Q with Tom Power

In Sook-Yin Lee’s new film, “Paying For It,” a couple whose romantic attraction is waning decide to open up their relationship. While Sonny explores dating, her introverted boyfriend, Chester, opts to hire sex workers. The story is based on Sook-Yin’s real-life former relationship with Canadian cartoonist Chester Brown, who released a bestselling graphic memoir of the same name in 2011. It reflects on intimacy, connection, the rights of sex workers, the boundaries we put around relationships, and Toronto in the ‘90s. Sook-Yin joins Tom Power to talk about the movie and what she learned in the process of making it. Plus, she discusses her early work as a MuchMusic VJ, and how she struggled to deal with the slow cultural shift from alternative music to boy bands.

Denis Villeneuve’s massive sci-fi epic “Dune: Part Two” is up for best picture at the Oscars this year. Last year, around the film’s Canadian premiere, the Quebecois filmmaker joined Tom Power to discuss his vision for the second installment, the challenges of shooting in the intense heat of the desert, and how politics and religion in Quebec play into the film more than you might think.

The Brazilian film “I’m Still Here” looks at one of the darkest chapters in Brazil’s modern history. It tells the true story of Eunice Paiva, whose husband was apprehended, tortured and executed by the military in 1971. The film’s star, Brazilian actor Fernanda Torres, is nominated for best actor at the Oscars for her performance. She joins Tom Power to talk about the responsibility of telling a real person’s story, and how she hopes the film will correct false narratives about Brazil’s past military dictatorship.

Jaylene Tyme is a Vancouver drag legend, a community leader, and a proud two-spirit Indigenous trans woman. She recently competed on Season 5 of “Canada’s Drag Race,” where she not only won the title of Miss Congeniality, but also used her platform to send powerful messages about truth and reconciliation, missing and murdered Indigenous women, and her experience as a survivor of the Sixties Scoop. Jaylene joins Tom Power to talk about fusing her art with advocacy, and how it led to a worldwide viral moment.

The Montreal comedian Sugar Sammy refers to himself as an “equal opportunity offender.” As a comic, he says the only thing worse than outrage is silence. Ahead of his 20-city Canadian tour, Sammy sits down with Tom Power to tell us what’s on his mind, why our changing world is a goldmine for new material, and how offensive jokes can actually unify us. Plus, he reveals the four components he believes define a successful stand-up comedian.

Lita Fontaine is a Winnipeg-based artist who has a new exhibit at the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq. It’s called “Winyan” (the Dakota word for “woman”) and it celebrates the role and influence of Indigenous women in their families, communities and cultures. Lita joins Tom Power to talk about her life and work, why the walls of her new exhibit are painted pink, and why she wanted to celebrate femininity, resistance and resilience with this collection.

The Canadian comedy legend Tom Green has had an incredible career, from “The Tom Green Show” to “Freddy Got Fingered” to his many stand-up tours. Last year, he was honoured with the Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award from the Banff World Media Festival. Tom Power caught up with him live on stage in Banff for a special career-spanning conversation about his journey in comedy, the terrifying cancer diagnosis that changed his perspective on work and ambition, and why he's back in Canada to stay.

After playing bass and singing on tour for the likes of Lorde and Remi Wolf, Maddie Jay is finally going out on her own with her new album, “I Can Change Your Mind.” The Los Angeles-based Canadian musician sits down with Tom Power to talk about her journey in music, the surprising lesson she learned from playing with some of the world’s biggest artists, and how a visiting fiddle player to her small B.C. town taught her how to be creative.

At 29, Adrien Brody became the youngest person to win best actor at the Oscars for his role as a Holocaust survivor in 2002's “The Pianist.” Now, he’s received his second best actor nomination for “The Brutalist,” portraying a fictional Jewish Hungarian architect who emigrates to the United States in an effort to rebuild his life. Adrien joins Tom Power to discuss his critically acclaimed performance, how “The Brutalist” gave him a new perspective on his family’s own immigration story, and the parallels between his two Oscar-nominated roles.

Two heavyweights of Canadian culture, acclaimed soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee and literary giant Margaret Atwood, have come together for an exciting new collaboration. On her new album, “Zombie Blizzard,” Measha sings musical interpretations of seven Atwood poems. She joins Tom Power to talk about the project and what she thinks it might be able to tell you about the future.