24 March 2006
Friday 24 March 2006 21:30-22:15 (Radio 3)
As the London house where the French poets Rimbaud and Verlaine lived goes up for sale, Paul Allen investigates the tempestuous times the two spent there and catches up with Julian Barnes on the campaign to save the house for the nation.
Playlist
In October 2002, during a performance of a romantic musical in a Moscow theatre, armed men and women stormed the building and took the cast and audience captive. The terrible bloodbath that followed will be known forever as the Moscow Theatre Siege. It is perhaps an unlikely subject for art, but John Keane, the former war artist, has always been drawn by difficult, sometimes violent, inspiration. His new exhibition is entitled "Fifty Seven Hours in the House of Culture" and consists of paintings of scenes taken directly from the television footage of the attack. In tonight's Night Waves John Keane explains to Paul Allen why he felt so moved by the Moscow siege and how these paintings help.
The ultra orthodox Jewish community in Israel has been something of a closed book, with its own rituals and beliefs. It puts service to God above allegiance to country and the Israeli secular world has become increasingly uncomfortable with its size and influence. But these two sides of Israeli society are being forced to at least understand each other and there has been a recent rash of writings about the ultra orthodox community. And a new Hebrew language film, Ushpizin, attempts to de-mystify their world. It's the affectionate story of a couple of run away prisoners who find refuge with an Ultra Orthodox family during a religious festival. Anne Karfp reviews the film on tonight's Night Waves.
Also on the programme; as the London house where the French poets Rimbaud and Verlaine lived goes up for sale, Paul Allen investigates the tempestuous times the two spent there and catches up with Julian Barnes on the campaign to save the house for the nation.
And the Sri Lankan born writer Romesh Gunesekera talks about his latest novel, The Match, a story of cricket, exile and the search for love.
Night Waves, tonight at 9.30, live here on BBC Radio 3 presented by Paul Allen.
