大象传媒

The best of the world's arts, film, music, literature and music brought to you every day. Presented by Bidisha.

District 9
Produced by Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings), District 9 is the debut-feature film of South African director Neill Blomkamp. The low-budget sci-fi film has used a viral marketing campaign and word of mouth to great effect to reach the top of the US box office. The story of an alien race which is forced to live in slum-like conditions in a South African internment camp is reminiscent of the country's past with apartheid. Film critic Kim Newman tells us if the film succeeds in merging the political elements with the sci-fi genre.

The House of God
As the US healthcare debate rages, we take a look at a 30 year old book that was hailed as "Catch-22 with stethoscopes" and is still a must-read for medics. We find out what Samuel Shem MD, author of The House of God, has to say now about writing, patients and stressed-out doctors.

Graffiti-Art
Anne Khazam reports from one of Paris' most elegant art museums, the Fondation Cartier, which is presenting an exhibition on Graffiti art called " Born in the Streets - Graffiti", which traces the origins of the Graffiti movement from the streets of New York in the 1960's to the present day.

Tracy Chevalier
Tracy Chevalier is known around the world for her historical fiction focussing on the lives of women. The author of Girl with a Pearl Earring talks to the Strand about her latest novel, Remarkable Creatures, which tells the story of the 19th century fossil hunter Mary Anning... whose discoveries paved the way for Darwin's Origin of the Species.