Q with Tom Power

CBC
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Mar 8, 2024 • 21min

Olufikayo Ziki Adeola: Calling out Disney, Iwájú, and showing Lagos in the future

For the first time in Disney’s century-long history, the company is collaborating with an outside animation studio for their new six-part series, “Iwájú.” Set in a futuristic Nigeria, the series follows a young girl and her best friend on their coming-of-age journey. Director and screenwriter Olufikayo Ziki Adeola joins Tom to talk about this incredible moment for African animation, what it’s like making your hometown the setting for a futuristic sci-fi show, and why calling out Disney works out for the best sometimes.
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Mar 7, 2024 • 25min

Chloé Robichaud & Yannick Nézet-Séguin: Days of Happiness, toxic family relationships, and making conducting believable on screen

When Chloé Robichaud decided to depict the world of conducting for her new film, “Days of Happiness,” she asked the acclaimed Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin to help her get it right. The film follows a female conductor looking to break through the glass ceiling of classical music while also breaking away from the control of her abusive father, who’s also her agent. Both Chloé and Yannick sit down with Tom to talk about “Days of Happiness,” the cycle of abuse that can haunt families for decades, and how you can tell when an actor playing a conductor is faking it.
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Mar 7, 2024 • 21min

Chelsea Peretti: Her debut film, women in comedy, and Hollywood's reaction to #MeToo

You may know Chelsea Peretti as Gina Linetti on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” but her career started back in the ‘90s when she was doing improv, interning for Lorne Michaels and guest writing for “Saturday Night Live.” Now, Chelsea has made her debut feature film, titled “First Time Female Director,” which she also wrote, stars in and co-produced with her longtime friend Amy Poehler. It tells the story of a woman facing challenges in the entertainment industry. Chelsea talks to Tom about the project, how she drew on her own life for source material, and what she found funny about Hollywood's reaction to #MeToo.
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Mar 6, 2024 • 30min

Mark Seliger: Oscar Party portraits, capturing someone's essence, and the stories behind his most iconic celebrity photos

For the past decade, the renowned photographer Mark Seliger has set up a pop-up studio inside the annual Vanity Fair Oscar Party, where he’s produced iconic portraits of Hollywood actors in the immediate afterglow of their big wins. Those portraits are now presented in a new book, “Vanity Fair: Oscar Night Sessions.” Mark joins Tom to share how he captures the raw emotion of an artist at the peak of their success, plus some incredible behind-the-scenes stories from his shoots and his best advice for everyday smartphone photography.
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Mar 6, 2024 • 18min

Lily Gladstone: Working with Scorsese, breaking into Hollywood, and Killers of the Flower Moon

Lily Gladstone had a tough task with her first major Hollywood film: she had to hold her own against Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro — and hold her own she did. Her character, Mollie Burkhart, is being praised as the star-making turn of Martin Scorcese’s latest film, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Lily talks to Tom about the role of a lifetime, and the challenges in telling stories about murder and colonialism.
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Mar 5, 2024 • 28min

Tate McRae: Performing on SNL, her hit song Greedy, and not being judgmental of your art

Tate McRae’s wildest dreams are coming true. At the end of 2023, her song “Greedy” topped the charts around the world, she made her “Saturday Night Live” musical guest debut and she performed at the Billboard Music Awards. In the middle of this pivotal time in her career, she talked to Tom about staying grounded, why her biggest hit initially scared her and how she never wants to write a song with the intention of it going viral on TikTok.
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Mar 5, 2024 • 19min

Corb Lund: Remembering Ian Tyson, The Grand Ole Opry, and El Viejo

The Albertan singer-songwriter Corb Lund dedicated his new album, “El Viejo,” to his late friend and hero, Ian Tyson. Corb joins Tom to talk about Ian’s legacy, the time they spent together, and he also sets up the album’s title track for us.
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Mar 4, 2024 • 42min

Jeremy Dutcher on the sound of grief + New music from Elliott Brood

After winning the prestigious Polaris Music Prize back in 2018 for his debut album, “Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa,” Jeremy Dutcher is back with his long-awaited sophomore record, “Motewolonuwok.” Jeremy tells Tom about the pressure of writing your second record when your first was so successful, how he directed his trumpeter to “play grief,” and why he’s decided to sing partly in English on his new album. Plus, the band Elliott Brood is set to release a new album called “Country” — it’s a companion to the album they released last year called “Town.” Tom catches up with Casey Laforet from the band to chat about their latest single, “Wind and Snow.”
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Mar 1, 2024 • 51min

Jacob Collier is tired of making music on his own + Emily Austin reads from Gay Girl Prayers

Six-time Grammy award winner Jacob Collier has worked with everyone from Stormzy to Brandi Carlile to Shawn Mendes. He joins Tom to talk about his new album, “Djesse Vol. 4,” the isolation of being a child prodigy, and why he thinks the human voice is the most profound instrument in the world. Plus, what’s your relationship like with holy texts? Canadian poet Emily Austin sat down and rewrote some parts of the bible that didn’t sit right with her as a queer woman. She tells Tom what inspired her, and reads a poem from her new collection of poetry, “Gay Girl Prayers.”
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Feb 29, 2024 • 23min

Kōji Yakusho: Finding happiness in simplicity, Perfect Days, and working with Wim Wenders

The Japanese actor Kōji Yakusho is prolific, from his roles in Japanese films to parts in American movies like “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Babel”. This year, Kōji won the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in “Perfect Days,” directed by Wim Wenders. He tells Tom about his rise in film and TV, how working with renowned director Wim Wenders showed him the fun of filmmaking, and what “Perfect Days” can teach you about happiness.

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