Episode 112: Standout Oscar moments, wins and snubs

This week on Culture Bites, host Farah Andrews is joined by The National's culture reporter Faisal Al Zaabi to discuss their reactions to this year’s Oscars. One Battle After Another took home the most awards at the 98th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson. Michael B Jordan won Best Actor for his role in Sinners while Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for Hamnet. Farah and Faisal share their thoughts on which wins and snubs were most deserved. They also talk about some of the bold statements on stage, such as Javier Bardem’s Handala badge and anti-war statement. This week as Eid begins, the much anticipated film Project Hail Mary comes to UAE cinemas. But the big-screen adaptation of Andy Weir’s sci-fi novel is not the only version to receive glowing praise. The audiobook has also become a favourite, thanks to its atmospheric sound production and Ray Porter’s narration. The hosts share some of their other recommendations for audiobooks that are more captivating than the original texts.