Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    ‘Torn’: Balancing family at home and risky adventure far away

    “ Torn ” is a new documentary about world-renowned mountain climber Alex Lowe and how his family coped following his 1999 death in the Himalayas.

    • rss
    • apple-podcasts
    • spotify
    Download MP3
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • Dec 2, 2021 • 50m Listen

    “Torn” is a new documentary about world-renowned mountain climber Alex Lowe and how his family coped following his 1999 death in the Himalayas. “When his body was discovered and our family made the decision to go back to Tibet together to recover his remains and put him to rest, it brought all that [trauma] back to the surface for me. … I think coming out of that trip was really the impetus for me in wanting to make ‘Torn,’” says filmmaker Max Lowe.

    With the Omicron variant in the U.S., President Joe Biden announced new plans today to mitigate COVID spread, which includes ensuring insurers pay back members for costs of at-home COVID tests.

    Around 150 million people around the world could be forced to move because of climate change within the next few decades, according to the World Bank. Climate migration is already happening in California and reshaping political environments.

    Finally, critics review the newest films: “Flee,” “Benedetta,” “The Hand of God,” “Drive My Car,” and “The Power of the Dog.”

    In this episode

    4 stories
    1. 0:00

      At-home COVID tests are pricey. President Biden wants to change that

      With the Omicron variant in the U.S., including California, President Joe Biden announced new plans today to mitigate COVID spread, which includes new travel restrictions, getting more people booster shots, and ensuring insurers pay back members…

      Read the story
      9 min
    2. 8:52

      Climate change is shifting who’s in your neighborhood. What does it mean for CA’s future?

      Around 150 million people around the world could be forced to move because of climate change within the next few decades, according to the World Bank. Climate migration is already happening in California and reshaping political environments.

      Read the story
      9 min
    3. 18:20

      ‘Torn’: Son learns to process trauma by making a film about his mountaineer dad who died in Himalayas

      “When his body was discovered and our family made the decision to go back to Tibet together to recover his remains and put him to rest, it brought all that [trauma] back to the surface for me. … I think coming out of that trip was really the impetus for me in wanting to make ‘Torn,’” says filmmaker Max Lowe.

      Read the story
      15 min
    4. 32:56

      ‘Benedetta’ is ‘deliciously sacrilegious’ and intense, says critic

      Critics review “Flee,” a documentary about Amin Nawabi, who fled Kabul as a child; “Benedetta,” about a lesbian nun who experiences stigmata and visions of Jesus, and has a relationship with a novice at her convent; “The Hand of God,” a…

      Read the story
      17 min
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Angie Perrin

      Producer, Press Play

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Former Producer/Line Editor, Press Play

      CultureEntertainment

    In this episode

    4 stories
    1. 0:009 min

      At-home COVID tests are pricey. President Biden wants to change that

    2. 8:529 min

      Climate change is shifting who’s in your neighborhood. What does it mean for CA’s future?

    3. 18:2015 min

      ‘Torn’: Son learns to process trauma by making a film about his mountaineer dad who died in Himalayas

    4. 32:5617 min

      ‘Benedetta’ is ‘deliciously sacrilegious’ and intense, says critic

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand