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Nights for Wednesday 31 January 2024

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7:12 At The Movies

Simon Morris returns and discovers that mere size doesn’t constitute “a great big movie”.   He compares films about wrestling superstars, based on smash hit Broadway musicals and a little art film that triumphed at the Cannes Film Festival.

Perfect Days is a sweet Japanese character study, directed by German auteur Wim Wenders (Paris Texas),  about a middle aged man content to clean Tokyo’s famous public toilets.  Starring Koji Yakusho (Shall we dance, Babel).

The Iron Claw is based on the real-life story of a family of superstar wrestlers, the Von Erichs, and the astonishing run of tragedy that stalked them. Stars Zac Efron (The greatest showman), Lily James (Pam and Tommy) and Jeremy Allen White (TV’s The Bear).  

And the Tony-winning musical of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel The colour purple returns to the big screen.   Produced (but not directed) by Steven Spielberg, it features Oscar nominee Danielle Brooks.

7:45 The Reading

Tonight's reading is the first episode of a two-part story.

Poet Sudha Rao reflects on the challenges facing a teenage Indian girl who, in 1968, arrives with her family to live in Dunedin

The episode begins Rao herself reading one of her own poems. Then Rebecca Gregory takes up the reading. 

8:15 Pacific Waves

A daily current affairs programme that delves deeper into the major stories of the week, through a Pacific lens, and shines a light on issues affecting Pacific people wherever they are in the world. Hosted by Susana Suisuiki.

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An illustrated motif representing people from the Pacific gathered around a sun sits behind a photographic portrait of Susana Suisuiki.

Photo: RNZ / Jarred Bishop, Michel Tuffery and Jeff McEwan

8:30 Paris: Football's greatest talent factory

Part two of the programme from the BBC's Documentary team looking at how Paris became the centre of the footballing world. 

Some call it the 'City of Love' and others the 'City of Lights', but would a more accurate nickname for Paris be the 'City of Football'?...this is part 2 of Paris: Football's greatest talent factory

9:07 Nights Daily Quiz

Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Emile Donovan as he dons his quiz master hat.

If you get an answer right, you move on to the next question. If you get it wrong, your time in the chair is up, and the next caller will be put through. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the run goes in the draw for a weekly prize.

The quiz is themed - find out more about tonight's theme on Nights' Facebook page.

9:15 Why do we put on accents?

English football player Eric Dier got a bit of stick this week after he added a very noticeable German inflection to his accent during an post-game interview following his first match for football team Bayern Munich.

 

Which got us thinking - what's going on in the brains of those who mimic the accents of those around them?

We called up Nights resident sociolinguist Dr Julia De Bres from Massey University in Wellington.

9:30 Midweek Mediawatch

Colin Peacock talks to Emile Donovan about changes to the RNZ national schedule coming up next month - and an RNZ news story last weekend which promoted complaints.

Also - an ex-MP opening up in emotional interviews,- and what links Jacinda Ardern to Liverpool Football Club?

10:17 Solutions needed to reverse GP crisis

A report detailing solutions for sustainable general practice has been released today.

General Practice New Zealand says the sector is in a desperate and growing crisis. People are increasingly unable to access the care they need when they need it.

Dr Bryan Betty chair of General Practice New Zealand talks to Emile Donovan about what needs to happen.

10:30 The art of giant puppeteering

A giant puppet is coming to Auckland's Aotea Square in February.

Hand-woven using over one kilometre of rope, and more than 600 LED lights, the behemoth is called 'LEOR' and stands over four metres tall... and it's designed to be puppeteered by the public.

It's part of Auckland Live's Summer in the Square, and the puppet's creator Leon Hendroff talks to Emile Donovan about what people can expect.

A giant puppet, rigged to a large square scaffold, is puppeted by several people holding long strings.

Leon Hendroff's puppet Leor being operated. Photo: Mitchell Hancock

10:45 New Zealand region one of the most welcoming in the world

Otago is officially one of the friendliest parts of not just the country but the world!

Southern hospitality, people. It's a real thing.

A Booking.com study looked at the parts of the world travelers reviewed the highest for hospitality, service and standards of accommodation, and boom - Otago at number seven on the top 10.

Emile Donovan speaks to Benje Patterson, chair of the Arrowtown Promotion and Business Association.

11:07 Postcards from Berlin

Kava McIntyre is a DJ and taste maker from Aotearoa who has his finger on the pulse of night club culture.
Now based in Germany with his wife and daughter he is immersed in Europe's musical epicentre, Berlin.

Featuring Napoli boogie and dub reworks to German Baleriac this is a postcard from the underground a slice of DJ Kava's musical life in Berlin.