The Drawing Room

'You're not a real Hong Konger if you haven't tasted tear gas'

One Country, Two Systems: the idea lies at the heart of Hong Kong's relationship with China.

But in 2019, as Hong Kong locked to change their extradition laws, that central concept appeared to be fraying.

And so millions of citizens took to the streets day after day. But why was Hong Kong's protest movement so persistent? And what's next?

Antony Dapiran is a Hong Kong-based writer and lawyer and the author of City on Fire: The Fight For Hong Kong.

A hockey team with mob connections; a fistfight between players and fans in the basketball stands; a tennis star opening up about mental health: some sporting moments stick in the public consciousness.

But what is it like being a part of those moments? To have your life defined by a great victory or a crushing defeat?

Chapman and Maclain Way are the directors of Untold, a documentary series looking at the personal stories behind the headlines, and in the Drawing Room they share the surprises they found along the way.

Whether it's coffee, alcohol, or perhaps something a little less legal, most people have experienced the mind-altering properties of the natural world.

But how did some plants become illegal while others are just part of the background hum of daily life? And how do they effect our brains?

Michael Pollan is an author and journalist and in his latest book This Is Your Mind on Plants, he takes a look at the science, history and social impact of caffeine, opium, and mescaline

The food system is broken. That's the claim Anika Molesworth, the deputy chair of Farmers for Climate Action, makes in her recent book, Our Sunburnt Country.

Food is thrown away in huge quantities in nations like Australia, while other people lack the basics of daily life; consumers are trained to expect the lowest possible prices for produce, leaving farmers frustrated and struggling; and climate change is already having an impact on the types of crops that can be grown in our regions.

In the Drawing Room, Anika talks about her own journey to the country and the path to a better future for everyone.

Each year at the World Wine Tasting Championships, teams of the best sommeliers in the world attempt to identify twelve different wines—from the type, to the year, to the vineyard—with no information except the glass in front of them.

When he was a nine-year-old boy, Valanga Khoza was working in a factory in South Africa, under the watchful gaze of a guard and his sjambok.

As a university student, he became involved in the country's fight against Apartheid, which led to his arrest and exile from his homeland.

Now, Valanga is a musician and a story-teller in Australia where he found a new home and an appreciative audience.

By the time he was twenty, Joseph Tawadros had already received a significant music fellowship and an ARIA nomination for his first album.

He's gone on to become one of the most respected Oud players in the world, performing a concert of his original music at the BBC Proms and being awarded the Order of Australia medal along the way.

For the last few two years he's been stuck in London during the pandemic, finishing off an album that he began in New York, but in the Drawing Room he's looking forward with a tour and mystery new project on the way.

From vaccine roll outs to support packages for business, the pandemic has brought home the importance of the role that the government plays in our lives.

And while the public sector once had a reputation for being slow and averse to change, they have shown how quickly they can innovate when a crisis presents the opportunity.

But is that innovation sustainable and is long-term planning possible when the next election is always just around the corner?

When we see a film—whether it's in the cinema or on a streaming platform—we see the final result of years of hard work from many hands.

But what does it take to get from the initial idea to the first screening? And how does the industry pick which projects to fund and which to set aside?

From his early days working with Ang Lee to heading up Amazon Studios, Ted Hope has been a central part of some of the big screen's most interesting productions and its biggest changes. And in the Drawing Room he looks back at the lessons he's learned along the way.

Sidney Nolan remains one of Australia's most respected artists. His work can be found in museums across the country, and his iconic depiction of Ned Kelly was even used in the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics.

But who was the man behind the icon? How did an intimate relationship with a married couple—and it's bitter end—shape Nolan's later life? And how do we grapple with Nolan's legacy today?

Kendrah Morgan and Dean Cross discuss Nolan and two exhibitions at the Heide Museum of Modern Art.