麻豆约拍

Your daily journey into global arts, culture and entertainment, with Harriett Gilbert and Mark Coles.

Nii Ayikwei Parkes
The Ghanaian novelist Nii Ayikwei Parkes talks about his novel The Tail of the Blue Bird, a story about a young forensic scientist who returns to Ghana from the UK and must try to solve a disturbing murder enquiry where the crime seems more rooted in folklore than forensics.

Shirin
Iranian auteur director Abbas Kiarostami's latest feature Shirin takes a bold approach to filmic storytelling. Shirin is the heroine of a 12th-century Persian poem and is a princess courted by two men. And in this filmed meditation on her story we watch a cinema audience of around 100 women responding to the fiction we're listening to. The film explores the meanings of seeing and hearing, about the lives of the female audience and is a celebration of the expressive beauty of the human face. Film critic Geoff Andrew tells us why he finds the film so extraordinary.

Indonesian protest punk
In July Indonesians head to the polls to elect a president. Among the voices that have emerged in the political debate leading up to the elections are those of the Jakarta punk group Marjinal and their legions of young fans. In a special report from the Indonesian capital, The Strand hears how music has brought politics to the masses.

Vincent Cassel
One of the stand-out films being shown at the Edinburgh Film Festival are the hit French films Mesrine: Killer Instinct and Mesrine: Public Enemy Number 1 - a two-parter about one of France's most notorious real-life killers. Actor Vincent Cassel discusses his work in the lead role.