Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Guest details for Saturday Morning 20 June 2009

8:15 Warwick Thornton

Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton directed and shot his debut feature film, Samson & Delilah, in a derelict Aboriginal community near Alice Springs. It was awarded the Camera d'Or prize for best first film at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, and features in the 2009 New Zealand International Film Festival.

8:45 Stephen Zunes

Dr Stephen Zunes is chair of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco and chair of the academic advisory committee for the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict.

9:05 Sean Davison

Sean Davison is Professor of Biotechnology at the University of the Western Cape, in Cape Town, South Africa, where he heads the Forensic DNA Laboratory. His new book, Before We Say Goodbye (Cape Catley, ISBN: 978-1-87340-18-5), is an autobiographical account of his return to New Zealand to be with his mother, a prominent doctor with terminal cancer who had had enough of life. Sean is speaking at events in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin on 23, 24 and 25 June respectively.

9:45 Kate's Klassic

Kate Camp will discuss the largely autobiographical novel On the Road by Jack Kerouac (Popular Penguins, ISBN: 9780141037486), written in April 1951, and published in 1957.

10:05 Playing Favourites with Mike Whittaker

On Monday 8 June, Mike Whittaker, a director of research, design and development company EAFW Ltd, put a listing on the auction site TradeMe under the heading, "Scary washing machine. No really, it's terrifying!", with a reserve price of $1. Interest in the auction exploded, with over 200,000 views, largely because of the interaction in the Question and Answer section. On Thursday night bids closed at $5160 for the washing machine. Related art auctions, which were screened at a public event in downtown Auckland, raised $2255.58 for five children's charities. There's now a Facebook page and website.

11:10 Janette Murray-Wakelin

New Zealand marathon runner Janette Murray-Wakelin was diagnosed in 2001 with breast cancer, and given six months to live. She refused conventional treatment, choosing to follow a holistic approach to treatment which included a raw food diet and running. Now based in Australia, after living and working in Canada, she visits Auckland to speak at the launch of the documentary film Real'n'Raw in Parnell on Saturday 20 June. This fundraising event is supporting Fruit For Our Children, a charitable trust committed to planting four fruit trees for every New Zealand citizen.

11:35 Ilona Rodgers

Stage and screen actor Ilona Rodgers is best known for her iconic role in the 1980s TV drama series Gloss (Episode 1 is available at NZ On Screen). She returns to the stage for her first major role in many years as one of the cast of Station to Station, the new play by Michael Galvin, directed by Cameron Rhodes, with music by Geoff Maddock of Goldenhorse. It plays at the Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland, from 1 to 11 July.

Music played during the programme

Mohammad Reza Shajarian: Saz va Avaz
From the 2005 album: Bidada (Injustice)
(World Village)
Played at around 8:40

God Help the Girl: Hiding 'Neath My Umbrella
From the 2009 album: God Help the Girl
(Rough Trade)
Played at around 9:40

God Help the Girl: Hiding 'Neath My Umbrella
From the 2009 album: God Help the Girl
(Rough Trade)
Played at around 9:40

Broken Records: If the News Makes You Sad, Don't Watch It
From the 2009 album: Until the Earth Begins to Part
(4AD)
Played at around 11:05

David Bowie: Golden Years
From the 1976 album: Station to Station
(RCA)
Played at around 11:40

Playing Favourites with Mike Whittaker

Camille: Pâle Septembre
From the 2005 album: Le Fil
(EMI France)
Played at around 10:20

Bjork: All Is Full Of Love (Howie's Remix)
From the 1997 album: Homogenic
(Polydor)
Played at around 10:30

The New Caledonia: Aquatic Robots
From the 2007 album: Lotus
(Self-released)
Played at around: 10:50

Serj Tankian: Empty Walls
From the 2007 album: Elect the Dead
(Reprise)
Played at around: 10:58

Studio operators

Wellington engineer: Tony Schwartz
Auckland engineer: Jeremy Ansell