Filmmaker Celine Song's first feature film is being described as the best Sundance Festival debut in years. Past Lives is a modern-day love story, centered on the lives two childhood sweethearts, separated when one - Nora - leaves South Korea for the US. Song, known for unorthodox and confrontational plays, wrote the film script in 2018, weaving in parallels of her own life as an immigrant to Canada. Her previous works include the critically acclaimed broadway show Endlings, and she also, among other projects, directed a live production of Chekhov's The Seagull using The Sims 4 on Twitch for New York Theatre Workshop. Past Lives is screening as part of the New Zealand Film Festival. She speaks with Susie Ferguson. Past Lives is screening as part of the New Zealand International Film Festival.

UK correspondent Matt Dathan joins Susie to talk about a cyber attack of the Electoral Commission, that's left the names and addresses of 40 million voters in the hands of the hackers - and has raised major concerns about the impact on public trust in the elections watchdog. Another big data breach has also exposed the names and details of 10,000 serving officers in Northern Ireland. In this case, it was the result of human error - but it's raised conerns about the increased risk of terror attacks there. The Tory party has been embroiled in another major row about immigration and England is celebrating its team's success in making the quarter finals of the Women's World Cup.

We are often given the advice to eat more plant-based foods for our health and the environment. On the back of this we've seen a huge influx of meat substitutes on the supermarket shelves - but how healthy are they? A study published this week set out to measure the nutritional and cost value of meat alternatives, and found that not all meat-free meals are equal. Dr Leanne Young, from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland is one of the researchers behind the study and joins Susie to share her findings.

Netsafe is reporting an 88 percent rise in cases of sextortion since 2019. It is a type of blackmail when someone threatens to share a nude image or sexually explicit video of you online - unless you pay them or provide more sexual content. Netsafe has received reports from victims from as young as 10, to over the age of 65. The majority of reported cases are from men, though women can be impacted too. NZ Police told it cannot provide data specific to offending where it is linked to the use of a dating app. However it says anecdotally offending linked to dating apps, social media, or other online platforms is a reality that people need to be aware of. Netsafe chief online safety officer Sean Lyons speaks with Susie Ferguson.

Budgeting services are frustrated at the Government's u-turn on plans which would require Buy Now Pay Later providers to do affordability checks before giving out loans. Officials had proposed requiring the checks on anyone borrowing more than 600 dollars, to make sure it wouldn't send them into a debt spiral. It prompted pushback from the Buy Now Pay Later industry, who argued they already protect consumers by freezing accounts when a payment is missed. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Duncan Webb has now concluded the checks would be "too onerous" given the providers only offer short-term, low-value loans. But David Verry , a financial mentor with North Harbour Budgeting Services and a former banker, claims the Government is "going soft on consumer protection".

Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Susie to talk about a new comparison of how various countries handled the Covid pandemic and the latest research into gene variations which can make some people less likely to get Covid and others more likely to get long-Covid. She'll also talk about a new database that's been created to document the 'unknome' - genes in the human genome that have been identified, but whose functions are not known. And there's been a super-charged saga over new superconductor LK-99. Siouxsie breaks it down. Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.

With food price inflation the highest its been in decades, growing your own vegetables has never been more appealing. But if you're not sure where to start, or think your outdoor area isn't big enough, gardener Leah Evans is here to help. She's been growing her own food for nearly 25 years, including on a tiny patio garden. She is full of advice for how to get started with the basics, like creating good soil and compost, how to grow from seed, and even how to grow vegetables in pots. She talks to Susie about how to grow garden staples, such as beetroot, broccoli, carrots, pumpkin and zucchini, from her book Hands in the Dirt: Grow your own kai with Mrs Evans.

Kelly joins Susie to talk about repeat sex offender Jason Trembath's latest jail term for an indecent act in front of a tourist at a McDonald's carpark. The former representative cricket player, who was out on parole when the offending happened will remain behind bars until the end of the year - when his new sentence start. Another court case that's caught the headlines was that of the unnamed entertainment figure who was up on serious sex assault and drug offences. A jury this week returned mainly not guilty verdicts. Rotorua has been told it's getting a new courthouse - but where? And Kapa Haka legend Wetini Mitai-Ngatai has announced the group is retiring from competition. Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist with the Rotorua Daily Post

Sonja de Friez reviews We Need to Talk about Norman by Denis Welch published by Quentin Wilson Publishing

Australia correspondent Annika Smethurst joins Susie to talk about the determination of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to push ahead with the referendum on the Indigenous Voice, despite polling showing a drop in support for it. The Labor Government has changed how it refers to Palestinian areas, reinstating the term "Occupied Palestinian Territories" and vowing to strengthen its objections to "illegal" Israeli settlements. A Victoria woman who cooked up a deadly mushroom dinner and killed three of her guests says she didn't do it on purpose, as police investigate. And there's joy in Australia, with the Matildas through to the quarter finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup. Annika Smethurst is political editor at The Age