S1: It's time for Midday Edition on KPBS. For today's show , we're talking about the yearlong flood recovery effort happening in San Diego's Black Arts and Culture district. Then your weekend preview highlights upcoming film festivals. I'm Jade Hyndman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired and engaged. With how business owners and artists were impacted by the devastating floods one year ago.
S2: Everyone's business was closed and , you know , inundated with mud and just , you know , something that you've been building all your life.
S1: The efforts to rebuild , plus a preview of the Black Film Festival and Jewish Film Festival. That's ahead on midday edition. It has been a year since floodwaters inundated neighborhoods like Encanto , the birthplace of San Diego's Black Arts and Culture district , which is a real gem in the city. Many artists and businesses there are still recovering from the damage left behind. So we're checking in to see how they're doing and how they're continuing to move forward. One year later , Dan Blevins is the founder and CEO of the nonprofit arts organization San Diego Urban Warriors. Diane , welcome back to the show.
S2: Thank you very much.
S1: Also with us is La Raza , where she co-founded the Block Club , an incoming community space in the district La Raza. Welcome to you.
S3: Thank you.
S1: So I'm really glad to have you both on. Uh , Diane , I'll start with you. Last time we had you on the show , you talked about some of the businesses that were affected. Remind us of the damage you saw then and how groups like your own were impacted. Exactly.
S2: Exactly. In southeastern San Diego , where we have the , uh , what we call land of enchanted. The nine blocks of Black Arts Culture district. We really got geared up , you know , uh , excited about getting the designation and had a whole year of planning. Uh , we even brought back to Mr. Black San Diego competition. And then the flood happened. So the boys , what used to be the Boys and Girls Club is now the Synergy Building , and there's over 13 black owned businesses in that building. And all of them were flooded out , from daycare to music schools to coding schools to , uh , programs that , you know , specialize in , uh , helping young African-American boys go to college all the way down to 61st Street , where the Black Contractors Association , uh , was there was maybe four businesses , I think something at Trolley stop where the land was a little higher , that , um , were the only four businesses that weren't affected all the way from 69th , all the way down to 61st. Everyone's business was closed and , you know , inundated with mud and just , you know , you're something that you've been building all your life. Somebody says , 100 year flood comes and you lose all of it. We still aren't in our building , um , that we were in our office space. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. I mean , you know , I'm listening to you talk , and it's it's one thing to lose , you know , the brick and mortar buildings. But the community that that is lost when something like that happens. Talk to me a bit about that. Wow.
S2: Wow. The everything was so long. It took such a long time to get here , you know what I'm saying ? We literally have been fighting this fight for over 37 Seven years. And then to get that close and something that's , you know , a natural disaster. And it it really affected a lot of people , especially the people who've been in this battle for such a long time , who live in the fourth district in Southeastern and San Diego. They some people begin to , I think , were just cursed. You know , many people are saying that's why people are moving away. That's why , uh , so many young people say , I'm trying to get out of the hood. This is not a hood. This is a neighborhood. And , uh , the the core of us didn't allow the flood to make us think we , you know , we're just going to give up , and we just continue. We we still continue to strive. And , uh , lo and behold , things are looking really good. Mm.
S4: Mm.
S1: Well , La Raza , I want to bring you into the conversation here because you're an active member in the community.
S3: Um , there were art supplies and other inventory completely destroyed. Um , the fear of mold growing in the walls literally haunted us in our sleep. We would when we in , um , spoke with insurance companies , they totally backed out and didn't pay for anything. It was a true tragedy for us. Um , and it wasn't just about the physical damage. It was a disruption , as as you're saying , to the vital work that we do , you know , in serving our community. We had to push our timeline back. But what really stood out ? I would say during that challenging time was the resilience of our team and the incredible support that we receive from the community. You know , people showed up to help us clean , um , remove damaged furniture , donating supplies just to kind of help us , you know , keep our vision alive. And it reminded us of , you know , why we do this work ? Because our community is strong , are creative , and we're deeply connected to one another.
S1: And I want to talk about the community space you're building , the block club. I mean , what's its main mission ? Yeah.
S3: So a year later , I'm just I'm thrilled to share that we're not just rebuilding , but growing. Uh , this March , we're planning to open the Block Club as a dynamic , member based hub for creativity , culture and community. Uh , will host educational programs , art workshops , performances and community conversations , etc.. Um , it'll truly be a multifunctional environment. Uh , our mission. Uh , we believe that by gathering people together from all over to embrace black arts and culture , we can defy assumptions about who we are and strengthen our community. It's all a part of our commitment to providing a space where people can feel inspired , supported and empowered.
S1:
S3:
S4: Yeah , in.
S2: San Diego , I mean , you know , this is America's finest city , but every cultural group in this diverse city is represented , except for the African American community. And the African American community is one of the strongest and most accomplished and , you know , achieved groups of people in San Diego. And we really do ourselves a disservice by not highlighting that and having a place where we get together to celebrate black art and culture. To not see yourself celebrated. To not see yourself embraced by the city and the government. To , you know , to hear like the term. Southeast in San Diego for years. Almost 20 years. If there was something negative that happened anywhere in San Diego , it would be reported in southeast San Diego. Today there was a drive by shooting. There was a this there was a that negating all of our neighborhoods. Websters , uh , Emerald Hills , Encanto , where we have the Black Arts , Culture District , skyline , Paradise Valley , all of those neighborhoods , and that whole sense of joy of family and coming together like La Raza said , who we really are and how we really operate was covered under this term called southeast and then with southeast. It was connected to Gangbanging and that whole gangster. When you know the gang. Gangster rap came and the whole serial killer music ended up coming to light. For us to have our own nine blocks and. And own the businesses in the nine blocks and to on purpose , be there to celebrate the way we live , the way we talk , the way we dress , the way just everything about us , and also raising the level of appreciation for the rest of the world , for the rest of San Diego , to be able to go somewhere and see black like you can go to the counter park , you can go to the Asian culture district , you can go to other places and see that culture celebrated. That didn't exist in San Diego , and now it does.
S3: I was just going to add , I mean , it's just important to us to have that representation. You know , this is our community and really passionate and unwavering in supporting the vision that we have to continue to go and just continue to dream bigger.
S1: Yeah , absolutely. And speaking of that , I mean , even though , you know , the community , like many black communities , have sort of been it's sort of been put underneath this light of suspicion for so long. And then now you've got this opportunity to really celebrate it , to have a place of your own. Right. Of our own. A cultural hub. I mean , talk about the resilience.
S3: You know , that was , in my eyes , truly the power of our community and the resilience of our community. because as for me specifically having that lower floor of our mixed use building be a place for us to gather and celebrate black arts and cultures and for our timeline to be pushed back by the flood. Um , and to get the assistance from the community. For me , it was really a truly amazing thing to see , and it was unexpected , but greatly appreciated.
S1: Diane , do you have anything to add to that ? Yeah.
S2: Well , her and her family and people like her and her family. One of the things that people constantly say is , uh , the ice is colder in other neighborhoods. You know , like , I'm like ISIS ice. And for her and other African American families to come together and literally purchase property and establish , you know , a business , then , you know , the stereotype is we don't do that. You know , the Chaldean community will come in , the Asian communities will come in. Everyone else will come into our communities and make money But us. And for her and many other black business owners and entrepreneurs to come to those nine blocks and not just talk about it , but literally put their money where their mouth is and purchase property , develop property with the idea in mind of uplifting and creating generational wealth. People said that didn't exist. People like to , you know , say , oh , that's southeast. It's this negative. You know , all this negative connotation. She and her family are a perfect example of what that area is about. The judges that live in that area , they can live anywhere they want to live in the world. They choose to live in Encanto. Judges , doctors , lawyers , people who are successful , you know , athletes , they still live there. And so for someone as young as her and her sister and her mom to come together , and then the other young entrepreneurs who have come and purchase property. We own over 75% of the property in the nine blocks now. And so now we can develop the park and know that we have businesses , that the park and these businesses are going to create something greater and bigger , like La Raza was saying. Our history is Harlem of the West. When Harlem closed down in New York , it moved to San Diego , downtown San Diego. But so many times , like , uh , Black Wall Street , we have developed things in San Diego , and it's been taken from us. And so this time , this group of community people have come together and said , not never again. We're going to own it. We're going to direct it. We're going to name , define , create and speak it into existence. And that's what we have the opportunity to spread the joy and not just focus on the negative , but to focus on the positive and continue to go forward. Right.
S3: Right. I just wanted to reiterate , I think the flood , you know , it taught us the importance of preparation and adaptability. That's why we've made significant upgrades to prepare and prevent damages in the future , like including better drainage systems in our building. Um , but beyond those physical challenges , we've learned how essential it is to have the creative spaces where we can gather and heal and thrive together. So , uh , the Block Club for us is not just about recovering from the flood , but it's about reimagining. You know what's possible when our community comes together.
S1: Coming up , we continue the conversation about how the San Diego Black Arts and Culture district is rebuilding and looking to the future one year after devastating floods.
S2: There could be something in San Diego where I like to say where the world can meet to celebrate black art and culture.
S1: KPBS Midday Edition is back after the break. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman , I'm with Dan Blevins , the founder and CEO of the nonprofit arts organization San Diego Urban Warriors and La Raza , web co-founder of The Block Club. Dan , you actually played an important role in getting this designation for the San Diego Black Arts and Culture district. Remind us what that designation is.
S2: For us , the word is , uh , it's the second principle in , uh , Kwanzaa. And it means self-determination for us to have the opportunity to name for ourselves , to define , for ourselves , to create for ourselves and speak for ourselves , and to develop that pride for the generations who come after us. Um , so I feel like it's kind of like in our in our DNA , it's in our blood. And we're not just going to accept somebody saying , okay , well , they don't have it , but it's southeast , so it doesn't matter. Those are almost fighting words for us. It's taken every single city council person from West Pratt all the way to Monica Montgomery , had to deal with the wrath of community , youth and parents and organizations , saying , we want our own black arts and culture district. And , uh , finally , when we got to Monica Montgomery , she did it. Mhm.
S4: Mhm.
S2: So now we gotta build and it's up to the entire city. It's not just the African-Americans , uh , responsibility. It's the city is remiss. The county of San Diego is remiss. This should have been in existence way back when we had cool jazz. And jazz is forever and , uh. Um. Interfaced. We've done it at. We designed the amphitheater at Market Creek Plaza. Once again , it was taken away from us. This is ours. We own it. It's designated to us. We have business owners and entrepreneurs like La Raza and , uh , the Cunninghams and just , uh , nine blocks of young black entrepreneurs. And so that's something that needs to be celebrated by everybody. Mhm.
S1: Mhm. It's it's like it's a process of reclaiming , um , you know , what was already yours and , and the determination to do it , the self-determination to do it. And it sounds like it was a multi-generational and community wide effort. I mean , La Raza , it really sounds like , um , that's the case.
S3: It's it's truly an honor to have the representation. I just would reiterate everything that Don has mentioned about the importance of having the black art and culture being represented in San Diego. We are. We have a very small percentage. We're a small representation. Small percentage , um , in San Diego County in general. And so I would say that. Um , also , I grew up in southeastern San Diego participating in parades. From walking with the Elementary Institute of Science to practicing capoeira and parades and the Encanto Street Fair. You know , so to also have gone away for college , got my education , went to Clark Atlanta and then come back also fired up. Um , just as Don was speaking about to bring back that have our footprint stamped but in concrete , um , so that it can't be washed away. Um , is very important to me. And it's important that for me to represent and stand on the shoulders of the people that have done the work. Up to this point , and also to grab that baton , strong , firm and with confidence that has been instilled and built in me. And to continue on and till it's time for me to pass it on to the next generation. Um , that's what I see. And that's my vision for these nine blocks. And that's why it's important to me. Yeah.
S4: Yeah.
S1:
S2: We're in every aspect of government , every aspect of , uh , from the city to the county to the community boards , Every hoop that you know has been said , you need to jump through these kind of hoops. You need to do this. You need to do that. We are entrenched in all of those things , but yet we find ourselves , almost 40 years later , still dealing with the same craziness. I mean , I remember back when , you know , they literally put the signs up for us to have a Martin Luther King Boulevard , like every other major city in the United States. And I was there when they took him down. The signs were up like maybe a day and a half. And we were told that by , you know , business owners , people who were bold enough to come out in the streets and tell us we don't want any , you know , the N-word , names on any of our streets. That's a legacy in San Diego. That's something that not just the African-American community needs to address , but the entire city of San Diego needs to address the red lining. The whole creation of the term southeast. Mhm. Um , all of those kinds of things , as wonderful as this city is , as resilient as we are , as beautiful as our beaches and our canyons and just everything about our city. When you go to Google and look up the black community and look at how San Diego celebrates its , its African-American or its black community , it's really diverse here. So there's maybe over 54 different , you know , uh , cultural groups just in the fourth district. But we have not done a good job celebrating all of ourself. You would think we were just a white beach town. And and we're remiss for that. Right.
S4: Right.
S1: And La Raza , like , there's always this question of , you know , how can people support the San Diego Black Arts and Culture district and the black community moving forward ? And that's always the big question.
S3: Uh , but yeah , um , I would say we were always looking for ways to , like , collaborate , you know , volunteers , other supporters , you know , whether folks want to host an event or teach a class or just come by and , you know , for specifically for the block club , those things are always like , welcome for folks to get involved. And I think that , um , the best way to stay out of the way , but be helpful is to come into the black arts and culture district to teach a class , come and host an event , you know , get familiar with the arts and culture and of the black community here in San Diego and really just identify How resilient we are to have that respect for the way that we do things which may come off , you know , less political , I suppose. You know , just really creative and be a testament to the amazing things that we're able to create together.
S1: And when I say get out of the way , like specifically , I'm talking about policies that really stand in the way of our community thriving.
S2: No , I totally get what you're saying. And but I love the balance that we have because of , um , the joy factor. You know what I'm saying ? 20% of what we're going to focus on is going to continue to be the politics. We just can't. You know , it just goes along , especially with the climate that we're going to be in now. Mhm. That's going to be there. But our focus is really going to be the joy factor because that's really what black culture is. With all of the craziness that has happened to us. Yeah I mean literally people trying to take you. Out.
S5: Out.
S2: But we still keep thriving and growing and developing and , you know , rebuilding Black Wall Street. It took almost 40 years for us to get this designation. And all the naysayers. There are people who literally passed away saying it'll never happen. It'll never happen. So they're ancestors now , and we owe it to them to make it bigger and better. And I mean , I'm political urban warriors. We're , you know , we're political. We're , you know , into the economics and the cultural thing. But to see the younger people like La Raza and , and the other groups , the younger people that are coming in and they're not tainted , they're not like , it's just just throw your hands up. Just give up. Just move to Mars. None of them are like that. And it makes , you know , it kind of re-energized us. You know , the the senior citizens of the crew to continue to go. And so I want to push the philanthropy. You know , there's a park. We don't just have nine blocks , we have a whole park. And if people who have the wealth would come and invest that money into that park. The history of San Diego being cool. Jazz is forever. I mean , what was it ? Jazz is forever. Um , the cool jazz at the stadium used to be here. Uh , San Diego was just a city of music and jazz and theater and , you know , incredible weather. If the right philanthropists come along and invest in that park , there would be some place , like , world renowned , like how they have Leimert Park in LA. We could have someplace even more incredible than that , like we have in Oakland , you know , at the lake. There could be something in San Diego where I like to say where the world can meet to celebrate black art and culture. And I'm talking about all of the culture of the entire diaspora right here in San Diego. That would bring it would bring economics , it would bring growth. It would bring a whole new energy that would bless all of San Diego , not just the African American community.
S1: I've been speaking with Dan Blevins , founder and CEO of the nonprofit arts organization San Diego Urban Warriors. Dan , thank you.
S2: Thank you , thank you so much for giving. Thank you for your support over , you know , this journey , first of all , and for giving the support that you're giving us right now since the flood is over and , uh , keeping us fresh. Thank you. Um , from the bottom of my heart , because this has really been an effort of love and a long , long journey.
S1: Well , thank you for sharing your your journey and your stories with us also. La Raza , web co-founder of The Block Club , a new community space in the San Diego Black Arts and Culture District. La Raza , thank you so much.
S3: Thank you all for giving us this platform to share our journey. We're incredibly excited to invite everyone to the Block Club's grand opening in March , where we'll Continue to celebrate creativity , resilience that we're speaking of and the power of community. This space is for all of us , and I can't wait to see the amazing things that will create together. Thank you.
S1: Up next , the weekend preview and a couple of film festivals you won't want to miss.
S6: You know , cinema going. People often talk about this. As you know , nobody wants to do it anymore. Does anyone go to movie theaters ? Well , we have each other's backs on this and we let each other know , hey , this is a great new venue that's here in town. New ways of seeking audiences. And we are all stronger together.
S1: The different ways film festivals are supporting one another when KPBS Midday Edition returns. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. Today's weekend preview will once again have a film focus because we have multiple film festivals on the horizon. Joining me once again is KPBS Cinema Junkie , Beth Accomando and new to Weekend Preview is Brian Who , artistic director of the San Diego Asian Film Festival and also associate professor in television , film and new media at San Diego State University. Welcome to you both.
S4: Thank you.
S1: Thank you. Brian , since you're new to Weekend Preview , give us a little background on what you do with the San Diego Asian Film Festival. Well , I.
S6: Have the very lucky job of being able to select the films. So this is going through hundreds of films. We just opened our call for entries for our November festival. So it's doing a lot of research about what's big in Asian cinema around the world , new trends , new filmmakers , and then trying to corral all the newest ones to bring here in San Diego so that our audiences get to see them first.
S1: And San Diego has a vibrant film festival scene with both the San Diego International Jewish Film Festival and San Diego Black Film Festival coming up.
S6: We all know kind of what everyone is doing because we understand that , you know , cinema going. People often talk about this. As you know , nobody wants to do it anymore. Does anyone go to movie theaters ? Well , we have each other's backs on this and we let each other know , hey , this is a great new venue that's here in town. New ways of seeking audiences. And we are all stronger together. So , yeah , so we're always abreast of what each other is doing. Great.
S1: Well , and Beth , you have a film to recommend that will be showcased at both the Jewish and Black film festivals.
S4:
S7: Not often that a film will play at two festivals , kind of overlapping. But this is the case now and these festivals are just beyond the weekend , so I'm cheating a tiny bit. But I do feel like for film festivals , people need a little time for prep work , maybe a little reconnaissance going through the program , figuring out what they want to do when they can get to the films. But yes , there is a wonderful documentary called Ain't No Back to a merry Go Round , and this is a documentary about integrating Maryland's Glen echo amusement park in 1960. So this is going to screen on February 5th at the Jewish Film Festival , and January 31st in an afternoon screening at the San Diego Black Film Festival. And to give you a little sense of what the film is about , here is the trailer.
S8: This park is segregated. An access passing race.
S9: My race. I belong to the human race.
S10: Oh , we were dying to get in there. I really wanted to ride on the carousel.
S11:
S2:
S12: I knew there was something better for me.
S13: The Holocaust radicalized me. He fight for civil rights as much my fight as it is there.
S12: That was the first time I had any social contact with a white person.
S14: I was surprised because majority of the people picketing were white.
S15:
S7: And when she wanted to use it for her wedding , a park ranger explained the history of how it had been integrated , and she said she was dumbfounded that the park had been whites only because she had thought of it as this beloved recreation destination , and never realized that the photos she'd grown up with were only showing whites enjoying the park. And so that was the impetus for her , she said. It came from both shame and being intrigued by the idea that this was a lost civil rights history. So then she explained to me the process of finding archival material for the documentary.
S16: Anything that was potentially saving Washington , D.C. area history over the summer of 1960 was a possible source. But of course , nobody knew it was history , so nobody filed it that way. Unlike , say , the March on Washington , which you can type into your computer and like listings will come up. Nobody had ever filed any of this. There was like a handful of photographs that had been saved in that time. There was this stunning audio recording that's in the film that a radio reporter recorded of an interchange between an African American protester and a white security guard who is literally saying to him , you can't come in. Can I ask your race ? And he says , well , I'm a member of the human race. And he says , well , this park is segregated. He says , well , what class of persons do you allow to come in here ? And the security guard says , white people. And , you know , it's so overt. Um , one of the people that I spoke to in those early days who had been , I don't know , I think around seven at the time , she called me a few years later because she had found a little yellow Kodachrome box that was labeled Glen echo , 1960s. She asked me if I wanted it , and when I saw the first frame and I understood that I was looking at the protest and I fell on the floor. And then I got up and quickly , like , turned off the projector because I didn't want it to burn the footage. And then I found a few other pieces after that as well.
S7: So the archival material in this film is great , and it's a wonderful film that looks to this moment in time. So the Jewish and the black film festivals do overlap , so you can choose where to watch the film. The 35th annual San Diego International Jewish Film Festival runs from January 20th 7th to February 8th at the JCC , and they have over 30 feature films that they'll be screening. And the San Diego Black Film Festival is going to be running January 20th 9th to February 2nd at the AMC La Jolla 12. So those are your options for that.
S4: Very interesting.
S1: Beth , you've also brought in another artist to share a weekend recommendation. Who is it today ? Yes.
S7: So this is Eric Leonardos artist who I met when he was introducing films for The Gnat on a real science film program. And he's not only a scientist , but he's also a DJ. And here's what he'd like to recommend.
S17: For you. Hello , this is Doctor Eric , Leonardo's neuroscientist and DJ here in San Diego. I'm here to invite you this week to house Music Fridays at the air conditioned Lounge in North Park. Special guests will be Josh Jackson , aka James. He's one of my favorite producers right now. He's had major releases with vessel recordings and quantized recordings. You're not going to want to miss his deep Jack and house tunes. Also , with support from the resident People's champ , DJ Matthew Bryan. This Friday , January 24th from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. for 673 30 of the street. You don't want to miss it. See you on the dance floor.
S7: And that music you hear underneath Eric is from DJ Matthew Bryan.
S1: That sounds fun , but , uh , Bryan , you may not be getting out as much these days because in addition to being the artistic director of a film festival , you have recently become a parent and that changes your life considerably. Congratulations to you , by the way.
S4: Thank you.
S1: So do you have something to recommend that parents can find any weekend as an activity for kids ? Yeah.
S6: I recently discovered that Barnes and Nobles are amazing places to take kids. I mean , I grew up being able to go to toys R us and FAO Schwarz and like the idea of toy stores , you can just go and look at colorful objects for a little bit and look at your parents and see if they'll buy it for you. I feel like Barnes and Nobles have become that. I was just at a Barnes and Noble yesterday looking up some A24 swag , because apparently Barnes Noble has a lot of A24's exclusives now and then my kid just stops and looks at aisles and aisles of of toys. So obviously there's the toy section , but there's some Barnes and Noble that are really decked out for kids. The la mesa one has this great like area where you can just sit and read to your kids and just flip through pages that tend to be very clean and air conditioned and with parking. Yeah , kind of kind of a hidden gem. The Barnes and Nobles all around town , and of course , a way to support bookstores. I'm always in favor of that.
S4:
S1: And that's the central library downtown. What what do you like about it ? Yeah.
S6: Well , first of all , parking. It's pretty easy to get to. I find that it's I mean , it's not usually packed in the kids section , but they have a lot there. There are areas where you can just sit and read , obviously , but there's computers that you can just fiddle around at. My kid is always saying , parents are always working , and she all she wants to do is work at a computer because that's what she sees us doing. And at the library , she has many to choose from. She can like read books on the computers. And they have like , all these , like , toys that she wishes she had at home. And also like this is also where she could run into other kids on weekends. We find that she's the only child and it's just her and us , and she can go out and like see other people her age. And I can meet other parents as well. Yeah , libraries are a great place for all.
S4: This great.
S1: Recommendations there. Beth , you have another film to recommend at the San Diego International Jewish Film Festival , another documentary , but this one about an artist , right ? Yes.
S7: So the Jewish Film Festival has a lot of films coming up , and this one is called The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka and the Art of survival. And this will screen on February 6th. And here is the trailer.
S18: Tamara de Lempicka Tamara de Lempicka , first of the Olympics.
UU: $5 million aim is better now at 5 million.
S18: The woman , the machine , the woman looking to the future in charge of her life. Tamara decided to become a painter to support herself , her family , her child and survive. And she did , and she became one of the most sought after portrait painters in Paris and in Italy and eventually the world. There's a new generation that's discovering her and falling in love with her tomorrow. As a survivor.
S10: She invented her own style. And so , as she said , in a whole room full of paintings , you can immediately recognize mine.
S7: So San Diegans may remember that there was a musical about her life that had its West Coast premiere here at the La Jolla Playhouse.
S19: I want to feel your soft lips , your sharp teeth.
UU: Feel your nails in my flesh , your light , your color , your pulse , your sweat , your speed , your muscle , your flesh , your skin , your blood.
S7: So we just heard some music from the La Jolla Playhouse production Lempicka. And while tomorrow de Lempicka , whose name may not be familiar to everyone , I feel like a lot of people have probably been exposed to her work in some way. Maybe it was just in the background of a Madonna video , but her style was very bold , vivid , unique , and the documentary tries to explore both her visual style and artistry , along with the complexities and challenges she had in her life. I got to speak with the director , Julie Rubio , and she explained the challenges she had trying to capture Tomorrow Olympia's life for this documentary.
S20: She was living in a world that wanted her gone because she was Jewish , because she was a woman. She was other and she was celebrating that. She was other. And I just think her art captures beauty , but it also captures that horrific war times and her remarkable will to survive and reinvent herself. You know , Tamara's life is a powerful statement to the devastating impact of war and the human capacity for resilience. You know , she just kept reinventing. And the film at its core has turned out to be an anti-war movie because history is repeating itself again. And you're watching these things going , wait a minute , but we already learned this , and it's like , no , maybe we haven't. So I think it underscores the urgency and the need to learn from that history and find new , peaceful ways to resolve our differences. Because her life is a roadmap. It's showing us , you know , what happens when we fail to confront horrors and conflict and at the same time inspiring that light , inspiring us. And showing us just her will to survive through displacement , through pain , through anti-Semitism , through ageism. And and then that journey calls us to , you know , choose , I think empathy and understanding and innovation over violence , which is just so easy. It's just like this knee jerk reaction that we have now. It makes me feel that there's this need beyond tolerance for one another , but just acceptance and love. And we just need that right now so much.
S1: That is very beautiful and sounds like one of those films that really is mind opening.
S6: I think so much of how we're digesting the news right now are from headlines and short pieces that are designed to give you stress. Film festivals aren't here to stress you out. They're here to give you context. They're here to deepen your understanding of the world and also to some extent here to give you a little bit of escape from that tension , too. I think sometimes film festivals have a reputation for , you know , giving us our vegetables , our cinematic vegetables. But these are worse. We get some of the most brazen experiments in entertainment that you'll find anywhere in the world , and I think we need that , too. I mean , I personally don't read a lot of magazine articles as much as I used to. And I found that , you know , like film festivals , these films were watching , spending an hour and a half with or giving me some of that deepen human connection that I used to get from reading like a 5000 word piece. And once you're in that space , you're away from that kind of tribalism that a lot of our headlines are , are kind of adhered to. And you can just really be humans with these subjects. This is where I think film festivals are placed , such a huge part in our culture.
S1: That's so very true. Brian and Beth , you've got one final weekend recommendation from a local artist.
S7: Yes I do. Actually , she's someone who has a connection to the Asian Film Festival. Amy Phan is a photographer and a filmmaker , and she is also an avid film festival goer. But I asked her if she could recommend something that might counteract the kind of passive viewing you do at a film festival , and maybe offer an opportunity to get off your butt.
S21: Hi , my name is Amy Phan. I am a videographer and filmmaker. One thing I love doing for fun is roller skate. My favorite place to skate is at Ringers Roller Rink , where they have public skates and live DJs every week. Ringers also has a big track for roller derby and I am also a roller derby referee checking it out. I love roller skating and roller derby because first of all , it's super fun. And secondly , it's really good for your physical and mental health. And most importantly , the people I've met in these communities have been amazing. If you are at all interested in learning about bank track roller derby , there's an upcoming orientation you're welcome to attend on Saturday , February 1st at 10:30 a.m..
S1: Well , that sounds fun.
S7: We are kicking off our year long film series of neo noir and international horror with the British gangster classic called Get Carter , starring Michael Caine as one of the coldest blooded gangsters you will ever find. But it's a fabulous film.
S22: Jack Carter.
S23: Maybe you're in bad shape. It means a full time job.
S7: And if you're more in the mood for something Italian and stylish , there is a marathon of Italian giallo films by Popcorn Reef that'll be down at 10th Avenue Theater and Brian.
S1:
S6: They have , of course , art that you could play in. Um , but also , like , I don't want to have a huge mess in our house , so I'd rather use somebody else's clay so she can put her hands on. Um , so. Yeah , just places like that , that where we can , like , feel close to the world , but also playing. I , um , I'm always in search of places like that. And then , of course , Lunar New Year is right around the corner. Lunar New Year is not just a day or two for Vietnamese Chinese people here in town. It's a three week affair. A lot of meals to be had , a lot of lion dancing. The big one , I think , is next week there's going to be a big Tet festival at , um , Liberty Station. But this weekend there's going to be one in City Heights at the Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park , where there's going to be contests and food and dancing. So check that out.
S1: Well , thank you both for sharing your weekend plans and thanks to the artists who shared their recommendations. I've been speaking with KPBS Cinema Junkie , Beth Accomando and Brian , who are artistic director of the San Diego Asian Film Festival and associate professor in television , film and new media at San Diego State. Thank you so much.
S4: Thank you. Thank you.
S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
