August 2: Presence on his mind

In a feature interview, Nil Köksal speaks to Iranian filmmaker Leila Amini about her sister’s journey to become a singer — and the film it inspired. Living in Iran, and married to a less than supportive husband, Nasreen Amini’s dream isn’t just unlikely, it’s dangerous. With translation from ‘A Sisters’ Tale’ producer, Afsaneh Salari, Leila explains what compelled Nasreen to pursue her singing goals against all odds — and what it’s like to see the documentary they made together premier at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Plus: Paralympian Nicholas Bennett wins gold in the pool for the second time, and gives all of the credit to his sister – who is also his coach. Also: Fellow Olympic marathoner remembers Rebecca Cheptegei, who she says showed no signs of abuse; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Haiti; Thousands of Indigenous artifacts may be improperly stored across Ontario; and Chris defends the uselessness of tiny vacuums.

Plus: “The Michael Jordan of advertising”. We remember Jim Riswold, the man behind era-defining Nike ads from Bo Knows to It’s gotta be the shoes. Also: Booze finally comes to corner stores in Ontario, we check in to see how business is flowing on day one; and why one French lawmaker is calling Emmanuel Macron's pick for Prime Minister is "one of the worst choices" he could have made.

Plus: “Violent, scary and out of a horror mystery.” A shark researcher investigates a grisly – and unusual – case. Also: Grenfell Tower families get a final report into the deadly disaster; Paraguay finally gets a sex ed curriculum, but it’s not the one many were hoping for; and designers in Vancouver aren’t happy about a FIFA World Cup design contest.

In this extended version of their conversation, Nil Köksal welcomes the former As It Happens host back to the studio to talk about her new book. Carol spent 16 years hosting the program. In her new book – ‘At A Loss for Words: Conversation an Age of Rage’ – she goes deep into her life story and decades of experience as a journalist to examine six words whose meaning she says has been distorted over the years…and think about how to reclaim them.