Poet and playwright: Lemn Sissay
It is dangerous to generalise about the human impulse to create art, but it does often seem to be linked to the experience of dark and painful places Stephen Sackur speaks to Lemn Sissay - a renowned poet and playwright whose writing and performances lay bare his own intimate wounds. He was abandoned as a baby, rejected by his foster family and abused in public institutions of care. He has since been on a quest to understand his past and piece together his identity. Along the way how did he find a remarkable poetic voice?Image: Lemn Sissay, Credit: BBC
24 Nov 201723min
Former Managing Director of Leeds United - David Haigh
Is it safe to do business in the United Arab Emirates? The former Managing Director of Leeds United, David Haigh thought so, until he endured a 22 month nightmare imprisonment, during which he says he was violently assaulted. His former employer says he's a convicted fraudster. Mr Haigh says he's the victim of legal, economic and political malfeasance. Is there something rotten in the UAE?(Photo: David Haigh looks on during the Yeovil Town v Leeds United match, 2014, Yeovil, England. Credit: Rob Munro/Getty Images)
22 Nov 201723min
Director - Baz Luhrmann
How did a boy from the Australian backwoods get to make his celluloid dreams come true? Hardtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to director Baz Luhrmann who made his name with a wildly entertaining debut movie called Strictly Ballroom. It was theatrical, sentimental and sweet, and became a hit around the world. Since then he has continued to make larger than life films combining dazzling visuals and epic stories. Is he brash, brilliant, or both?(Photo: Baz Luhrmann at the Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons gala, New York, 2017. Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
20 Nov 201723min
President and CEO, International Rescue Committee - David Miliband
Across the world sixty five million people have been forced to flee their homes as a result of war, persecution and economic desperation. It's a migration crisis which is generating immense human misery and alarming levels of political discord. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to David Miliband - head of the US-based International Rescue Committee and a former British foreign secretary. Can this politician turned humanitarian explain why governments around the world are failing to meet the migration challenge?
17 Nov 201723min
Comedian - Kathy Griffin
Should anything be off limits in comedy? It's meant to be subversive. It finds laughter in dark and difficult places, but when comedy goes wrong things can get ugly. Stephen Sackur speaks to Kathy Griffin, an American stand-up comedian probably best known for being pictured last May holding President Trump's severed head in her hand. The Trump head was fake, but the outrage was real - from the President, the TV network which fired her, the FBI which investigated her and the public which heaped abuse on her. What was - and is - Kathy Griffin thinking?(Photo: Kathy Griffin at a press conference at The Bloom Firm, 2017. Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
15 Nov 201723min
Saudi Journalist - Jamal Khashoggi
There's neither blood nor tanks on the streets of Riyadh, but what has happened in Saudi Arabia in recent days represents a revolution of sorts. King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed have launched a purge of princes, ministers and potential rivals - part of a grand plan to entrench their power and transform the country. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to Saudi journalist, commentator and current political exile Jamal Khashoggi. Is the Saudi drama about raw power or real reform?
13 Nov 201723min
Conservative Party MP, UK - Jacob Rees-Mogg
Authority is a priceless commodity in politics. It's not easily measured, but when a Prime Minister loses it then governing becomes a perilous task. So it may be in Britain today - Theresa May has lost two cabinet ministers in a week, with her own team divided over Brexit and seemingly unsure about its core message. HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur speaks to the increasingly influential Conservative MP and staunch Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg. Can the Tories get out of the hole they're in?
10 Nov 201723min
Chairman, European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee - David McAllister MEP
David McAllister is a political ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee. Germany is Europe's pre-eminent power, but how will Berlin use that power over the next decade? The composition of the country's next governing coalition has yet to be decided, and there are strategic uncertainties too. How far does Berlin want to push EU integration, and how wide could transatlantic differences become?(Photo: David McAllister speaks at the annual CDU party congress 2014 in Cologne, Germany. Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
8 Nov 201723min
