Our Father, the Devil is Ellie Foumbi's first feature film, and she has a distribution deal. The Tribeca Film Festival calls the lead performances "Oscar-worthy" — in a story that explores trauma, what forgiveness means, and whether anything is unforgiveable.

In 1998, Jerry Cribbs took a risk and started a choral group that performs two free, high-quality concerts a year. 25 years later, a new artistic director takes the helm, Dr. Aaron Peisner, as Cape Fear Chorale – Jerry’s original vision – is going strong.

Legions of people have tried to bridge gaps – gaps between political opposites, between the genders, between generations, and among races. Some have varying levels of success, for a time. But what happens when the structured conversations go away? Do people continue their connections? One local effort seems to be fostering real friendships among people of different backgrounds and races.

Gay or trans kids are at infinitely higher risk of harm if rejected by the adults around them. In ultra-conservative churches that condemn LGBTQ+ identities, parents often have to decide between their child and their church community. But a group of women that call themselves the Mama Bears is seeking to change that. Filmmaker Daresha Kyi joined us to talk about the power of Mama Bear love.

Finding sand for beach renourishment is a never-ending quest for beach towns. Could Frying Pan Shoals be the answer? BOEM is paying for a study of the shoals as the National Marine Fisheries Service worries dredging could harm this essential fish habitat.

Why is Burgaw likely to get a hot new restaurant in the near future? How do you learn to be a tree farmer in a few short years? And how much money is enough? These are some of the questions we explore with social entrepreneur Richard Johnson, who made his fortune in the dot-com era, retired to Wilmington, NC, and has his revitalization sights set on a tiny town in Pender County, population about 3000.

Black History Month brings a raised awareness of people left out of America’s mainstream historical narrative. It can generate much-needed discussion of current areas of inequality among the races. But so often the burden for leading these explorations lands on the shoulders of our Black teachers, historians, and leaders. Not on this episode. Listen to two white people, Professor Kim Cook and Jim Downey, undertake the work with humility and some inevitable awkwardness.

The mission of the Carlisle Industrial School: “Kill the Indian” and “Save the Man.” We're learning more about so-called boarding schools from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, engineered by white men to educate Native American children. While the stories are a new component of American history for white people, the trauma they perpetrated spans generations. Geoff O'Gara made a film about one of the affected tribes.

Land degradation is a serious problem in Africa as fertile grasslands get drier and thorny vegetation with deeper roots takes over. Wildlife and domesticated livestock alike have fewer places to graze – which, of course affects humans. But desertification is not the only form of land degradation. Deforestation and destroying wetlands are other forms. And that’s happening right here in the Cape Fear region.

Tom Ericson closed his well-loved garden supply store, The Transplanted Garden, in 2022 for personal reasons. But he's sharing his expertise on what to plant in the (slightly!) colder winter months, what your winter garden to-do list should look like, and why pruning hydrangeas can remove the coming blooms.