The British stage and screen actor Albert Finney’s credits include Oscar nominations for his performances in Tom Jones, The Dresser, Under the Volcano and Murder on the Orient Express. He is eloquent about his craft and, over a convivial lunch with writer Melvyn Bragg, he looks back on his career. Finney’s remarkable talent is demonstrated in clips of some of his memorable performances and he is seen at work on Karaoke and Cold Lazarus, Dennis Potter’s last television plays.
Bheki Mseleku
The South African Zulu pianist and composer Bheki Mseleku is held in high esteem by colleagues in the jazz world and is rapidly establishing an international reputation. The first part of this programme centres round an informal session in which Bheki plays with trumpeter Hugh Masekela and saxophonist Courtney Pine, and the second part travels to New York to show him working in studio, recordings tracks with Pharaoh Sanders and Abbey Lincoln.
Christian Boltanski
This exploration of the thoughtful and provocative world of Christian Boltanski centres on an interview with the enigmatic installation artist, whose work deals explicitly in death. Born in Paris in 1944, he gives a fascinating insight into his creative impulses as he talks about his unusual Jewish-Catholic upbringing. He gives the impression that, with his own life, as well as with his art, he is constantly posing questions about the recoverability of the past, the uniqueness of identity and the reliability of evidence.
Dmitry and Alexander Sitkovetsky
Dmitry Sitkovetsky is well-known in the West as one of the most exciting and respected violinists of his generation. He also has his own string orchestra, directs a Finnish summer music festival and is a brilliant transcriber and arranger of important classical works. Dmitry’s cousin, Alexander (Sasha), is a rock guitarist and an eminent rock/classical composer. This programme, shot on location in Latvia, St. Petersburg, Finland and London, interweaves the stories of the two cousins, charting their lives and careers.