UC Santa Barbara (Audio)

William Wang is the Director of UC Santa Barbara's Natural Language Processing group and Center for Responsible Machine Learning. Series: "Institute for Energy Efficiency" [Science] [Show ID: 36800]

Screenwriter and actress Guinevere Turner discusses her experience working on the groundbreaking 1994 film, Go Fish. In a conversation with Assatu Wisseh, Turner recounts how she and director Rose Troche developed their unique story of romance and friendship in a lesbian community in Chicago. A low-budget, independent romantic comedy, Go Fish tells a girl-meets-girl love story that subverts the conventions of the Hollywood romance and the male-centric narratives of New Queer Cinema alike. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36816]

Gabriel Meléndez discusses Herbert J. Biberman’s 1954 film Salt of the Earth, a classic of Chicanx and feminist cinemas. With Stephen Borunda, Meléndez discusses the film’s historical context and the political controversies surrounding its production and release. Salt of the Earth offers a neorealist retelling of a fifteen-month-long strike against the Empire Zinc mining company, initiated in 1951 by Mexican-American miners and their families in Grant County, New Mexico. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36792]

Actress and filmmaker Marielle Heller discusses adapting Phoebe Gloeckner’s graphic novel, The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures, into a screenplay. With UCSB Pollock Theater Director Matt Ryan, Heller addresses the challenges of constructing a realistic and honest coming-of-age narrative, told from the perspective of a teenage girl in 1970s San Francisco. The Diary of a Teenage Girl follows Minnie Goetz as she grapples with questions of sexuality, identity, and power in a moment of social and cultural upheaval. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36783]

Charles Randolph discusses adapting the complex story of The Big Short into an Academy Award-winning screenplay. In conversation with UCSB Pollock Theater Director Matt Ryan, Randolph recounts how he went about constructing a narrative is highly experimental but nonetheless cohesive and compelling. Recounting the events that precipitated the 2008 financial crisis, The Big Short conveys the complexities of modern finance through a wide range of innovative and humorous storytelling techniques. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36775]

Moderator Emily Zinn sits down with director/executive producer Brad Silberling for a conversation about Netflix’s new holiday rom-com series, Dash & Lily. Their discussion explores how music, books, and location shooting come together to tell this heartwarming love story. Brad Silbering gives the audience an inside look into the production process and the joy of capturing Christmas in New York before the COVID-19 pandemic. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36757]

In conversation with Jeremy Moore, Professors Myles McNutt and Laurie Ouellette discuss the complicated politics and cultural legacy of the path-breaking CBS reality show, Survivor. Together, McNutt, Ouellette, and Moore explore questions of genre, power, race, and the changing nature of labor and finance in the media industries. Touching as well on issues of fandom and celebrity, this discussion highlights how Survivor continues to shape the codes and conventions of reality TV even today, twenty years on from its iconic debut season. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36771]

Moderator Miguel Penabella joins writer/director/actor/producer/editor of Lingua Franca (2019), Isabel Sandoval, for a conversation focusing on the film’s social and cultural resonances. With patience and nuance, the film addresses questions of immigration and migrant justice, labor, family, and the diverse experiences of trans women of color. Penabella and Sandoval discuss the evolution of the film and its central story, as well as Sandoval’s intimate involvement in all aspects of its production. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36758]

Writer, producer, and director Anna Biller talks about feminism, witches, and creating movies for female viewing pleasure in this Q&A for her 2016 horror film The Love Witch. Biller’s dedication to exploring feminist themes throughout her work lent itself to an insightful discussion the female gaze. Alongside moderator Rachael Ball, Biller invites us to explore the various feminist themes in The Love Witch and gives further insight into how she consciously explores these in her work and personal life. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36602]

Moderator Patrice Petro joins series co-creator Scott Frank in a discussion of Netflix’s series The Queen’s Gambit. Their discussion explores the drama of chess, the process of adapting a complex novel to the screen, and the role of the child prodigy. Frank discusses working with world renowned chess masters in the development of fictional games, and issues involved in production, casting and design for the series. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36683]

Writer/director Jeff Barnaby sat down with discussant Chelsea Vowel and Moderator Tyler Morgenstern to discuss his subversive zombie plague film, Blood Quantum. This discussion explored how the film took the contagion narrative and flipped it on its head. The speakers explored how the film confronts the violent history of Canadian settler-colonialism through its thoughtful use of genre, language, and narrative. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36613]

Moderator Matt Ryan joined screenwriter/co-producer Christina Hodson in a conversation about the chaotic, funny, action-packed movie Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). This discussion explored the transformation of the story from the Birds of Prey comics to the screen, as well as the major themes of emancipation, independence, and finding your own path. Christina Hodson offered an inside look at the narrative, characters, and character relationships within the film. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36614]

Moderator Cheri Steinkellner joined writer/actor George McGrath (Globey/Pterri/Cowntess/Fish) and artist/designer/puppeteer Wayne White (Dirty Dog/Randy/Mr. Kite), as well as writer Bill Steinkellner in a conversation about the iconic Saturday morning television program Pee-wee's Playhouse. This freewheeling discussion explored the radical visual style, origins, and enduring legacy of the franchise that centered around the subversive and bizarre Pee-wee Herman character. The panelists offered an inside look at their involvement with the show and the lasting impacts that their work with Paul Reubens had on their lives and careers. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36600]

Professor Maggie Hennefeld talks about the subversive nature of Charlie Chaplin’s famous WWII satire in this Q&A for The Great Dictator. Hennefeld also examines the debate over the effectiveness of its deployment of comedy to critique the cruelty of fascism. Alongside moderator Miguel Penabella, Hennefeld invites us to think about the controversiality of this film for its time and how it compares to our understanding of the film in the present day. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36601]

Moderator Alexandra Noi joins author Paul Gregory and director Marianna Yarovskaya in this Q&A for a discussion about their inspiring collaboration on Women of the Gulag. This book and documentary traverse the stories of the victims and survivors of the Gulag, demonstrating the resilience, suffering, and silencing of the women who lived under Stalins dictatorship. The conversation between Gregory, Yarovskaya, and Noi gives insight to their involvement with the project, the difficulties of telling a true story that is widely unknown, and the ways in which a wide scope of reception heightened awareness for patriarchy, violence, and inequality. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36603]

Writer, director, and musician Boots Riley talks about labor politics, surrealism, and hip-hop music in this Q&A for his 2018 subversive comedy Sorry to Bother You. Boots’ dedication to a lifetime of activism and storytelling lent itself to his insightful commentary about the social relevance and ideological impact of his film. Alongside moderator Miguel Penabella, Boots takes us into his mind and shows us the importance of standing up for yourself and others in the face of adversity. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36548]

Co-directors/producers Jim Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham talk about their award-winning film, Crip Camp, giving insight to the disability revolution in America. This film tells a story of Camp Jened and offers a unique perspective on equality. Lebrecht and Newnham discuss their initial involvement with the project and the way that it has impacted their lives as well as millions of viewers. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Humanities] [Show ID: 36556]

Tobias Höllerer is Professor in Computer Science at UCSB. He looks at human/computer interaction. He explains the work in the Four Eyes Lab - which looks at imaging, interaction and innovative interfaces. He says for humans to stay in control we need to understand technology and humans and have the goal of improving humanity. Series: "GRIT Talks" [Science] [Show ID: 36517]

Kate McDonald helps make sense of human power in the age of the machine. She thinks about the future of human power by rethinking the past and present of transport systems. Series: "GRIT Talks" [Humanities] [Business] [Show ID: 36515]

Benjamin Cohen is a specialist in international political economy and international relations. He explores the core issue of tension between collective need for a smoothly functioning monetary system and the potentially adversarial interests of individual governments. He explores how currencies compete and why people look for substitutions. Series: "GRIT Talks" [Business] [Show ID: 36516]