The insular Greymouth community of Gloriavale has kept Kiwis enthralled as testimonies keep emerging.

A new TVNZ documentary, Escaping Utopia, promises to unveil the stories of people who've left the community- and the struggles they've endured.

Co-director Justin Pemberton says Gloriavale is going through a transitionary period following the death of their former leader.

"The community is now imploding, it's going through some sort of- either regeneration or collapse, and we don't really know which yet, it's very much a live story. I think that's why we felt so compelled to need to go and visit."

LISTEN ABOVE

The insular Greymouth community of Gloriavale has kept Kiwis enthralled as testimonies keep emerging.
A new TVNZ documentary, Escaping Utopia, promises to unveil the stories of people who've left the community- and the struggles they've endured.
Co-director Justin Pemberton says Gloriavale is going through a transitionary period following the death of their former leader.
"The community is now imploding, it's going through some sort of- either regeneration or collapse, and we don't really know which yet, it's very much a live story. I think that's why we felt so compelled to need to go and visit."
LISTEN ABOVE

News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your Sunday morning listening covered with The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB.

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Justin Pemberton: Escaping Utopia director explores the inner workings of Gloriavale through interviews with escapees

Kiwi musician Georgia Lines is back with her new musical projects, and she's set to make an appearance at the upcoming cabaret festival.

She released her new single Wonderful Life last Friday - and she's a finalist for four Tui’s at the Aotearoa Music Awards, including Single of the Year for her song The Letter.   

She says it was an 'amazing' experience to be nominated for these awards.

"When I saw the email about the music awards, I think there were a few things I didn't quite know how to feel...I was feeling the sense of - oh my goodness, this project that I've poured my life into meant something to people and it's being recognized." 

Georgia Lines' cabaret festival show Under the Stars with Friends takes place on June 15 - tickets are on sale now. 

LISTEN ABOVE

Kiwi musician Georgia Lines is back with her new musical projects, and she's set to make an appearance at the upcoming cabaret festival.
She released her new single Wonderful Life last Friday - and she's a finalist for four Tui’s at the Aotearoa Music Awards, including Single of the Year for her song The Letter. &nbsp;&nbsp;
She says it was an 'amazing' experience to be nominated for these awards.
"When I saw the email about the music awards, I think there were a few things I didn't quite know how to feel...I was feeling the sense of - oh my goodness, this project that I've poured my life into meant something to people and it's being recognized."&nbsp;
Georgia Lines' cabaret festival show Under the Stars with Friends&nbsp;takes place on June 15 - <a href="https://www.aucklandlive.co.nz/show/cabaretfest25-georgia-lines">tickets are on sale now.</a><a href="https://www.aucklandlive.co.nz/show/cabaretfest25-georgia-lines">&nbsp;</a>
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Georgia Lines: Kiwi musician on her new single and upcoming cabaret appearance

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/720e3588-4837-4107-aee2-b2e8001f10b3/transcript

Author Raynor Winn experienced a week like no other back in 2013 - and it inspired the hit film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs.

In the space of seven days, she and her husband Moth lost their family home, and then Moth was diagnosed with a rare terminal degenerative brain disease and given two years to live.  

Homeless and facing an uncertain future together, Raynor and Moth left on a 630 mile trek along the South West Coast path and made the trail their home. 

That journey inspired Raynor's book - The Salt Path.

"Many books get optioned, but they rarely make it to film. So I didn't expect the film to be made, to be honest. So when I realised it was actually happening - I think my main concern was how they could capture the story."

LISTEN ABOVE

Author Raynor Winn experienced a week like no other back in 2013 - and it inspired the hit film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs.
In the space of seven days, she and her husband Moth lost their family home, and then Moth was diagnosed with a rare terminal degenerative brain disease and given two years to live. &nbsp;
Homeless and facing an uncertain future together, Raynor and Moth left on a 630 mile trek along the South West Coast path and made the trail their home.&nbsp;
That journey inspired Raynor's book - The Salt Path.
"Many books get optioned, but they rarely make it to film. So I didn't expect the film to be made, to be honest. So when I realised it was actually happening - I think my main concern was how they could capture the story."
LISTEN ABOVE

Raynor Winn: author of The Salt Path on the true story that inspired the film

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/98315813-bedd-4d96-b5b7-b2e80018bd40/transcript

Air by John Boyne. This is the fourth book in a series about the four elements of matter (the preceding titles are Water Earth and Fire), where he takes each element and writes a story around it. This time the novel is set while the protagonists are on a flight, 30,000 feet up in the air, on a trip towards a woman who isn’t expecting them. It’s story of a father and a son on a moving journey to mend their troubled lives. I love John Boyne and read everything he writes. 

John and Paul by Ian Leslie. You think you’ve heard it all before about Paul and John – but this new biography is amazing. It has the music at its heart – the story of two lonely kids both of whom had suffered great grief in their early lives and who formed a really strong bond – and as the author says, when they couldn’t talk about a thing they sang it and even after breaking up maintained a musical dialogue at a distance, in songs full of recrimination, regret, and affection. It’s full of remarkable insight. 

Air by John Boyne. This is the fourth book in a series about the four elements of matter (the preceding titles are Water Earth and Fire), where he takes each element and writes a story around it. This time the novel is set while the protagonists are on a flight, 30,000 feet up in the air, on a trip towards a woman who isn’t expecting them. It’s story of a father and a son on a moving journey to mend their troubled lives. I love John Boyne and read everything he writes.&nbsp;
John and Paul by Ian Leslie. You think you’ve heard it all before about Paul and John – but this new biography is amazing. It has the music at its heart – the story of two lonely kids both of whom had suffered great grief in their early lives and who formed a really strong bond – and as the author says, when they couldn’t talk about a thing they sang it and even after breaking up maintained a musical dialogue at a distance, in songs full of recrimination, regret, and affection. It’s full of remarkable insight.&nbsp;

Whitcoulls Recommends: Air and John and Paul

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/921d5b85-d2eb-4af7-a065-b2e80015a615/transcript

Justin Pemberton: Escaping Utopia director explores the inner workings of Gloriavale through interviews with escapees

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