antics playing on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test. 'Really Free' became a minor hit, but the kind of success that matters to record companies didn't follow. 

Playing guitar and theremin, Otway has built a cult following the hard way: small venues and publicity stunts. Yet his everyman appeal is such that, for his 2000th gig in 1998 he sold out the Royal Albert Hall. 

Details on John Otway's New Zealand tour are here.

 

 

10.35 Megan Dunn on art: Joe L'Estrange and Nick Austin

Author and art writer Megan Dunn joins Kim to share the work of Ōtepoti based artists Joe L'Estrange and Nick Austin.

Each has a unique style, but their work shares an eccentric, unashamed celebration of the domestic. L'Estrange paints portraits of her haughty cats, while Austin combines everyday items in puzzling new ways.

Joe L'Estrange Painter is at Dunedin's Hocken Gallery until 25th of February, while Nick Austin's survey exhibition Life Puzzle is on from 11 February until the end of April at Wellington's Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery.

 

11.05 Playing Favourites with Matterhorn founder Leon Surynt 

Cuba St's Matterhorn bar was the epitome of Wellington cool in the late 1990's and early 21st Century. 

The venue was a magnet for a new generation of musicians, creatives and entrepreneurs, and the setting for many legendary events, including the recording of a now classic Fat Freddy's Drop live album and Elijah Wood's 21st birthday party.

It was founded and co-owned by hospitality entrepreneur Leon Surynt, who now lives in Dubai, where he runs a celebrated craft coffee roastery/café called Nightjar.

He'll share some of his favourite tracks with Kim.

Books featured on this show:

Run Towards the Danger
by Sarah Polley
Published by Penguin
ISBN: 9780593300350

Hungry Ghosts
by Kevin Jared Hosein
Published by Bloomsbury
ISBN: 9781526644480

Fear: New Zealand's hostile underworld of extremists
By Byron C Clark
Published by: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9781775542308

 

Music featured on the show:

Really Free
John Otway
Played at 11.04am

Bunsen Burner
John Otway
Played at 11.28am

Nothing Left to Lose
Everything but the Girl
Played at 11.52am

Wish You Wish You Here
Pink Floyd
Played at 12.10am

This Room
Joe Dukie & DJ Fitchie
Played at 11.30am

Ayonha
Hamid Al Shaeri
Played at 11.45am

Belfast
Orbital
Played at 11.53am