大象传媒

With Kirsty Lang.

Terrence Malick's much-anticipated film The Tree Of Life won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival this year. It explores the origins and meaning of life while focussing on a Texan family in the 1950s, and stars Brad Pitt. Adrian Wootton reviews.

Writer Aatish Taseer discusses his latest novel, Noon, which is set across two decades and the two different cultures of India and Pakistan. The main character, Rehan, has been brought up without his father, which mirrors Taseer's own experience: he was estranged from his own father, Salman, who was assassinated in Islamabad earlier this year.

Composer Harvey Brough discusses the cancellation of Beached, a community opera he was working on with writer Lee Hall. Beached was commissioned by Opera North and was due to be performed in Bridlington, but a primary school has pulled out of the project following disagreements about the content of the show.

Northumbrian pipes virtuoso Kathryn Tickell has composed a new work for brass band, to be played by the Trimdon Concert Band in this year's Durham Miners' Gala. She tells Kirsty how the piece evokes memories of her pitman grandfather.

Producer Rebecca Nicholson.