KFAI's MinneCulture Presents

Three stories to get you in the mood for Valentine's Day: All Coming Years of Peaceful Love - An 81-year-old man learns it's never too late to fall in love. (From CBC's Outfront program) Eat Cake - A fictional romantic comedy about a lonely woman who makes coconut cake on Valentine's Day, even when she doesn't have a boyfriend. The first few minutes involve our heroine talking to a cat and making a cake. (Jonathan Mitchell, independent producer) Old Together - Three couples discuss love, life and growing old together. (Barrett Golding, independent producer)

It's been 72 years since the "strike heard round the world" -- when autoworkers in Flint, Michigan, occupied a General Motors plant and and jumpstarted the union movement in the United States.  But in recent years, as the power of unions in the U.S. has waned, sit-down strikes have been more common in Latin America, Europe and Canada. Things finally changed in December of 2008 when immigrant Latino, African American, and white workers occupied the Republic Windows and Door Factory in Chicago. Producers Dan Collison and Elizabeth Meister of Long Haul Productions spoke with the workers and organizers at Republic about their decision to stand up by sitting down -- the first American sit-down action since the 1937-38 Flint strike. Their documentary, "Si Se Puede" (Yes We Can), is an intimate account of the occupation told by the people who participated in it.  It includes original music by Jesus "Chuy" Negrete. We also air "400 Words for 79...

The Blue Morph by Claes Andreasson Imagine ever so lightly touching a butterfly pupa, feeling the tiny agonizing movement inside. Transform those motions into sound, and you can listen to the butterfly's metamorphosis. This is exactly what nano scientist James Gimzewski did. And it's true: "it's not so easy to become a fabulous being." Secret Worlds by Delaney Hall Chris Watson , former member of Cabaret Voltaire, t ravels to remote parts of the planet to record distinct, delicate, extraordinary sounds you might never hear otherwise - like cheetahs purring or the Capercaillie’s intricate mating display. He's been busy sticking his microphone anywhere he can't put his ears since he was a little kid. For Chris, listening is complicated. It’s about hearing amazing sounds, for sure, but it’s also about memory, mindfulness, and ecology. Listening To The Northern Lights by Barrett Golding Steve McGreevy heads north, points his receiver at the sky, and listen...

Grains of Sand, Pts. 1 & 2 by Joe Frank First we will listen to an engaging and sobering look at the passing of time. Joe inquires about the consequences of placing roadblocks in time's path (none), examines the grains of sand in the hourglass of life, and explores the seas of oblivion. He Has No Time from Catalogue of Ships We all have too much to do. We have no time. Are these real problems? Or are they badges we wear proudly? Do we invent crisis for the sake of making life more interesting? Like life, not all narratives are perfect, and so along the way we'll also hear a story about Samuel Becket and Israel Horovitz. It's Just A Matter of Time by Ryan Scammell People obsess with keeping things going even after their time. Why can't we simply let go of the past? To figure this out, we'll look at the histories of Coney Island... and Liza Minnelli. Their rise to the top, and how, when they got there, they never came down. Worlds collide when one nig...