Humanities (Audio)

The difficulty of restaging real world trauma on a film set, the challenge of character development based on individuals with non-disclosure agreements, and the power of women speaking truth to power all arise in this conversation about Bombshell (2019) between director Jay Roach and Pollock Theater director Matt Ryan. In this video, Roach discusses the amazing reaction of the cast and crew of Bombshell after the films initial studio backer pulled out weeks before production was set to start. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 35410]

Contextualizing the fight for healthcare reform, honoring the connection between nurses and patients, and personalizing the struggles with the US healthcare system all arise in this conversation between activist Ady Barkan, Uncovered: Healthcare Conversations with Ady Barkan series creator Liz Jaff, director Nick Bruckman, and Carsey-Wolf Center Associate Director Emily Zinn. This powerful discussion explores the complex challenges of navigating healthcare in the US and the urgency of political reform. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 35393]

Preproduction collaboration on spatial design and character development, the value of bending rules in a supernatural narrative, and the potential for on-set innovation all arise in this freewheeling discussion about the critically-acclaimed Netflix series Russian Doll between production designer Michael Bricker and Carsey-Wolf Center assistant director Wesley Jacks. In the video, Bricker talks hidden easter eggs in set construction and the joy of finding the right construction material at the right moment. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 35396]

Advances in film restoration technology, the challenges of matching black and white footage with shades of military khaki, and the depth of Peter Jackson’s passion for all things World War I arise in this conversation about They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) between assistant editor Elliot Travers and Ross Melnick (Film and Media Studies, UCSB). Travers describes the convoluted path the film took from its initial conception as a 30-minute museum commission for England’s Imperial War Museum to an internationally-distributed feature-length film. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 35411]

Around the world, individuals and families are fleeing their countries of origin because of war, violence, natural disasters, and climate change. As their numbers swell, host countries face calls to exclude them. Two prominent local religious leaders of especially targeted and vulnerable populations Bishop Robert McElroy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego and Imam Taha Hassane of the Islamic Center of San Diego speak about a common path forward for our society, based on the wisdom of their respective traditions. In the United States, recent political decisions and governmental policies have worsened the prospects of both those seeking to immigrate legally as well as the millions of undocumented immigrants already here or those still coming. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 35228]

By virtually any measure, prisons have not worked. They are sites of cruelty, dehumanization, and violence, as well as subordination by race, class, and gender. Prisons traumatize virtually all who come into contact with them. Abolition of prison could be the ultimate reform. Georgetown Law Professor Paul Bulter explores what would replace prisons, how people who cause harm could be dealt with in the absence of incarceration, and why abolition would make everyone safer and our society more just. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 35147]

As societal stresses have increased, loneliness and social isolation have become silent killers. Dilip Jeste, MD, a geriatric neuropsychiatrist who specializes in successful aging, explains how loneliness has become an epidemic, the risk factors, helpful interventions, and how we can harness wisdom for compassion, self regulation, and more. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 35226]

The pursuit of fame, changes in China’s youth culture, and the gift economies of live-streaming are explored in this lively conversation between director Hao Wu and Hangping Xu (UC Santa Barbara). Hao vividly compares internet fandom in the US and China and reveals how the lives of the documentary subjects’ has changed since the release of the film. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 35343]

Jeremy Prestholdt examines how Che Guevara, Bob Marley, Tupac Shakur, and Osama bin Laden are major "dissenters" who have represented challenges to the world order. Prestholdt explores the appeal of these four figures over five decades, in part revealing two aspects of an increasingly interconnected world: the tension between shared global symbols and their local interpretations, and the intersection of political vision and consumerism. Series: "Library Channel" [Humanities] [Show ID: 35243]

In the United States, privacy is considered a fundamental right. Yet today our activities are followed to a degree unfathomable not long ago by way of cell phones, online behaviors, and more. As genomic technologies continue to expand, another avenue now exists by which we may potentially be scrutinized: DNA sequence. Our genetic information contains our most private details, but we leave it everywhere and share the sequence closely with dozens or even hundreds of relatives. Laura Rivard, PhD, professor of biology at the University of San Diego, discusses ways in which our DNA may "escape" from our control, what can actually be done with the sequence, and whether there is cause for concern. Series: "Exploring Ethics" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 34998]