UC Santa Barbara (Video)

Filmmakers Joyce García and Alvaro Parra join moderator Alexandra Lippman to discuss their two documentaries on cumbia sonidera, or Colombia-inspired dance music, in Mexico City and Los Angeles, "Yo No Soy Guapo" and “Sonidero Metropolis.” They explore the cultural significance of the sonidero in shaping regional music scenes and tastes, as well as the impacts of migration patterns, diasporic experiences, and technological and generational changes in transforming cumbia culture. They also share their insights on the experiences and difficulties in documenting the protagonists of their films, and the surprising lives those figures lead both professionally and personally. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38944]

Doris Berger, co-curator of Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898-1971 at the Academy Museum, joins moderator Peter Bloom to discuss the film Carmen Jones and the legacy of actress Dorothy Dandridge. Berger explains the backstory of how the Regeneration exhibition was originally conceived and developed, detailing her experiences digging through archival materials and discovering materials from films with all-Black casts in the 1920s and 30s. She also discusses her perspective on Carmen Jones and its significance to film history, as well as on the career of Dorothy Dandridge, from early soundies like Cow Cow Boogie to late career works like Porgy and Bess. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38894]

Writer/director Maysoon Pachachi joins moderator Mona Damluji for a discussion of her film "Our River...Our Sky," which tells the story of ordinary people living in Baghdad under occupation. Pachachi details the origin of the project and the film’s early development, including casting considerations and lessons learned from her documentary work. She also discusses the political contexts of the film and how life in Iraq changed as a result of civil war and occupation, and how real-world stories inspired the film. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 38945]

Director Julia Mintz and executive producer Eva Haller engage in a post-screening discussion of their film Four Winters, where they provide insights into the making of the documentary. Mintz details the process of collecting and editing footage of countless interview subjects to tell the heroic story of Jewish partisans during the Second World War, and Haller emphasizes the importance of sharing those stories for posterity. They recount personal stories of loved ones and their experiences during the war, and reflect on the challenges and significance of revisiting and preserving history. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38895]

Roman Koropeckyj, Professor in the Department of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Languages & Cultures at UCLA, joins moderator Sasha Razor for a discussion of Sergei Parajanov’s film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, sharing insight into Ukrainian culture and history. Koropeckyj discusses the making of the film and details the complexities of Ukrainian culture and history, including the Hutsul ethnic group around which the film revolves. They contextualize the political volatility during the film’s production and broaden discussion to a longer history of Ukrainian oppression, all the way to contemporary struggles. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38876]

In this enlightening conversation, Ray Santisteban, director and producer of the documentary "Time of the Phoenix: The First Rainbow Coalition," shares his insights on activism, coalition politics, and social change. Santisteban delves into his journey of making the documentary and how it marked the beginning of his filmmaking career. He highlights the unique power of documentary filmmaking which enables him to address important social issues that Hollywood often overlooks. Exploring the historical context of revolutionary movements, including the influential role of the Black Panthers, Santisteban emphasizes the significance of building diverse and uncomfortable coalitions to achieve transformative progress. Don't miss this inspiring dialogue on realizing revolutionary possibilities and the untapped potential of documentary filmmaking. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38821]

Production designer Akin McKenzie joined moderator Mireille Miller-Young (Feminist Studies, UCSB) for a post-screening discussion of his work in visualizing the world of The Woman King. The discussion revolved around McKenzie’s extensive research from out-of-print books, photos, and other archival materials to disentangle complex historical events from colonial revisionism. McKenzie also detailed his collaboration process with director Gina Prince-Bythewood and shared thoughts on Black representation in Hollywood and the future of Black cinema. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38875]

Filmmakers Heidi Hassan and Patricia Pérez Fernández discuss the making of their autoethnographic documentary In a Whisper (A media voz) with Cristina Venegas. They discuss a lifelong search for optimism during difficult times, which informed the tone of their film. Patricia Pérez Fernández elaborates on creating the films’ letters, as well as how they both restructured their own archival footage to shape the film. Spanish w/ English subtitles. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38838]

Writer/director Antonio Dikele Distefano and scholar/filmmaker Fred Kuwornu discuss the film Autumn Beat with Claudio Fogu. Distefano details his experiences writing books and magazines and his transition to cinematic work, as well as his experiences growing up as a young Black man in Italy. Kuwornu elaborates on the evolving Black cultural renaissance in Italy and the struggles involved with it. They reflect on the themes of the film, including disability, parenthood, self-expression, and legacies of colonialism, all of which center on a story about the Italian rap scene. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38820]

Moderator Peter Bloom is joined by Kim Knowles and Carrie Noland for a discussion of how contemporary experimental film represents multi-species relationships and dependencies. Together, they consider how experimental cinema can animate alternative understandings of the relations between human and non-human animals. Addressing questions of genre, style, narration, and performance, Knowles, Noland and Bloom highlight the political and aesthetic complexity of the cinematic representation of animals. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 38777]