Standing Room Only for Sunday 19 June 2022

12:16  Leon Narbey returns to the famous land march of Whina Cooper

The Director of Photography on the new film Whina, Leon Narbey, actually filmed the 1975 land march that the cast and crew were recreating for the movie about the Māori matriarch who led it.

Leon was able to tap into both the documentary he worked on and his own memories of spending time with the protesters, to add authenticity to the film.

Dame Whina Cooper campaigned tirelessly on behalf of her people and he was delighted to be able to revisit her story through being part of the Whina team.

Leon's previous films include Whale Rider, The Orator, No. 2, Dean Spanley, and Illustrious Energy, which he directed in 1987. 

Fun fact : When he's not filming he's making award winning olive oil!

He talks to Lynn Freeman about his feelings when he was invited to be DOP on Whina:

Whina, starring Rena Owen and Miriama McDowell, goes into general release around the country on June 23.

 

12:43  Sara Hughes takes her art to the street

Several years after feeling unsafe while at a notorious bus shelter in Tauranga, artist Sara Hughes is transforming it into a brightly coloured and illuminated work of art.

It will be suspended above the Willow Street bus shelter, and wrapped around the wall and front of Tauranga Art Gallery to Wharf Street creating a corridor that bathes those walking through it in coloured light. 

The artwork's big, covering about  260 square metres of glass panels.  

It's called Midnight Sun, referring to times when the sun remains visible through the night at the Poles - just as the artwork will be illuminated 24/7.

Sara is a past winner of the Wallace Art Award.  She also made her name creating public art on a grand scale.  She built the largest integrated public art work in Aotearoa when she covered all four sides of the New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland.

But it's her new Tauranga public art work that Lynn Freeman first asks her about.

Midnight Sun will be unveiled on the 21st of June at the Willow Street bus shelter in Tauranga.
 

1:10 At The Movies

This week Simon Morris reviews Jurassic World Dominion, The Informer and Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

 

1:31  Judene Edgar's play about the Dr Seuss controversy

When six books by Dr Seuss were withdrawn from publication last year over their content, Nelson playwright and Seuss fan Judene Edgar started wondering how the writer would feel about it, were he still alive.

Those musings have turned into a play - called Horton Hatches a Controversy - that's about to premiere as part of the city's Fringe Festival. 

Judene believes Seuss would agree with the decision made to stop publication of some of his books because of racist and insensitive imagery.

She talks with Lynn Freeman about the play, and about the life of Theodore Geisel, before he started writing children's books as Dr Seuss

 Horton Hatches A Controversy premieres on the 23rd of June at Red Door Theatre as part of Nelson Fringe Festival.

 

1:46  Stevei Houkāmau and traditional clay sculpture

Artist Stevei Houkāmau originally planned to study Tā Moko before she was seduced by the feeling of clay in her hands and her ability to carve into it.

It was 2011 when she met members of the Nga Kaihanga Uku - the Māori Clayworkers Collective.  They included the late Manos Nathan, Baye Riddel and the artist who would become her Tuakana or teacher, Wi Taepa.

Stevei's gone on to establish her own distinctive style of uku carving, referencing whakapapa, customary vessels and tattoo practices of Tā moko and Tatau.

She's  just opened her first solo exhibition - Ira Tangata Ira Atua - in the South Island/Te Waipounamu at Nelson's Suter Gallery.

Stevei tells Lynn Freeman that her first encounter with the Collective uku artists got off to a shaky start.
 

2:06 The Laugh Track - Amanda Billing

Acting - when you're hot you're hot, and when you're not you start looking around for another line of business! 

Or in the case of the extremely hot stage and TV actor Amanda Billing, you can do both.   As well as appearing regularly on television - everything from Shortland Street, Brokenwood and right now the hit sitcom Kid Sister - Amanda has several other irons in the fire.

She's a photographer by trade, with what she describes as "a side-hustle in apparel" - printed and embroidered with her own designs.

And she's our guest on the Laugh Track.  Amanda's picks include Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Louis CK and Conan O'Brien, Dylan Moran and Julian and Sandy from Sixties radio show Round the Horne.
 

2:26  Larissa McMillan brings indigenous art to the Hundertwasser

It is her dream job but one that carries a massive responsibility to the country's contemporary Māori artists.

Larissa McMillan, Ngāpuhi, is the first director of the Wairau Māori Art Gallery, part of the Hundertwasser Art Centre in Whangārei.  

Larissa's an experienced freelance arts writer.  She's only been in the job for two months, but has big plans for the gallery.

She tells Lynn Freeman that promoting Māori artists, Māori curators, and Māori culture are all priorities - particularly growing national and international audiences for the work.  

Lynn asked Larissa why she applied for the role of Te Ringa Hautu Toi/Gallery Director.
 

2:36  National Flash Fiction Day celebrates a new decade  

The last decade's gone by in a flash for the organisers - 2022 marks the 10th anniversary of National Flash Fiction Day.

As part of the celebrations, today sees posters go up around the motu, starting a national 'Languages of Aotearoa' campaign.  

The winner of the annual Flash Fiction award will also be announced today.

And to set the scene, Lynn Freeman talks to organisers Vaughan Rapatahana and Michelle Elvy.

Incidentally, they've also launched a new call for submissions for a book of micros in translation, or with translingual elements.

 

2:47  Jessica Palalagi returns home

An art collective of self proclaimed ex-pat misfits that formed in London back in 2018, is about to unveil their first exhibition over here in Aotearoa.

The Water Tastes Different Here includes work by international DJ Lady Shaka, fashion designer Lyall Hakaraia, and our guest Jessica Palalagi who's the queer-led In*ter*is*land Collective's co-founder.

Jessica's returned to New Zealand after 16 years in London, to take over as General Manager of the Arts Foundation, and to continue her work with the Collective from here.

Lynn Freeman took Jessica back to 2018 to find out about the collective's early ambitions.

The Water Tastes Different Here will open at Auckland's Tautai Gallery later this week.

 

3:06 Drama at 3 - C'Mon Black by Sir Roger Hall

A live recording of the famous one-man show, starring the late Grant Tilly as Dickie Hart, the All Blacks' number one fan!

It was recorded live at Radio New Zealand's Studio One, directed for the stage by Danny Mulheron, produced for RNZ by Steve Danby and engineered by Andre Upston and Phil Benge.

Music played in this show

Artist: The Move
Song: Omnibus
Composer: Wood
Album: 
Label: 
Played at: 12.12

Artist: Honeybus
Song: I can't let Maggie go
Composer:  Dello
Album:
Label:
Played at: 12.32

Artist: Destiny's Child
Song: Get on the bus
Composer: 
Album: 
Label: 
Played at: 12.58

Artist: Pete Seeger
Song: If you miss me at the back of the bus
Composer: 
Album: 
Label: 
Played at:  1.07

Artist: The MonaLisa Twins
Song: Bus stop
Composer: Gouldman
Album: 
Label:
Played at: 1.42

Artist:  Sara Evans
Song:  Back seat of the Greyhound
Composer: 
Album: 
Label: 
Played at: 1.58

Artist: Divine Comedy
Song:  National Express
Composer: Hannan
Album: 
Label: 
Played at: 2.05

Artist: Fatback Band
Song:  (Are you ready) Do the Bus Stop
Composer: 
Album: 
Label: 
Played at: 2.58

Artist: The Who
Song:  Magic Bus
Composer:  Townshend
Album:
Label:
Played at: 3.58