Fresh Air Weekend: ‘Till’ director Chinonye Chukwu; Author Ramona Emerson

Director Chinonye Chukwu speaks to actor Jalyn Hall, who plays Emmett, on the set of Till.

Lynsey Weatherspoon/Orion Pictures

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Lynsey Weatherspoon/Orion Pictures

Director Chinonye Chukwu speaks to actor Jalyn Hall, who plays Emmett, on the set of Till.

Lynsey Weatherspoon/Orion Pictures

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

Filmmaker says Emmett Till’s mother deserves her rightful place in history: Director Chinonye Chukwu tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley, whose decision to hold an open-casket funeral for her murdered son served as a catalyst for the civil rights movement.

Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ mixes late-night dreaminess with steely control: Swift’s new album, which chronicles 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout her life, includes a bracing amount of clear-headed thoughts about love and life as a pop star.

‘Shutter’ author was inspired by her own work as a crime scene photographer: Ramona Emerson’s novel is about a police department photographer, who, like Emerson, grew up in the Navajo Nation. The protagonist is haunted by the ghosts of victims from scenes she’s photographed.

You can listen to the original interviews and review here:

Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ mixes late-night dreaminess with steely control

‘Shutter’ author was inspired by her own work as a crime scene photographer

Filmmaker says Emmett Till’s mother deserves her rightful place in history