S1: It's time for Midday Edition on Kpbs. Our weekly arts and culture show takes us to one of Black San Diego's food and wellness festivals. I'm Jade Hindman. Here's to conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and engaged. Diego Eats is this weekend as the Black Arts and Culture District continues flood recovery.
S2: This is not just about Encanto , it's about San Diego and all the people in San Diego. So no matter where you come from , when you visit the Black and Arts and Culture district , then you can see how alive it is and look forward to this event for years to come.
S1: Plus , a new book explores dual identity and mythology. Then film critics Beth Accomando and Yazdi share their movie picks for Black History Month. That's ahead on Midday Edition. The Food festival. Diego Eats returned to the San Diego Black Arts and Culture district this Sunday , February 18th. But beyond the eats , it's a celebration of Encanto rich cultural heritage and an opportunity to support black owned businesses in the community. I'm joined now by Tommy Walker , CEO and co-founder of The Mental Bar , a coffee and tea house. He's one of the organizers behind the event. Tommy , welcome.
S2: Thank you so much , I appreciate that.
S1: I'm also joined by one of the vendors , Joanne Guillory of The Remix , which specializes in vegan comfort food. Joanne , welcome to you too. Hi.
S3: Hi. Thank you so much for having me.
S1: It's great to have you both on. Tommy , I'll start with you first. Diego Eats was in 2021 , right ? Yes.
S2: So during Covid , it was , you know , just that time where we wasn't going outside and you couldn't , you know , participate in going to your favorite restaurant. So Black San Diego created this great event where vendors were able to come out into the Synergy Center , which is located in Encanto , and they popped up and gave the experience of being at home , being in your in a restaurant , um , right in the parking lot. So that spanned it into three years later to where we have Diego Eats , spanning across the entire black Arts and culture district.
S1:
S2: And I eat , you know , I eat most of these vendors food a lot , but my favorite is Jamaican food. I'm from New York City , and Jamaican food is is just my jam. Nice.
S1: Nice. All right , Joanne , I mean , you'll be winning this year.
S3: I'm. I'm grateful to be on here with the both of you. I just wanted to get that out there. I had the pleasure of starting my pop up in 2018. We began vending at various open mics and different community events. Uh , we actually had the pleasure of joining Diego Eats when they first began. So we , um , we're working with them consistently up until Covid. So Covid kind of knocked us out a little bit , but we're we're just now getting back into the swing of things. Um , but we've we've created this business to give a highlight to the foods that we love and adore within our culture , but also giving the alternative of it being vegan so we can still enjoy everything that we love about those meals. However , it's still healthy and and better for our bodies. Yeah.
S1: You know , I noticed that there is this undercurrent in this movement in push towards healthier , more holistic living within the black community.
S3: And um , with that , you know , a lot of people have kind of shied away from the vegan movement because of all the stigma that's wrapped up around it. And so my business , I , I really like to give people the choice of , you know , you can still enjoy the foods that you like regularly , but maybe just try to incorporate a plant based meal every now and then. And our plant based meals are meals that are recognizable , so it's food that you're used to eating. Um , if you're , you know , from , for example , my culture. I'm African American , of course. So we do love our soul food , I love ribs , I love chicken , I love greens. And so we have all those options as well. But they're vegan. Um , but we don't , uh , use it being vegan as a means to forgo taste. So taste is very important to us. Texture's very important. And so this allows people to kind of open their mind and expand a little bit more on what vegan food is and just what you can create. It can be exactly what you're used to. Eating is just a matter of what is a good alternative to create that dish.
S1:
S3: Um , I have dedicated over a decade of service to my community through just entrepreneurship and art. Um , I have a strong passion for Southeast San Diego. It's my home. I was born and raised here , and a lot of the people that I love are still here. A lot of people left , but the ones that are here , you know , I think it's important that we still stay connected to each other. And so this allows us to put more pride back into our community and put more pride back into ourselves and fellowship and , uh , just seeing how important that is. It's important that we unify and and share love with each other. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. And I would imagine , especially at a time when the community was hit so hard by last month's flooding. Tommy , how are people feeling ? The.
S2: We literally watched the flood as it happened because it , you know , because of where we are. It happened right in front of us. And there's people all around us that were affected by it. And we were in the gap to help people , making sure they got the resources that they needed and and try and make it as convenient as possible because , you know , you still had to go to work the next day , you know , and , and you still have to go through the rummage and still be a normal human being. So there is still a lot of things that we have not fixed yet , and people are still dealing with that. And we're hoping that this event will will shed so much light and give so much joy to the people in this community to let them know that , you know , we're here for you , not only as business owners , because it takes the community for these businesses to survive , but that it's a full circle , that the business owners are supporting the community and the community and supporting the business owners. Yeah.
S1: Yeah.
S3: So I actually had I don't want to say the pleasure of watching because it was not pleasurable , but I did watch the entire flood happen. I watched a car get swept away into that small trench that's right in front of the the trolley , and it was quite traumatizing , if I may be honest. Um , because I've never seen anything like that in San Diego. Um , nothing to that capacity. And so it was very alarming and , you know , eye opening for everyone , I'm sure. But just witnessing the the after effect , all the damage , all the cars that are just not usable anymore in the area , all the people whose lives have been disrupted in almost some destroyed , who don't have the means to repair their homes , who've lived there for decades , it's very hard to see. So hopefully this event would , you know , just bring us together in these times , in these trying times , even though a lot of people have gotten together to give out food and things like that , you know , we still need to come together and enjoy each other and have fun. Um , and not just be so , you know , bogged down by the weight of all the things that are happening to us. So hopefully this will be exactly what we need. Absolutely.
S1: Absolutely. And , Tommy , tell me what you saw and and how all of this is impacting this weekend's day. Go eats. Yeah.
S2: Yeah. So I was driving actually through the neighborhood as everything was happening. And like Joanne said , I've been in this community for for ten years. And to see streets flooding that I've never seen flood before was alarming. Like like she said. So I had to , you know , go through detours and go up streets and down hills that I didn't have to go through , and seeing everybody being affected by this. And then when we got to the cafe , our neighbors like , literally right upstairs from us , there was mudslides coming into the parking lot and the elevator was was full of water. So all the apartments above us couldn't use the elevator. They had to use the stairs to get down. They had to use they had to move their cars out of the parking lot because the mud was getting everybody cars stuck. So just to witness all of that in real time was was something that you only see on the news , you know , especially in Southern California where we don't , you know , we don't we don't have weather like that. And I went from , you know , worrying about my customers that was in the store to also having to worry about my family and , and where everybody was. So it was definitely something that we all had to pivot. And even organizing this event , the pivot to try and make sure that we still stood fast and and wanted to make this event still become a reality. Yeah , we could have said , you know what , with everything that's going on , let's not do the event. Let's probably do it next year. But we really wanted to push and we just hope the community feels that love in the intention that that all of us that are being not just the organizers , but the people that are participating , that that we have for the community , and we really hope that the love is felt when they come out and see that no matter what , this community still stands strong. And we can only stand strong when everybody is together. Yeah.
S1: I mean , it really speaks to the resilience of the community , but it also speaks to , you know , how how important it is to be part of the community in order to serve the community , and that you all really create this space for wellness with your businesses. And it's so important when people are dealing with the chronic stress of things like this of of a flooded neighborhood.
S2: Yes , absolutely. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. I mean , besides food , the event is also going to highlight in Cantos arts and entertainment scene.
S2: The the gentleman that's curating the art. His name is Brandon Flowers. Uh , he goes by fubar on on Instagram. And you know , he's he's really deep into the art world. So he had brought out some of his friends that's going to do some , some work. Right. And. Our cafe where we're going to line it up very similar to what you see in Little Italy when they do the art walk. Um , so we're going to have just artists just doing their thing , freestyling along the few blocks that we got spread out.
S1:
S2: Like Joanna said , people lived here for years and , you know , early 2000 , it used to be a great street fair called Encanto Street Fair , and it died out for whatever reason. And we just want to reignite that love for community. And we're hoping that no matter where you come from , because this is not just about Encanto , it's about San Diego and all the people in San Diego. So no matter where you come from , when you visit the Black and Arts and Culture district , then you can see how alive it is and look forward to this event for years to come.
S1:
S3: Absolutely. Um , I feel like it's going to be a giant family reunion that I'm looking forward to because a lot of people that are listed are my friends or my peers or people that have mentored me , that I've looked up to. And so I just imagine it's going to be a giant family reunion , uh , with lots of great food and amazing artists. There's so much talent in San Diego , and I just really want to see people get to display that this year. It seems like , you know , a lot of us who are into the art , we know how powerful the art is here , but we need to kind of express that into the outward community. Who's who may not be as familiar with the art that that thrives here. So hopefully , um , with Brandon Flowers , I know him , so I'm looking forward to seeing what artists he has , uh , brought out to put on stage. It's going to be a really great show and just a really good time. That's usually how it is. So I'm looking forward to just getting back to that.
S1: All right. I've been speaking with Tommy Walker , CEO and co-founder of The Mental Bar , and Joann Guillory , co-founder of The Remix. Diego Eats will take place this Sunday , February 18th at the San Diego Black Arts and Culture District. The celebration will kick off at 12 p.m. and run through 4:45 p.m.. Tommy and Joanne , thank you so much for joining us and thanks for all the work you're doing.
S2: Thank you. Thank you. It's a pleasure.
S1: Coming up , a local author explores dual identity and mythology in her new book.
S4: I think it all started with just asking myself , what if this happened ? Or what if Zorro had superpowers ? What if Zorro were female ? What if the conquest of Mexico had been different.
S1: Here from Maria Flores after the break ? Welcome back. You're listening to Kpbs Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. Before Marvel and DC , there was one Mexican legend who became the blueprint for many of your favorite superheroes.
S5: Some say he's a legend. Zorro was a servant of the people. He did what was needed.
S6: No , he's needed again.
S5: Other is a ghost. Be careful senorita. There are dangerous men around. Some say he fights for justice.
S7: There are some who would call him heroic.
S5: Others , for revenge , would not play with swords.
S6: Shooting guns. Racing around the horses.
S8: Such sweaty pursuits are hardly the work of a gentleman.
S5: No one has seen his face.
S1: You're hearing a trailer from the iconic 1998 film Mask of Zorro. Zorro is a major inspiration for San Diego author Mario Flores , who reimagines the classic folktale in her novel Son of Blood and Ruin. Set in 16th century New Spain. The book follows 18 year old Pantera , who , like Zorro , leads a double life as a wealthy noble and a sword wielding vigilante. This is Lara's debut historical fantasy book , and she's also got a sequel in the works. Mario Lee , welcome to Midday edition.
S4: Thank you so much for having me , Jade.
S1: So glad to have you here.
S4: And it was funny because here I was relating to this male character , but I related to him simply because he spoke Spanish. And so I felt seen in a way. I think that that really struck a chord with me. And clearly , 30 years later , Zorro is still a favorite of mine. And I wrote the story Son of Blood and Ruin. Well , I reimagined the story , but it was really borne of my love for Zorro.
S1: Yeah , that's why it is so important to have representation and see representation , especially during those formative years.
S4: But I knew that the time period was going to be different. First of all , I knew the setting was going to be different. Um , and I knew that of course , the character was going to be female and that I was going to give her some very cool superpowers just to see how much more she could get done that maybe Zorro couldn't. And that was really the starting point for the story. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. So in this book , it is set in the 16th century in an alternate version of Mexico. Can you tell us more about the time period this story is set in , correct ? Yes.
S4: It's 16th century Spain occupied Mexico , which 500 years ago it was called New Spain. And I wanted to set the story in this particular time period because we know so little about it. And going back to Zorro , when we hear of him and his adventures , it was already , I believe it was the 19th century , which is when Mexico gained independence from Spain. And so that to me was a very late , because we don't we have centuries of unexplored history. And so I wanted it to be early on after the conquest. So somewhere between 1549 , 1550. And so that way we could get a , a look into some of the early conflict that took place. And we could really see that struggle of in that experience of living in a world that was so different now with the Spaniards arrival and what it was like to feel that sort of in between us. You're not here , you're not there , you're struggling with that duality and with those two worlds. And so that was really why I chose this specific time period. Yeah.
S1:
S4: Absolutely. It was pretty intense stuff. It was a lot of research , a lot of work , not just in English and Spanish , but like you say , like you say indigenous sources. And it wasn't just one thing , it was one thing was the history , of course. And I'm Mexican American and this is my culture. And I didn't fully know the history of the conquest of Mexico. We we know the basics. We know that we were colonized by the Spaniards. We know , you know , that it's still a difficult subject 500 years later. And it's not something that's widely taught in school. Walls and and even then , if it is , it largely depends on the textbooks. What story are you going to get ? And so I had to really dig deep. And of course , another aspect was the mythology , which I felt was even more challenging. It was absolutely fascinating and fun , but it was challenging because there's so many accounts and which often contradict themselves and inconsistent. And there's just way too many Aztec creation myths. And it was all too much. And I think there came a point where I had to make a decision , I'm going with this one , and I'm going with this source , and I'm sticking to this , and not because it it was just a lot. You know , when you're.
S1: Looking at mythology , is it difficult to sort of say , okay , this is not necessarily mythology mythology. It is in fact religion and history. I mean , tell me about that.
S4: You know , at the end of the day , it's very tied to people's beliefs and their philosophy and their way of thinking and even something as language I don't personally speak nowadays , which is this indigenous language of Mexico. But I understand certain phrases and words. And when you do , you start kind of seeing the world differently , almost as if you understand this different culture. And that's also tied with the mythology. And , you know , they they just had different beliefs. And you kind of get a sense of of what ? Yeah. What they believed and um , and what the world was like for them.
S1: And I want to talk more about the mythology you draw from. Pantera is a warrior sorceress who uses magic and her fight for justice. Can you describe some of Pantera's powers for us and how they were influenced by Mesoamerican myths ? Yes.
S4: So in Mesoamerican myth and Aztec belief , there exist sorcerers who can shapeshift into animal counterparts , and Leonora is the. The term used is a nagl , which just means that a shapeshifting sorcerer and Leonora can shapeshift into a jaguar. She can take on this form , and that's sort of why her name is Pantera , or her her alter ego , or her double. And and she has other powers as well that come along with being a Jaguar. She has a heightened sense of hearing. She kind of has night vision. She has these more pronounced instincts than a normal human being. And she can also wield this type of energy called finale. And finale is basically everything. It's it's basically energy and it's everywhere. So she can manipulate it. And those are some of our superpowers. Right.
S1: Right. And underneath the mask , Pantera's real name is Leonora , like you just mentioned. So like Zorro , she's balancing between her status while also fighting for the oppressed.
S4: But with Leonora , I wanted to explore a more nuanced character because Zorro was purely of Spanish descent. We never get this sort of commentary from him of , you know , if he felt that he was more Spanish or if he felt connected to the indigenous people , we never we never see that with Zorro. And so with Leonora , I wanted to explore a more nuanced character , however , be mixed , and have her feel that duality in those two very opposing cultures where she doesn't completely feel like she belongs to either. And that was , you know , being bicultural myself , being born and raised in a border town , I felt that was very much my experience as well , traveling from one world to another , speaking to languages , trying to assimilate to cultures. And I mean , that was sort of one of the easier aspects of creating her character , because I just felt so seen in her and I just channeled my own experience. Wow.
S1: Wow. And that's incredible. And you're based in San Diego now , but you actually grew up in Calexico , and you touched on this a bit. But how did growing up in a border town shape your identity and the themes that you write about ? Yes.
S4: Born and raised in the Imperial Valley and the small border town of Calexico , California. Fornia , which is in Southern California. It's about a two hour drive from San Diego. You know , when you're growing up in a border town , you don't feel different because the cultures are very meshed together and it's just second nature. You grow up speaking English and Spanish and some version of Spanglish , and this is just your reality. Again , when you're growing up in this environment , you don't think anything about it , but you grow up and you see , wow , that that was that was a bit of a of a Disney dance almost because you're back and forth and traveling between one place and another and speaking different languages , and you find yourself somewhat in , in between of these two places , or almost in the middle of them and trying to kind of , you know , assimilate both sides and going a little bit back to the language of the Aztecs. I found this word that helped me understand this experience. It's called LA , and the term refers to feeling in between two places. You're neither here nor there. You're somewhere else. And so when I learned that word , that word , my whole world changed. Because there isn't a word for it in English , and there's not a word for it in Spanish. You know , there's there's the word limbo , but limbo has a Christian connotation. And even then it's sort of like this strange waiting period and LA , isn't that this is just another place between these two places. And so that was very , very fascinating to me because , you know , 500 years ago , these Aztecs that were colonized , they felt this way. And so they used this term to refer to this struggle , this duality. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. You once described this book as a love letter to Mexico.
S4: I think , you know , it's it's past time for diverse superheroes to take the stage. And Pantera , to me , represents all strong women in our cultures. I think she's strong. She's independent again. She she struggles with the dualities of her world and , you know , with the adjectives that define her. Because even for myself saying , oh , I'm Mexican-American or or I'm American or a Mexican , the adjectives are are difficult sometimes. And Pantera , she's a mix of traditions and experiences because she is indigenous and she is Spanish. I think most of all she she cares a lot for people , and clearly she works tirelessly to do what must be done to to help each other. But really , the main thing I hope readers find enjoyment. I hope they find value. And I hope that Latinx and , um , indigenous people feel seen and they feel celebrated because I think it's it's time for for us to be heroes in our own stories.
S1: I've been speaking with Maria Lee Flores , author of the historical fantasy novel Sun of Blood and Ruin. It comes out on Tuesday , February 20th. She'll also be celebrating the launch of the book that same day at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore. The event starts at 7 p.m.. Maria Lee , thank you so much for joining us and congratulations.
S4: Thank you so much , Jade.
S1: Coming up , Beth Accomando and Yazdi Pathak give their movie picks for Black History Month. Kpbs Midday Edition is back after the break. Welcome back. You're listening to Kpbs Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. February is Black History Month , a time to celebrate black people , history and culture. So for today's midday movies , we're going to talk about a few films doing just that. Once again , we welcome our midday movie critics Kpbs , Cinema Junkie , Beth Accomando and Yazdi Puebla of Movie Wallace Podcast. Welcome to you both.
S9: Thank you. Thank you.
S1: So glad you guys are here. So let's start with a film receiving high praise right now. And that is Ava DuVernay's origin. This was inspired by Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste The Origins of Our Discontents.
S10: Ava DuVernay is a well-respected black director with an impressive track record in a basket full of awards and nominations for films like Selma and TV shows like When They See Us. But origin seems to have slipped out under the radar from last year , and I will admit , this is a very hard film to market and promote and to entice an audience to see , because it is a bit like eating your vegetables in the sense that it has a lot of content to it. But you know , when vegetables are properly prepared , they can be delicious and richly satisfying. So origin is a little bit more about message than art. As DuVernay tries to analyze the unspoken hierarchy that's shaped America and defined how we live today. This is a film very much about idea and about people talking about these ideas , but it really is a discussion that we need to have and that needs to be heard. Here's a scene that wants to challenge how we define racism.
S11: So wait , so you're saying that that he isn't a racist ? No , I'm.
S12: Not saying that he's not a racist.
S11:
S6: I've been there. Okay.
S12: Okay. Home ownership. Okay. Covenants written into land deeds. Barring black people from having wills. No , no generational wealth allowed. We could not pass on what we earned to our kids for almost 500 years. Every time you have to start from zero.
S11: Same.
S8: Same.
S13:
S12:
S10: So I would highly suggest a double feature of that.
S1:
S10: And it's it is a very meaty topic , and there is a lot to discuss , and there's a lot of things that I think people may not have been considering before. So I think it's really a film that is worth seeing. And , you know , if you have to think a little bit , I don't think that's a bad thing.
S14: Right , exactly. It also goes back and forth in geography. I mean , there are parts of it set in India. So it's it's pretty ambitious. Yeah.
S15: Yeah. Yeah.
S1: But I will say , Yazdi , you have a film that does not tackle issues or history as directly as origin. Instead , it offers a very intimate story and marks a directorial debut.
S14: Yes , the movie I'm recommending is 1001 , which is streaming on Amazon Prime right now. It is the directorial debut of Avi Rockwell , and on the face of it , it's a deceptive film and at first leads you to believe that maybe it's one of those law and order type episodes about a mother who kidnaps her son , who has been put in the foster care system. But you see , the ambition and the achievement of this film emerge in the second half when you realize that the film all along wanted to do so much more. It's about class , it's about New York City and how it deals with race , or how it has dealt with race over a period of time. It's about parenting. It's about so many things. The central character the mother played in a terrific performance by Teyana Taylor is the reason to watch this movie , and years are seen highlighting her performance.
S16: I used to like when I got spicy. Fine. Be quiet. You should try and be quiet. But. Quite like when you went missing for weeks. And I sat here and said nothing. And never mind who he was with. Is he dead ? If I get any more quieter , I won't even have a voice at all.
S17: I'm not about to sit here and argue with you.
S16: That's real easy for you to say. Because you get.
UU: To be the saint , right ? You get to be the saint. While I'm stuck here fighting these wars all by myself.
S16:
UU:
S14: But the film , moment by moment , invites us to judge her all the same and ask if the system has any right to deem her a lesser mother than any other woman.
S1: Now we're turning to the horror genre for different kinds of black stories. Beth.
S10: So I would like to mention The Blackening and the angry black girl in her monster. The blackening is like a black and white smarter version of scream. It tackles horror tropes about black characters and delivers a hilarious sendup of the genre , while also making the audience aware of what Juneteenth and the black national anthem are. So here's a little taste of the kind of humor you'll find in The Blackening.
S3: In your predicament.
S18: That black character is always the first to die. I will spare your lives if you sacrifice the person you deem the blackest.
S19: Guys , I can prove I'm not the blackest. Prove it. I thought Black Twitter was a type of seasoning. I like Jimmy Fallon without the roots aren't wrong. I voted for Trump. Oh. What ? What ? Twice.
S20: Your time is up. It's time to die.
S10: That film got a solid theatrical release , but The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster is in a really impressive indie feature , and it's streaming on shudder , and it gives a new spin to the Frankenstein story. Victoria is a brilliant teenager and an amateur scientist , and she embarks on a very dangerous experiment , which she explains in the trailer here.
S21: Death is a disease. Infected my brother Chris. My hypothesis. There's a cure. Death is the disease that broke my family.
UU: I'm sick of seeing it.
S21: I called him a monster and he believed it.
S10: So this is an angry and inspired film that cleverly addresses the violence happening to black bodies , but does so through horror and kind of an indirect way.
S1: Well , it is very much a horror. Yazdi , you have a very different kind of horror film and one from outside the US. Tell us about Talk to Me.
S14: So Talk to Me is written and directed by Australian twin brothers who just this week won the Best Film award in their native Australia for this debut feature in the equivalent of the Australian Academy Awards. On the face of it. This is simply a body possession horror film. And here's a scene about a game started by a bunch of teenagers that leads to them conjuring a spirit.
UU: Talk to me. Hey , hey ! Don't let go of me ! Don't let go ! I say it.
S16: I let you in.
UU: I let you in. Come on. Tommy. Got it. There you are. Oh. Yeah.
S14: So this may seem like a typical horror film , but it is so well crafted and it's sound design and it's editing and its camerawork that it provides authentic and visceral jolts. Just watch the opening single , take a shot that lasts several minutes , and that will be worth the price of admission. While it's not entirely steeped in the black experience , the lead here is the black actress Sophie Wild , and her character through the movie makes incredibly misjudged decisions , and you find yourself shaking your head and yelling at her. But then I thought to myself that this is only happening because I care so much for that character , which speaks to how well the movie excels and that trifecta of script , direction and acting.
S10: Well , you know , and the other thing I want to mention about this too , and this along with 1001 , you know , it's important for us to see black characters who not necessarily have to be role models or perfect. And I think that the ability to have a more diverse array of black characters on screen is a sign of progress , because we want to be able to see complexity and vulnerability and flaws. And I think this and 1001 , you know , the mother is not perfect in that film , but she's a rich , fully developed , well-rounded character. And I think that's really important , you know , across the board for representing , you know , whatever you want women , men , trans characters , anything. It's like it's more about just having enough representation on the screen that you can have that kind of diversity.
S1: Yeah , it's important for people to see themselves reflected for sure. Absolutely.
S14: Absolutely. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. I will say , when you said the movie talked to me , I really thought you were going to go with the the one with Don Cheadle and Taraji P Henson. It came out in 2007.
S10: We'd have to dig back a little further for that one.
S1: But you would. It is still one of my favorite movies , though. Well , Don.
S10: Cheadle is so good in that.
S1: He was. For those that don't know , that was that was a movie based on Ralph Petey Greene , who was an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist at a DC , I believe.
S15: And I.
S10: Think that was directed by Cassie Lemmons , who is a fabulous black woman director and also quite a good actress , too.
S1: All right. To round out our picks , you both have some very artfully rendered indie films. Beth , let's start with your pick. All dirt roads , taste of salt. Yes.
S10: Yes. As with 1001 , All Dirt Roads , Taste of Salt marks the directing debut of a black woman director , and I think that's really important and great. In this case , it's poet Raven Jackson. And here's a little taste of the trailer.
S5: I took with.
UU: Darren a little bit. Yeah. Slow.
S6: Slow. Big time.
UU: In your. In your hand. Oh Lord , oh Lord.
S10: It's really hard to have an audio clip from this film because although it has a lot of really great sound design , it's also so visually poetic and entrancing that I feel it's almost unfair to not be able to show an image from it. But Jackson immerses you in a soundscape that defines a sense of place for these characters that are connected to the land in the rural South. These images are just mesmerizing , and the film is basically the title is a clue to how you should take it , which is that it should be a film that is experienced and you know you want to like , taste it and feel it and touch it. It's not about plot or linear narrative , and it's this kind of tactile journey across decades in the life of one Mississippi woman. But it's just entrancing. And , you know , I think the fact that Raven Jackson was a poet is clearly expressed in this first feature that she's done , and I highly recommend you go check it out.
S1: Sounds like it was beautifully done. Yazdi , you have the perfect film to watch after Valentine's Day.
S14: I do , it's the film Rye Lane , which is streaming on Hulu , and this movie gives romantic films a good name. It's a special film. It's lovely , it's warm , it's incredibly smart. It's like a modern day London set reinterpretation of the film Before Sunrise , and it watches two strangers who meet and navigate a leisurely John through the city as they engage and challenge each other. Here's a taste of their encounter.
S22: You know , you're very refreshingly disarming.
S23: You ask a little question. I'm interested in people's messes. What makes you think I got a mess ? Everyone has a mess. Hi.
S14: So there are many things to love about the movie , including its visual flair. One thing I really appreciated about the movie is it knows how to light dark skinned faces. And as these characters go through different settings set during the day , in the night , in the dance club , etc. , you can watch the faces of the two lead actors just glow. And that's that's a wonderful thing to watch. And yeah , it's also deeply , deeply romantic and most apt for Valentine's Day this week.
S10: I have to admit , as one of those anti romantics , even I enjoyed this film , and I think part of it is that it has this kind of humor and light touch to it , and you talk about how it's lit , but also like the colors really pop in this. I mean , they find production design elements that are just really bright and bold and give a backdrop to these characters that kind of livens it up. And it was really charming , and it has some very unexpected , like musical moments too.
S14: Yes , yes.
S1: Oh my gosh , that all sounds so lovely. Well , I want to thank you both for highlighting some unexpected picks for films to watch during the final weeks of Black History Month , all of them I am looking forward to seeing. I've been speaking with Kpbs , Cinema Junkie , Beth Accomando and Yazdi Pathology of Movie Wallace podcast. Thank you both for stopping in.
S9: Thank you , thank you.
S1: Thanks for joining us. Don't forget to watch Evening Edition tonight at five for in-depth reporting on San Diego issues. And if you ever miss a show , you can find the Midday Edition podcast on all platforms. I'd like to thank the Midday Edition team. Our producers are Giuliana Domingo , Andrew Bracken , and Brooke Ruth. Arts segment contributors are Beth Accomando and Julia Dixon Evans. Technical producers are Brandon Truffaut , Ben Ridloff and Rebecca Chacon. The music you're hearing is from San Diego's own surefire soul ensemble. I'm Jade Hindman. Thanks for listening and have a great rest of the week , everyone.
