Humanities (Audio)

Mona Damluji (Film and Media Studies, UCSB) and Elisabeth Weber (German and Slavic Studies, UCSB) join moderator Bishnupriya Ghosh (English and Global Studies, UCSB) to discuss the film project From Ground Zero, an anthology of films made by Palestinian filmmakers since the beginning of the war in Gaza. They discuss how the films present a unique vision of Gaza, showing a vibrant society dealing with the outbreak of war, and how the films urge the audience to become informed viewers. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40923]

The Sleepy Lagoon case of 1942 became one of the most racially charged trials in U.S. history. Twenty-two Mexican American youths, mostly teenagers, were tried en masse for the death of José Díaz, though no witness placed them at the scene and the cause of death was never established. Denied fair treatment, they faced a biased judge and jury, with twelve sentenced to San Quentin. In this documentary film, UC Santa Cruz's Bob Giges highlights the work of Alice McGrath, who was moved by the injustice and dedicated herself to the defense effort, visiting the imprisoned youths, organizing community support, and coordinating national fundraising. In 1944, the convictions were overturned on appeal, marking a rare victory for the Mexican American community. The case, later dramatized by Luis Valdez in Zoot Suit, is remembered as a turning point in civil rights and Chicano identity. Series: "Arts Channel " [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 40985]

Film historian Rebecca Prime joins moderator Ross Melnick (Film and Media Studies, UCSB) for a discussion of the classic Hollywood film The Sound of Fury. Prime outlines the film’s production history and how its political and social commentary was shaped by its director, Cy Endfield, who would go on to be blacklisted due to his association with the Communist Party. They further discuss Endfield’s subsequent work in London and how he struggled with the blacklist for the rest of his career. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40919]

Documentary subject and Chicano activist Jerry Ramirez joins moderator Clint Terrell (English, UCSB) for a discussion of the documentary film American Homeboy. They discuss Ramirez’s involvement with the film, his relationship to his Chicano identity, and how his experience being incarcerated fueled his activism, particularly in relation to Chicano issues. Ramirez and Terrrell reflect on how the film portrays Chicano history, including how Chicana and Chicano identity has been shaped over time. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40921]

How should federal governments attempt to right, or at least remedy, past wrongs? Is it appropriate for victims of group-based harms or their descendants to press current generations to atone for the sins of their predecessors? Grace Kao, Professor of Ethics and the inaugural Sano Chair in Pacific and Asian American Theology at Claremont School of Theology, explores these questions by drawing upon the emerging human rights standard for reparations, theological resources from her Presbyterian faith tradition, and four case-studies of acknowledged wrongdoing against AAPI communities. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 40876]

Over 20 years since its release, Hedwig and the Angry Inch remains as relevant as ever to the politics of the day. A child of division, Hedwig refuses to be caught between categories, instead evading gender description and embracing herself as lovingly as one can. Writer/director/actor John Cameron Mitchell joins moderator Patrice Petro, Dick Wolf Director of the Carsey-Wolf Center, to discuss a post-screening of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40922]

Film curators Michelle Baroody and Maggie Hennefeld join moderator Patrice Petro for a discussion of their program “Archives of Anonymous Labor: From Farce to Liberation.” The program juxtaposes five films that about anonymity and labor, from silent films that show the invisible labor of housemaids and film editors to films that highlight the erased labor of decolonial struggle. This program is part of the Carsey-Wolf Center annual conference Anonymous Labor in Film and Media. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40920]

Carol Stabile (Clark Honors College, University of Oregon) joins moderator Patrice Petro for a discussion of “CBS and the 1950s Blacklist,” a program that included an episode of the television sitcom The Goldbergs and William N. Robson’s radio broadcast titled “Open Letter on Race Hatred.” They discuss the history of anti-communist activism in the U.S. and how CBS capitulated to the FBI and its blacklisting campaign. Stabile also outlines how the FBI targeted public intellectuals and artists. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 40918]

Legal scholar Annabel Brett explores the idea of “moral possibility”—the boundary between what laws demand and what people can realistically or ethically be expected to do. Drawing from early modern thinkers like Aquinas, Suarez, and Hobbes, Brett shows how moral impossibility has long shaped debates about legal obligation, resistance, and political agency. Commentators Melissa Lane and David Dyzenhaus join the discussion, examining how this concept applies to everything from climate action and military conscription to unjust regimes and democratic norms. Together, they highlight how institutions, customs, and time shape the space between legal duty and human capacity—and why recognizing this gap is vital to both justice and legitimacy. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 40431]

Political theorist Annabel Brett of Cambridge University explores how the concept of “moral possibility” shapes law, politics, and public obligation. She explains that laws must be realistic for people to follow—what is morally possible varies by individual, culture, time, and circumstance. Drawing on early modern Catholic legal theory, Brett discusses how extreme demands (like enduring war or plague) may justify higher expectations, but only temporarily. She examines how colonial Spanish officials misused this framework to justify forced labor in Peru, wrongly claiming it aligned with indigenous customs. Brett contrasts this with more democratic approaches to law, like Domingo de Soto’s defense of beggars’ rights, which take individuals’ real conditions seriously. Ultimately, she shows how moral possibility is deeply tied to time, virtue, and justice. Commentary is provided by David Dyzenhaus of the University of Toronto. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 40430]