Cyber attackers have access to more than Sharp Healthcare patients’ information

S1: Thousands of sharp patients information compromised in a hack.

S2: Those medical records , the value of them is many , many times greater than something like a stolen credit card.

S1: I'm Jade Hindman. This is KPBS midday edition. Plans for a cement warehouse in Barrio Logan on hold over environmental concerns.

S2: The port in the neighborhood have been right next to each other for a long time , and it's created a source of tension.

S1: And a surprise donation for the San Diego Foundation. Plus , a conversation with choreographer Jeremy McQueen about his ballet , The Black Iris Project. That's ahead on Midday Edition. San Diego's largest health care provider. Sharp was the target of a cyber attack last month. The records of more than 60,000 patients were compromised. It's the latest attack on area hospitals. Scripps and UC San Diego Health have also been attacked in recent years. KPBS health reporter Matt Hoffman joins us now with the latest on the sharp health care breach. Matt , thanks for joining us.

S2: Hey , Jade , great to be with you.

S1:

S2: Last Friday , Sharp began mailing physical letters to those people , letting them know that some of their data may have been compromised. And they also set up a toll free number that people can call. They also have a web page set up. So they're going to be notifying you if you are a part of this data breach.

S1:

S2: And if you're wondering , you know , am I one of those people , maybe you haven't been contacted yet. They basically say anybody who use or paid a bill through their online payment service from August 2021 to January of 2023. So we're talking about a good chunk of time there , and that's why it impacts nearly 63,000 people here.

S1:

S2: What was compromised or what could have been compromised ? We're talking about , you know , some sharp internal identification numbers , invoice numbers , patient names and amounts of payments. And maybe the entities that sort of received those payments are where they're going. What was not included in this breach and this is very important. What , no credit card information , no payment information , no Social Security numbers , no medical records there internal. It's called Follow My Health , their patient portal. That was not compromised , no dates of birth. So we're talking about some data here. And in response to this , sharpies saying , you know , what they want people to do is that if you are impacted by this , if you do get a letter here , they want you to check your recent bills , you know , maybe see if there's any charges for services that you didn't receive. And if you do see any of those , contact your provider immediately. Hmm.

S1:

S2: It was over just a few hour period in early January when they found this and they hired , you know , a private firm to help them figure out what exactly was was taken here. And that's where they came up with just the small amount of records. Basically , they say that they've enhanced their security tools to prevent this from ever happening in the future and that they're taking proactive steps , you know , to identify any additional , you know , safeguards or tools that they can use to make sure that this doesn't happen again.

S1: You know , this is at least the third major San Diego health care provider to be hacked.

S2: And , you know , when this happened to Scripps , you mentioned it up at the top. They had a huge what was suspected to be a malware attack that , you know , shut them down. They even ended up having to move cancer patients over to UC San Diego while this was happening. But we talked to a cyber security expert who basically said that , you know , organized crime in this space , it's very well-organized and it's very lucrative and there's big money that can be made out there. And basically what he was saying there is that , you know , the value of a medical record , which was not compromised and this sharp breach , but those medical records , the value of them , is many , many times greater than something like a stolen credit card.

S1:

S2: And things like blackmail come into play. You know , if somebody's medical record gets out , maybe it's a celebrity , maybe it's a politician. You know , not everybody wants people to know what they're dealing with , with their personal health. And if somebody gets that information , like maybe they find out that they're undergoing some treatment for something that could be used against them. So that's just one of the many examples of how that can be used.

S1: So very , very interesting.

S2: So according to the Union-Tribune , that one over at UC San Diego Health , the one over at Scripps , they are both under some class action lawsuits right now. So some of that remains to be seen. You know , I'm no legal expert , but it sounds like not a lot of personal information , at least according to Sharp , was compromised here. Not sure if that was the case in these other incidents. So I guess time will tell there , Jed.

S1: All right. I've been speaking with KPBS health reporter Matt Hoffman. Matt , thanks for joining us.

S2: Thanks , Jade.

S1: A proposed warehouse project at the Port of San Diego is on hold after a surge of community pushback over a number of environmental concerns. The proposal from the Mitsubishi Cement Corporation would have seen thousands of trucks a year driving in and out of Barrio Logan and National City areas that historically have been disproportionately impacted by high levels of pollution. KPBS environment reporter Eric Anderson joins us now with more on the story. Eric , welcome.

S2: Thank you.

S1:

S2: And they came up with an idea that , hey , it would be faster and easier to ship the materials into a Southern California port and then truck those materials to the construction sites where the material is needed. They picked San Diego as their first option to look at what they could do to make this thing a reality. And what they said was they would like to build a large warehouse that would receive this material. Of course , it would be out of the whether that way , if there is any weather like rain. And then they would have trucks that actually go to the 10th Avenue terminal , which is located just outside of Barrio Logan. And they would pick up the material and then drive it to where it would be used on a construction site. And they said , look , this is a project that's going to create jobs in San Diego. It's going to create revenue for the Port of San Diego and everyone is going to be a winner for all the economic activity that this project would bring to bear.

S1:

S2: We've sort of seen an easing of that tension over the last few years because the port has been working with the neighbors on clean air issues. They've been looking for solutions. They've been talking to the people in the neighborhoods who are directly impacted. And they're trying to find pathways that allow them to continue to do business while they keep the air clean.

S1: And so there was significant pushback to this project from the community.

S2: They said , look , we can't afford to have 4 to 10000 trucks going through our neighborhoods every single month. It's just not the kind of project that we want next to our neighborhoods. It's bad for them. They already suffer from pollution , and we just cannot endure this. There was some back and forth between the port and the community , and in 2020 , kind of ironically , the port passed their maritime clean air strategy , which sort of outlined what the port wants to do going forward to make sure that their pollution impacts are mitigated. And this didn't really fit in with that plan. And the port commissioners eventually rejected it in 2020 and said , look , come back with a plan that meets our clean air goals and we'll consider it again. And so Mitsubishi came back last year during the course of the year with another plan. They approached the community , they started talking about it. But one thing that that new plan didn't have was a lessening of the reliance on diesel trucks to move the goods from the port facility to the location where they would end up being used.

S1: It did.

S2: That was the big that was the big holdup , the pollution that all this truck traffic would generate in those communities which were already so vulnerable.

S1: And the topic of pollution is a particularly resonant one in the South Bay community. Can you talk a bit about why this is such a hot button issue ? Yeah.

S2: State of California , through their cal and virus screening process , has identified Barrio Logan and National City as communities that are among the top 5% when it comes to impact from pollution. They have higher. Asthma rates. They have higher rates of cancer all linked to the additional pollution that they have to deal with. So that was already a concern even without the addition of all this extra traffic.

S1:

S2: They didn't say , look , this is just off the table completely. And I think their position is to the Mitsubishi Cement Corporation that , look , if you come back to us with a project that meets our clean air strategy that has these clean trucks that we're asking you to have in order to operate this business on Port of San Diego land , then that's something that can be considered. So the project itself is not completely dead , but they certainly are not discussing it in its current form or the form that was offered last year. So. So for now at least , it's on hold.

S1:

S2: Some of the things that they've already implemented , which are good for air quality in that area , is that they now have dock link up so that when a diesel powered vessel comes into the 10th Avenue terminal , they can turn those diesel engines off , plug electricity into a port side , hook up and fuel the vessel that way while it's in the port. They also have the nation's first all electric tugboat in operation there. And that's a pretty big step for them. And they're trying out a couple of different cargo handling trucks on site at the port that are zero emission all electric vehicles. So the port is taking steps in that direction. And the clean the maritime clean air strategy kind of set deadlines. They want to get to a place in 2030 where they are near zero emissions when it comes to air pollution. And they're looking , I think , for projects that help them get there , that meet both their revenue goals and their clean air goals.

S1: I've been speaking with KPBS environment reporter Eric Anderson. Eric , thanks for talking with us.

S2: My pleasure.

S1: You're listening to KPBS Midday edition. I'm Jade Hindman. Last week , the San Diego Foundation announced a $100 million donation from a stranger. The massive gift from late long time Ocean Beach resident Jake Hahn ranks among the largest unrestricted donations ever for a U.S. foundation. In their announcement last Thursday. The foundation surprised ten local music based nonprofits with grants of $150,000 each. It was just the first step in putting the donation to work in the San Diego community. I'm joined now by Mark Stuart , the president and CEO of San Diego Foundation , along with Brandon Stepp , executive director from David Taub Foundation , which was one of ten local nonprofits that received a $150,000 gift. Welcome to you both.

S2: Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here. Thanks , Jade. Great to be with you.

S1: Glad to have you with us. So , Marc , I'll start with you. Tell us about how you first heard of Jake Hahn. Yeah.

S2: Yeah. So I was at my home office. I got a call from a local a state attorney , and he was telling me that he had a client who had planned to leave the bulk of his estate to his longtime girlfriend and then to charity. But she'd passed away during the pandemic , and he needed to make the gift now directly to charity , and that it was coming to the San Diego Foundation. I quickly went through our database looking for a job and couldn't find one. And the estate attorney said he picked you. Wow.

S1: Wow. What an amazing story there.

S2: Our total , unrestricted or discretionary grantmaking is about $5 million a year from funds that have been left to us over decades. This is going to double that amount for San Diego Foundation , which means we've got more flexibility , more nimbleness , more ability to respond to pressing issues in the community than we ever have before. It is a complete game changer for our foundation. Hmm.

S3: Hmm.

S1: I mean , aside from the enormous size of the donation , the person behind the gift was something of a surprise as well. I mean , what can you tell us about the life of Jay Kahn ? Yeah.

S2: So Jay grew up in Benton Harbor , Michigan , about 90 years ago. His family were livestock dealers. He learned to fly planes at an early age , but also was devoted to classical music. He ended up receiving a clarinet scholarship to University of Texas at Denton. He didn't finish with that program , but then decided to move west and to try his hand in business. He got into the clothing industry and was selling clothes between Mexico and the United States when that was the thing to do. And then at some point in time , he met Sol Price and Sol asked him to invest and fed Mark. And I think we all know the Fed Mart story going from Fed Mart the Price Club to eventually Costco. Those funds allowed him to quit work and kind of have a life of leisure. He was devoted to playing chamber music and and jamming with others either on the clarinet , the cello or the piano. But he also played tennis and did it competitively and was a gourmet cook. Then at some point , he invested in this little company called Apple and turned a quarter million dollar investment into $80 million. I wish I was around or knew the day that he did that , because I think we all wish we would have done the same thing. But just a remarkable man. I tried to meet with him , Jade , and he said , No , thanks , I've already made my plans. I don't care to think anymore about life not being here in San Diego. So , no. Wow.

S1: Wow. That that is remarkable , indeed. I mean , you know , and Mark just mentioned Jay Kahn's connection to music. So , Brandon , your organization , the David's Heart Foundation , was one of ten area music based nonprofit organizations to receive a $150,000 gift.

S2:

S4: We received an email maybe four or.

S2: Five weeks ago with an invitation to come up and just join the San Diego Foundation board. And when we got there , you know , there's chairs that were set out in the front of the room and looked down.

S4: There's envelopes on the chairs.

S2: And pretty soon Marcus has announced that we were going to receive $150,000. And I mean , your response is shock. And this is a Thursday morning. I thought traffic up the five freeway to get to to the event. And that was it was definitely a.

S4: Huge , huge.

S2: Surprise and blessing.

S1: I mean , I just I mean , I want to know , what was your reaction to. To the gift.

S2: My reaction was , I'm just grateful. Honestly , just really , really , really grateful and humbled to be part of such amazing people in the room. There's just so much great work happening in San Diego. And to know that we were one of those initial recipients of this award is just absolutely humbling. Wow.

S1: Wow. So what does the David's Heart Foundation do and how were these gifted funds help achieve your mission ? Yeah.

S2: So at the David's Heart.

S4: Foundation , we trade good grades.

S2: And behaviors for recording studio time with young people in the community. And for us , I mean , $150,000 is the beginning of us expanding. Our.

S4: Our.

S2: Our effort to the East county. It really couldn't have come at a better time. We're in the process right now of creating another recording studio facility where young people in the East County can experience just music and media production , but mentorship as well.

S1: And Brandon , you have some guests with you today. Can you introduce us to a couple of them briefly ? Absolutely.

S4: So I have.

S2: The Biz Pod team behind me. Guys want to say hi. So the Biz Pod is a really the top of our organization , young people , transitional age youth from 18 to 24 who are creating content for organizations locally here in San Diego , ranging from Sony to the Standard Symphony.

S4: And even the San Diego Foundation , actually.

S2: So really , really , really quality content from these young people.

S1: It's so good to see and and hear about Mark , although this this gift to these local nonprofits like the David's Harp Foundation. The fact is there's a lot more of that donation left.

S2: And this will bring our total commitment to that fund , to $20 million of what we've put in , and we're expecting to raise many times that amount through the community , investors and corporations. We're also committing $4 million to our strategic plan initiatives for next year. And our strategic plan is focused on advancing racial and social justice , fostering equity of opportunity , building resilient communities and delivering world class philanthropy. And then the bulk of the dollars , about 84 million , will be going into an endowment to be a permanent fund , for which for about 5% of that interest will be used on a yearly basis. So the wonderful thing about that is that while Jacob may have passed away in August after 90 years , he will be here in perpetuity. He will be immortal in San Diego due to this fund. And we're just so grateful to be able to have this be a permanent legacy for Jay's life and his commitment to philanthropy. Wow.

S1: I know a lot of people cannot wait to see this gift at work in the community. One last question. You know , for Brandon , it was an overwhelming sense of gratitude when he received the money. And Mark , I'm curious for you , what was that like.

S2: In May of 21 ? Again , when I learned of this gift , I actually had to put the state attorney on hold for a second. Take a few minutes to compose myself , and then started immediately to say , How could we meet Jay ? How can we thank you ? How can we learn about his passions ? And while we were rebuffed in that opportunity , I've just been holding this secret back for , gosh , almost two years. And it's been the best secret I've had to keep.

S1: I mean , what an amazing gift this is and truly a secret that would have been hard to keep. I've been speaking with Marc Stuart , president and CEO of San Diego Foundation , and Brandon Steppe , executive director of David's HARP Foundation. Thank you both for being with us today. And thanks for all you do in the community.

S4: Thank you very much.

S2: My pleasure.

S1: You're listening to KPBS Midday edition. I'm Jade Hindman. The Black Iris Project is a ballet collaborative based in New York City. Their aim is to create and perform new black centric works of classical and contemporary ballet. Its founder , choreographer Jeremy McQueen , was born and raised right here in San Diego , and on Wednesday night he returns to bringing the Black Iris project for its first performance in his hometown. Jeremy McQueen joins me now. And Jeremy , welcome. Hi.

S4: Hi. Good afternoon. Thank you for having me.

S1: So let's start with your introduction to the performing arts as a child in San Diego.

S4: My mom took me. I was about eight years old , and everything about that experience just really had me captivated from the the scenery , the lighting , the costumes , the being able to see such vibrant pictures come to life before my very eyes was just so incredibly moving. And I looked at her after that performance and I said , I want to do something like this.

S1:

S4: And I actually hated ballet. It was I started taking ballet at a CPA. It was a way of getting out of taking P.E.. I took P.E. in the sixth grade. And in the seventh grade , I said , I don't like this. I want to try dance. And ballet was my least favorite dance medium. I think tap and jazz were my favorite. I hated the idea of wearing a dance belt in tights , and I hated the rigid ness of ballet. But over the years , I came to really love and appreciate the art form for what it is fundamentally outside of all of the very deeply rooted myths and white supremacy , which kind of led me to have a number of challenges in my life with finding my own voice through ballet and always feeling like I didn't quite fit in and that my body didn't fit in. Hmm.

S1: Hmm. I want to talk about that more. But this that that experience really led you to to found a ballet company and to create these two original ballets in the performance , which deal with some heavy subject matter. One ballet is set in a juvenile detention facility and is inspired by Where the Wild Things are. Can you tell us about Wild ? Yes.

S4: Wild was inspired by a portrait that I saw at the Equal Justice Initiatives Legacy Museum in Montgomery , Alabama. I was there working on a different project , and I had visited the museum with a cousin , and I felt the same or similar feelings that I got when I was watching the opera , When I saw this portrait of a 12 year old boy detained in a juvenile detention facility in Mississippi in the museum by Richard Ross. And it just really kind of had a hold on me just because the walls of this young boy's cell were just covered in etchings and and just expressions of frustration and dreams and hopes. And it just made me think a lot about what young boys could be going through , encountering such a situation and having their dreams literally stifled by the four walls that they're restrained within. And so understanding just how much I loved Where the Wild Things are as a child , and at the time of seeing this portrait , I was working on a project with a collaborator named Morgan , and we were playing with How to Bring Where the Wild Things Are to Life. I saw Max's story through this young boy and through seemingly a lot of the experiences , through a number of young men impacted by the juvenile justice system , where they really had to use their imaginations to imagine a world far beyond the four walls that they're trapped with and one where their loved appreciated , their creativity is encouraged and amplified. And so I decided to find a way to kind of bridge those two stories together , making the focus , being amplifying voices that frequently go unheard.

S1: Wow , that is so powerful and powerful to take such trauma and then turn it around with with the performance. Your ballet. A mother's right , is about a mother grieving publicly after her son is murdered by police. Tell us about this work.

S4: Yeah , it's a work that we created in 2018 as I was an artist in residence at the Bronx Museum of the Arts , and we had this piece of music by Igor Stravinsky , Rite of Spring , that I knew I had wanted to choreograph to for some time. But it wasn't until a trip to a Salon concert with my partner where I started to all of a sudden see the pieces kind of coming together with the black guy projects. It's always our mission to tell stories through ballet that are least commonly told. And one of the stories that I was inspired to create was a story about mothers and their journey through grief , especially after enduring such an injustice of seeing the officer or the person who killed your son or daughter go away without really any kind of repercussions. And what that kind of does to the mental , psychological and physical self. And also understanding that so many of these occurrences happen in this country , that it just becomes a kind of a constant , seemingly hashtag from one to the other , where even though we mentally may have moved on to the next hashtag , these mothers , their lives are forever changed in this moment. And even though the cameras may not be always in their face asking them how they're doing , we still need to find ways to uplift them , to provide them support , and to really create more avenues for justice in this country. And so being able to see this large concert and seeing her seemingly have a nervous breakdown on stage during her song called Mad , it made me think about the reasons why we have to be mad in this country. And I immediately started to think about just the mothers and how they are continuing to be champions for their children and other children while enduring such just a tragic devastation. Wow.

S1: Wow.

S4: I feel like I'm just sharing life. I'm sharing life experiences. And I think that a lot of times when we look at black lives , there is trauma associated. I mean , we can go all the way back to the slavery , the slavery period that we've endured in this country. So really , when I think about my mission , it's to specifically highlight stories that need to be addressed. We can't move forward in the future if we don't really understand and recognize how our past impacts where we are right now. And so in addition to these two ballets , we have a huge range of different types of works that we create. They're not all necessarily deeply rooted in and justice as or accountability as these works are , but they're rooted so deeply in just honoring the multitude and the magnitude of of of black life. Black is not a monolith. We are not a monolithic people. And we do have highs and lows and joys and dreams and hopes. And in these two ballets , you get to see all aspects of of the person of human personalities and characteristics , not just trauma and grief , but we get to see joy and and hope for the future that things will not always be the way that they are.

S1: That's great. You know , in your experience , is this something that the ballet world has made room for in the past ? No.

S4: Ballet hasn't made room for it in the past. And the reason why I chose ballet is because it's a medium that has always kind of stuck with me as being elitist or resistant to change. As a young kid , I was taught that ballet is the foundation for all dance forms and that if you're strong in ballet , you'll be more marketable as a dancer and you'll have a better time getting a career that we all know is deeply rooted in white supremacy. And those are things that we now combat. And we address a little bit more differently about how we look at ballet. But ballet specifically is an art form that has been just so resistant to evolution. One of my favorite quotes from Nina Simone , which I'm going to kind of loosely paraphrase for the moment , is it's an artist's duty to reflect the times and in all different mediums and aspects of the arts , from television to movies to whatever it may be. We've seen this evolution as documentation of where we are right now in society , whereas ballet has continued to primarily remain fairly conservative. And they look at. Diversity inclusion as , say , putting a black female dancer into a white swan costume and calling it , you know , groundbreaking when really it's not. We have to really not just diversify who is dancing. The stories that were created initially , not for us or by us , but really making sure that we're creating holistic stories , including all diverse types of stories and people that help. Ballet looks like what America looks like right now.

S1: I mean , and it's so deeply ingrained to to hear you say that. I remember as a child being in ballet class , and when I would do a play or anything , you know , the teacher would always say , No , you're not doing that right , because my body was shaped differently. I was more heavy on the bottom half. And so it's so deeply ingrained that even body type is sort of there are biases towards that even.

S4: Yes , absolutely. It's so great that you mention that , because like I said , as a as a young kid , I had the body dysmorphia issues because I was constantly seeing pictures and images of very slender , primarily white dancers. And that was what I had , quote unquote , to look up to. And I found very few instances , especially in San Diego , where I was able to see dancers that looked like me and that had curves , and they embraced those. And so with the Black Eye Project , where being the change that we wish to see in the world , we have diverse body types , colors , shapes , sizes , because I think , you know , it's important to see that and it's important for people to feel accepted in ballet , even though historically they have not felt that. Yeah.

S1: Yeah. You mentioned resistance earlier. The Black Iris project debuted in New York City in 2016 , but it took seven years to secure a show here in your hometown.

S4: Honestly , it's just ridiculous. San Diego is unlike any city that I've ever worked. And having lived in New York City for for almost two decades now , and I've gotten to work on some of the most incredible Broadway productions and tours. And it's just I'm learning a lot about San Diego and its very conservative ness. It's it's its own bubble that I think actually holds us back from moving forward. It feels as though no matter how much accolades or how many awards or recognition I can receive nationally or even in New York , it's still never enough for San Diego. And that's a really hurtful thing to experience. To feel like your own voice and vision is appreciated more outside of your hometown. But , you know , I am the type of person I am a McQueen. My parents are from the South. They grew up in the 5060s and seventies. They've encountered segregation and integration. They've experienced and seen a lot. And their stories and their resilience have continued to propel me that you can do anything that you put your mind to. I'm doing this purely because I know that I would not be where I am today if it were not for the artists from San Diego who came back , especially to my high school , and shared their experiences and showed me that it was possible to have a career outside of San Diego. It was possible to be on Broadway. And I know that students aren't getting a lot of that right now , and especially with the world that we live in currently , it's hard to find that continued inspiration to say , Hey , I'm going to go for this. I'm going to leave the nest and go 3000 miles away to explore a life that's unknown. But I'm here to encourage the young people of San Diego , especially young people of color from my own neighborhood , South San Diego , to let them know we're here , We're doing this. There are people from in New York , from San Diego that have been wildly successful in the arts. And you can , too , if you just continue to stay focused and be determined to not let anything stop you or get in your way.

S1: I've been speaking with Jeremy McQueen , choreographer and founder of the Black Iris Project , a black collaborative. The group will perform at Balboa Theatre at 630 tomorrow. Jeremy , thank you very much for sharing your story and your show with us. Congratulations on the show.

S4: Thank you so much. It's been my honor. It's truly. Thank you so much.

S1: Two weeks ago , San Diego State University graduate Lesley Patterson heard her name read as an Oscar nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay for All Quiet on the Western Front. KPBS arts reporter Beth ACCOMANDO speaks with Patterson about the long struggle to get the film made and how the nomination has changed her life.

S5: And now we have the first of the two award categories that honor writers. The first is Adapted screenplay. The nominees are all quiet on the Western Front. Screenplay by Edward Berger , Lesley Patterson and Ian Stokoe.

S3: So , Leslie , you have just received an Oscar nomination very early in your career. So how does that feel ? Oh , it's incredible. I can't quite believe it. I keep in sort of pinching myself and almost like seeing under my breath. It's it really is sort of stuff of dreams , to be honest. Your part in this film goes beyond just writing the script. So tell us a little bit kind of about the origin of this project and kind of how long you've been pursuing it. Yeah , So I mean , we're executive producers on the project as well , which is a total honor because we've gotten nine Oscar nominations for the film , which is just unbelievable. But yes , 16 years ago , my partner at the time in Stokoe and myself , you know , obviously loved the book , read it in school. So had he. And we thought , I wonder if anyone has the rights to this because nobody has done it sort of in current time. And so we went on a little investigation to to see if anyone did. And lo and behold , they didn't , which was an absolute shock because it's such a big title. So we pleaded with the estate , gave them a sob story of , hey , we're just two lowly writers , but we have this great idea. We'd love to give this a bash. Please , please give us a shot. And they did. And so we embarked on this crazy journey both to adapt the novel , but then to try and get it off the ground as as producers. Well , and adapting something is very different from writing an original screenplay , because you have to do this thing of securing rights and getting the rights to this. Crossed over into your career as an triathlete and explain kind of how one supported the other. Yeah. So , you know , obviously you have to pay to get an option to the rights of a novel like this. And it's not cheap. It's several thousands of dollars every year or every time you have to renew it. I was a professional triathlete and a , you know , obviously a small sport. So endorsements come , you know , 500 bucks here or 500 bucks there. So ultimately , as I started to do very well in the sport , then I got prize money and it would come in a lump sum. So that proved to be a great way of actually supporting the payment of these options. And so pretty crazy stories along the way. The biggest one , of course , is when the option was almost due and I flew out to Costa Rica for a big race and was very , very fit , convinced I was going to get some good prize money to pay the option. And then the day before I broke my shoulder had a heart to heart with my husband and figured out that we could probably have a bash at me just trying to get through the swim with one arm. My biking and running was so strong. Maybe , just maybe , I could make some prize money to at least cover our expenses and hopefully earn something towards the payment. And lo and behold , I won the darn thing. So it was definitely an exercise in perseverance. And what was it in particular about the story that you connected with ? Why did you want to tell this story ? I think for me personally , it was the plight of these young soldiers. It was the betrayal of this youthful generation and the fact that it's told from the perspective of a German who we have always seen to be the enemy. Growing up , you know , as a Brit , to see that this was the experience of all the young men , regardless of being an enemy , being an ally , that was irrelevant. So the betrayal from the higher brass is really what sort of got to me and made me very passionate about telling this from the other side. And how did you think that theme would connect with a contemporary audience ? This younger generation is coming up , is a lot more aware than we maybe give them credit for. I wanted a film that really penetrated that generation with a message that's very poignant , and this is absolutely an war film through and through. There is no hero. It is not an adventure. Nice.

S2: Nice. Hi. Hi.

S3: We've just had all of these young people reach out to us to see how much they appreciate this film. And , you know , we don't want to dumbed down our audiences. And I think that the perspective is that , you know , oh , you know , young people only like comic book films or the only like , you know , comedies. And it's not true. I think we can have amazingly impactful , message driven films that younger audiences want. And this film is in German. So do you speak German ? How was.

S1: It to create a.

S3: Script in another language ? Right. Well , what we did , certainly , Ian and I , when we adapted it , we did a lot of research. We read a lot of German diaries and then we just read around the war in terms of the historical context. But Edward , coming on board as a writer and as a director was so critical in that translate not just the translation , but how he then infused the script with that German sensibility.

S5: Sucrose Deutschland. Leaking in hands and a glistening to.

UU: My father doesn't seem. I was in.

S5: A gun.

S2: Drill case of guns on day. Long.

S3: Long. Yeah. And it's really a curious thing that , you know , we've got sort of two Brits that started it and had that outside perspective of that sort of culture and then know Edward coming from the inside. So we've got both outside in and inside out. And I think that that's why it really works. And do you actually have a connection here to San Diego , which is that you went to San Diego State and studied film. What was that like ? Did you feel it was a benefit ? What kind of things did that offer you ? Oh , I absolutely loved my time at San Diego State. I was in the master's program for theater and film and had amazing professors. For me , it was going back to study. The second time was a really beautiful thing because I think you can really just indulge in it. All of my professors were incredibly passionate and that passion really resonated with me and it sent me on this path to want to do film. And , you know , for people who just go to movies , the Oscars is more about like , Oh , did I like that film ? Did it deserve to get nominated ? But for somebody who's actually in filmmaking , what does that mean for you in terms of are more doors opening up ? Does this really help boost your career in some way ? Yeah , it's massive and I did not realize quite how much. Ultimately , when it comes to financing a film package , you can film getting something off the ground. Then all of the elements that are attached to that project have a worth. And if you have an Oscar nomination or you're an Oscar winner , that adds to the worth of the package. So that's why they're more excited to want to talk to you. And then it just allows you to all of a sudden be in conversations with people at the top. And I know that when we get in the door , people want to work with us because we're genuine , we're intelligent , we have great ideas , and we're willing to learn and grow and have a lot of skills. I think that maybe other people in the business don't. So yeah , I'm really excited for what's to come.

S1: That was Beth ACCOMANDO speaking with Leslie Patterson. All quiet on the Western Front is currently streaming on Netflix , but can be seen on the big screen at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas and Angelika Film Center.