The Edge of Seventeen Writer/Director Kelly Fremon Craig - Script to Screen

Filmmaker Sam Kadi joins moderator Juan Campo, professor of religious studies at UC Santa Barbara, for a discussion of the film Lamya’s Poem. Together, they consider how the film employs magical realism to interweave scenes from the lives of contemporary Syrian refugees with the experiences of 13th century poet Rumi. Kadi discusses the uses of animation in crafting a fantastical world, and shares perspectives on the important role of music, a conversation that continued with input from composer Christopher Willis, who was in attendance for the screening. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 39479]

Māori novelist Witi Ihimaera, author of the 1987 novel The Whale Rider, joins moderator Nicola Daly (University of Waikato) for a post-screening discussion of Niki Caro’s 2002 film Whale Rider. Ihimaera discusses the novel’s relationship to Māori stories and cultural practices, his writing process, and the film’s enduring legacy. This event was presented in conjunction with the 26th biennial Congress of the International Research Society for Children’s Literature (IRSCL). Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 39338]

UC San Diego Library’s Signature Event Series kicks off with a conversation with filmmaker and author Mason Engel. Engel talks about his current work, “Books Across America,” as well as his past films and his novel “2084.” The discussion is moderated by Audrey Geisel University Librarian Erik T. Mitchell. Series: "Writers" [Humanities] [Show ID: 39321]

Professors France Winddance Twine (Sociology, UCSB) and Lisa Parks (Film and Media Studies, UCSB) join Marc Francis (Assistant Editor of Film Quarterly) in a conversation about power dynamics and inequality in the tech world of Silicon Valley, showing and discussing clips of the shows Super-Pumped and WeCrash. The topics they discuss expand upon their published article in Film Quarterly, addressing the exploitative working conditions for women and people of color inside this industry. Their conversation highlights the wastefulness and corruption of massive Silicon Valley corporations and unpacks larger cultural assumptions about corporate self-regulation and the celebrity personas of CEOs. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 39055]

Writer/director Todd Field joins moderator Tyler Morgenstern (Assistant Director of the Carsey-Wolf Center) in a post-screening discussion of TÁR. Field details the origins and development of the film, including the creation of protagonist Lydia Tár. He elaborates on the public persona she curates in the film and larger thematic questions of exploitation, cultural authority, and the geopolitics of abuse. They also discuss the involvement of non-profit organization Xapiri Ground and their work with the Indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest, as well as photographer David Díaz Gonzales, who created a key image with actress Cate Blanchett for the film. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 39057]

Director/executive producer David Mandel joins Patrice Petro (Dick Wolf Director of the Carsey-Wolf Center) for a post-screening discussion about the HBO miniseries White House Plumbers. In their discussion, Mandel details the origins of the show and distinguishes it from other noteworthy historical adaptations of the Watergate scandal, emphasizing its focus on overlooked figures and its balancing of political drama and tragedy. He also shares his experiences working with lead actors Justin Theroux and Woody Harrelson, as well as the efforts he and his crew made to faithfully recreate the show’s period aesthetic in the midst of a pandemic. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 39056]

Shelley Stamp (Film & Digital Media, UC Santa Cruz) joins moderator Kelsey Moore (Film and Media Studies, UCSB) in a post-screening discussion on George Cukor’s classic 1944 film Gaslight, sharing thoughts on genre, the origin of gaslighting as a term, and the film’s historical legacy. Their conversation also dives into the complexities of gender and the historical contexts of the Second World War and Hollywood’s Golden Age. They discuss the relationships between Gothic melodrama and film noir, as well as these films’ appeal to female audiences. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 39053]

Director Yoruba Richen joins moderator Mireille Miller-Young (Feminist Studies, UCSB) for a post-screening discussion of her film The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks. Richen elaborates on the overlooked but significant breadth and impact of Rosa Parks’ lifelong contributions to the Civil Rights movement in and beyond the Montgomery bus boycott, and positions her radical politics alongside Dr. King and Malcolm X. She also details the archival work and collaborative process that brought this film to life during the challenges of the pandemic, and the importance of incorporating Parks’ actual words from her journal entries. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 39052]

Del Zamora (writer, director, and producer) joins moderator Ben Olguín (English, UCSB) in a post-screening discussion of The Last Brown Beret, an adaptation of a play by Alfredo Ramos that explores Chicanx activism and history in Los Angeles. Together, they discuss the impact of the civil rights movement that arose in the 1960s and the connections between the Brown Berets, the Black Panther Party, and the American Indian Movement, and its influence on the film. Zamora also details the development of the film, the challenges that Latinx filmmakers face, and storytelling choices in the film’s structure and characterization. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 39051]

Writer Eliza Jiménez Cossio joined moderator Chip Badley (English, UC Davis) for a post-screening discussion of the show Our Flag Means Death. Cossio shares her experiences as a writer and details various casting insights during the pre-production of the show, including their unique approach to adapting familiar characters and bringing in guest stars. She also elaborates on the influence of sitcoms and romantic comedy films in her writing, and how the diversity of their writers’ room helped shape the diversity of characters onscreen. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 39054]