S1: It's time for KPBS Midday Edition. On today's show , the arts and culture shaping San Diego. I'm Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. A conversation about Hispanic identity. Then San Diego musician Nicole Hernandez talks about her debut album , plus a preview of the Italian film festival. That's ahead on KPBS midday Edition. Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of the diversity and lived experiences of Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States. But it's also a time to think about who gets left out of conversations around Latino identity. Afro Latinos make up about 12% of the Latino population in the U.S. , according to a 2022 study by the Pew Research Center. Still , they are often overlooked during Hispanic Heritage Month. A few years ago , I sat down with Jose Fuster to talk about this. He's an assistant professor of ethnic studies at UC San Diego. I also asked him to explain the difference between terms like Latino , Hispanic , and Chicano. That's where our conversation began. Take a listen.
S2: It's quite normal for human beings to have different terms that come from different eras , and that are also symbolically attached to different social movements. The term Latino comes from the late 19th early 20th century in the East Coast , mainly Cuban and Puerto Rican migrants to the East Coast. And of course , it's derived from Latin American , which was a term of solidarity of the the the new republics of the 19th century , uh , south of the US border. Right. Um , so there were people that were coming from those either new republics or in the case of Cuba and Puerto Rico , Spanish colonies that want it to be new republics. The term , uh , that was used in the southwest was quite different. It was Mexican because it was a Mexican majority population as a result of the annexation of Mexico's northern half. The term Chicano has a much more recent history. It was embraced in the 1960s by a youth movement that was trying to flip the script on a term that , before then was used pejoratively in very classist and colorist ways to refer to darker skinned , poorer Mexican immigrants. So these tended to be the children of those immigrants , many of them , for example , farm laborers that wanted to flip the script on that and make it a source of pride as a source of mestizo mulatto , mixed race , brown pride. The term Hispanic has a very different history. It actually comes from the Census Bureau. In the early 1970s , President Nixon tasked the Census Bureau Bureau with coming up with an umbrella term to designate Spanish speakers , and he relied on a senator for New Mexico , Joseph Montoya , who was a Republican. And Montoya was part of a group of people from New Mexico as a kind of , uh , old school , um , elite from that state that know themselves to be descendants from the original Spanish conquistadors that conquered the area between El Paso , Texas , and Santa Fe , New Mexico. In New Mexico , it does tend to have a certain class and colorist , you know , ring to it. So people in the know tended to dis identify with it. And there's always been that tension between Hispanic seeming a more conservative term , Chicano seeming a much more leftist Brown pride term. There's , of course , Mexican American , but it's quite normal that for these tensions to exist and for these terms to really change. Now , for example , we have Latinx , which is the gender neutral , uh , it's an outcome of social movements that require rallying banners. That's what these terms are. There are rallying banners for people to rally along with.
S1: And so you mentioned this this colorist tension within the the Hispanic community. I mean , what role does colorism play in in both Latino and Hispanic culture today?
S2: The history is quite complex because of the geographic breadth of the region and also the long history of it. You know , we're dealing with places that were colonized since the 1500s , uh , in many ways. The idea that we have now of of racial otherness and of racial superiority inferiority was designed in the 1700s when slavery and colonialism was in full force throughout the hemisphere. But the precursors of it come from those Spanish and Portuguese colonies. And one of the things that they developed , for example , in the 1700s , was a racial caste system. They call it the caste system. The word actually was brought by the Portuguese from India , because the Portuguese also established a colony in Goa and the Indian coast in South Asia. So they they knew that there was a caste system in South Asia. They wanted to create a caste system that was correlated with color and ancestry. So it was a very great system of privileges , but also certain punishments or reserving certain certain types of forced labor. Uh , it was really a matter of greasing the wheels of colonial extraction and enslavement and rationalizing it and legitimizing it , of making it seem moral Christian. Right. When independence happened in what we now call Latin America , there was one key difference from the United States. The movements had to have masses of black and indigenous and mixed race peoples fight for these independence wars because they were the demographic majority. So the leaders of these movements , some of whom were themselves , for example , Afro Mexican or Afro-Colombian , right or indigenous. The leaders created this idea that in these new nations , color didn't matter. There was a kind of top down declaration , but of course , bottom up privileges tended to be concentrated in the hands of lighter skinned folks. Uh , class privileges , educational privileges. Segregation existed , all these things. So we have endured throughout the 19th and 20th century , and now the 21st , with a social structure , a class structure that is very much colorized and that people continue to make racialized associations with , even in Cuba , where they declare class to have disappeared because of a communist revolution. If you ask any black Cuban today whether there is anti-Black racism in Cuba , a lot of them will say yes. Right? And if privileges , even connections within the Communist Party tend to be apportioned to lighter skinned Cubans , they will say yes. So it's a very stubborn problem. It's a very complicated Pandora's box that has been hard to close.
S1: Yeah , but it is evidence of how global white supremacy is and its connection to colonization and religion , even.
S2: Absolutely , absolutely. Especially in the American hemisphere , which is where it was invented.
S1: So , Jose , what's one way the lived experiences and identities of the Afro-Latino community are overlooked?
S2: One thing that people need to realize is that being Afro-Latino is not about being black or Latino. Right. Because if you phrase it that way , it presumes that these are mutually exclusive things , right? One common experience of Afro Latinos , right , is to emphasize that those things have never been mutually exclusive. There have been black Spanish speaking peoples in what is now the United States since the 1500s , in Spanish Florida or in the conquest of the southwest. Um , at the same time , um , there are millions of Afro descendants , uh , across what is now Latin America. I think sometimes people don't understand that. You know , rough estimates. But of the 11 million Africans who survived the Middle Passage , only about 4% ended up in what is now the United States. The rest ended up elsewhere in the archipelagos and the land masses of what is now called the Americas. 43% ended up in the Caribbean , 45% ended up just in Brazil. So the Caribbean , Brazil , that's 88% of the enslaved Africans that survived the Middle Passage ended up in the Caribbean or Brazil. So there have always been black Latinos. That is not something that should should seem paradoxical or contradictory to people. The other issue , though , is that in the United States , Afro Latinos have both labored on behalf of black populations of all ethnicities and languages , and also on behalf of Latinx populations of all colors and languages. But they don't often receive the the credit that they ought to receive. They're often invisible. Representation matters. Right. But they're they're often not reciprocated with the with with the solidarity that they are due or ought to be due. One thing that people need to understand about social movements is that they are about generating collective , you know , mobilization , but they're also like relationships. There needs to be a two sided dynamic , right? There needs to be reciprocation. And sometimes those relationships can become very one sided. So being Afro-Latino means , for example , that you will put a lot of energy into the black liberation movement in the U.S. into the United States , but you might not necessarily get reciprocated with with the the same or the proportional level of solidarity for the issues affecting the demographics that you are most closely aligned with. Right. Or that or that you just worry about because they're your your kin or your neighbors. Likewise , you might put a lot of effort into Latino social movements , both in the US or even in Latin America. But you might not be getting the solidarity from the broad society or the broad community that you think you do , for example , to address issues of anti-Blackness. In some ways , it's not just simply a story of tragedy , because nonetheless , Afro Latinos continue to put a lot of effort and labor working on behalf of those two communities. The only difference is that now they are also making themselves visible through this moniker of Afro-Latino , which was really coined in the early 2000 , late 1990s , because they want to bring visibility to not only the issues , the intersecting issues that affect them. For example , being black and also being undocumented , and also facing language discrimination or coming from a colony like Puerto Rico. Right. They want to bring visibility to those intersections , but they also want to bring this ability to this debt , to this debt that needs to be corrected. Right. Because it's not a fair. It hasn't been a fair debt. Those of us , for example , I myself am not Afro-Latino. I'm from Puerto Rico. I'm very much Latino. I don't face the experience of being black out on the street , and I could easily tune out of that and think that it doesn't really matter to me , or it doesn't matter to my kids , right? Or I could realize that I owe it to my Afro-Latino sisters , brothers , brethren to take direct action every day to emphasize that those issues need to be corrected. Right. So it's really about a kind of ethical and political debt. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. What are your thoughts on on black and brown solidarity today?
S2: At the local level and at the historical level , it has always existed. There are local community organizations that are organizing around issues that affect the lives of people in that place that are generating that black , Latino solidarity. But at the same time , we cannot deny the reality that there is tons of anti-black discrimination among Latinos between Latinos themselves and also between Latinos and non-Latino black people. And that is an unfortunate outcome of the divide and rule nature of racism and including anti-Black racism , which was literally invented to divide potential critical masses that could produce a very different future for all. We also have the issue of nativism and xenophobia , right? And the idea that maybe you're less worth or maybe you're more of a scapegoat because you cross the border and you don't have papers. But we also have the issue of of anti Latino nativism , including by Latinos themselves. By the way , Latinos born in the United States themselves that we need to take care of. Right. And you know , like I always tell my students , we are human beings and we are beautiful because we have angels and demons on our shoulders. And we have to really tap into our , our , our better instincts , hopefully listen to the angels to build better futures. So it is incumbent upon all of us to learn about the histories of the of the times and the places where that solidarity has been generated or continues to be generated today.
S1: That was my conversation with Jose Fuster , an assistant professor of ethnic studies at UC San Diego , where he specializes in U.S. Latino history. Coming up , our friends at The Finest sat down with San Diego musician Nicole Hernandez to hear about her bilingual style and debut album. KPBS Midday Edition is back after the break. Welcome back to KPBS midday Edition I'm Jade Hindman. Hispanic Heritage Month means celebrating voices across all kinds of fields , from academia to journalism to music. Well , singer songwriter Nicole Hernandez grew up in Tijuana with a Cuban father and a mother from Sinaloa , Mexico. Her debut album , layers , includes lyrics in both English and Spanish. Nicole recently did a special live performance for KPBS , and then sat down with our friends at The Finest Podcast to talk about her approach to making music. Take a listen.
S3: But they are not that healthy.
S4: Every year we get a list of the local artists who entered the NPR Tiny Desk contest and we watch them all. This year , one video really stood out to me. The song was called Vista , sung in Spanish , and it's a mesmerizing blend of Afro-Cuban influences Latin jazz , R&B , electropop and soul , and it was performed by Nicole Hernandez and her band of seven talented musicians , all of them women.
S5: I focus my energy on finding different women instrumentalists and like little by little , I have like I always say it as like collecting , like the Infinity Stones. Like.
S4: We had to hear more. So we invited Nicole's band to perform at our KPBS San Diego Book Festival in August.
S6: My saving grace.
S4: After the show , she stopped by the KPBS studio to chat with us.
S5: I feel like fusion is kind of like the future of music , and everybody's just like , like mixing sounds and creating new genres out of it. And that's honestly like what I love. And I want to continue to expand into myself.
S3: I don't know when.
S4: We learned how Nicole gathered her Infinity Stones band , picking up musicians all over town , and we heard the stories behind her songs and how her sound comes directly from her own cross-border upbringing.
S5: Paying homage to certain parts of my lineage. And I really try to incorporate them into my music as best as I can.
S3: That song slowly tortured.
S4: Last year , she released her debut album , layers. It sound quite aptly captures the growing diversity in our region. Tijuana has increasingly become a multicultural Mecca , a destination for migrants from all over Latin America , Africa and beyond. Nicole grew up in Tijuana , surrounded by a fusion of genres from the very beginning. Her father is from Cuba and her mother is from Sinaloa , Mexico. And now , as she launches her own music career , she's bringing her unique sound and perspective to the world from right here in San Diego.
S5: My name is Nicole Hernandez , and I'm a musician based out of San Diego , California. And , um , I sing and produce , and the music that I make is just kind of like a melting pot of my heritage. And a lot of the sounds and influences that have inspired me throughout my life.
S3: I know. And I will fight. Fire fire fire fire fire fire fire!
S4: From KPBS Public Media. This Is the Finest , a podcast about the people , art and movements redefining culture in San Diego. I'm Julia Dixon Evans. So I want to start with going way back. Like with your background in music. Do you remember what the music in your house was like when you were a kid? Like , what did your parents listen to or what kind of stuff was played in your home? Yeah.
S5: Yeah. Um , well , growing up , my parents would play all kinds of music. Um , my dad. One of my earliest memories is like him playing like Gasolina by daddy. By Daddy Yankee. We would have , um. We lived in this , like , small apartment in Tijuana in playas , and my crib was right next to the speaker. So , um , there's like this video that he has , like , on , like his , like , camcorder , um , of , like that song just like , blasting. And I'm just , like , dancing , like up and down , like listening to the songs. A lot of reggaeton , a lot of salsa growing up , but also like a lot of rap and hip hop. My dad just like , loves all kinds of styles of music , and I feel like he has been a huge reference of inspiration for me , just like all the different styles that he plays. Yeah.
S4: What does your dad think about your music?
S7: Oh , he he enjoys it. He enjoys it.
S5: Just yesterday , I actually had his birthday party. Uh , they were , like , playing my album , and. Oh , and like , my entire family was there , and it played all the way through , like , three times after the third time. Me and my sister were like , okay , guys , like , let's play , let's play. Let's play something else. I know we've got to give it a listen , but no , he definitely is supportive. And every time that he , like meets anyone , he's like , oh , like , uh , my.
S7: Daughter makes music. You shouldn't do the music or he'll.
S5: Just play it. So I'm like , I'm like , shout out my dad. He's he's extremely supportive. Both my parents are , thankfully.
S4: Do you have any , like , specific artists that you can point to like , especially if you remember them like from your childhood or something coming from your father?
S5: Yes , I.
S8: Would say Alexander Abreu.
S5: Um , he has a salsa group called Juana La Primera. They're based out of Cuba , and he's an amazing trumpet player. Um , arranger , composer , bandleader.
S9: Esperanza del Rey.
S5: And it's a lot of , like , traditional Cuban style salsa. And just like , the arrangements are just like crazy. My favorite album by him is called passport. And I would say that that is an album and an artist that just has been a huge influence in regards to like , the Afro-Cuban sound that I try to put into my music.
S6: It's not within me to run game , but I could do it if I tried or if I really. Okay.
S4: Okay. I want to ask you about the song you played called Rina. Oh my God. Tell me what that song means.
S5: Oh my gosh , I love arena. That's one of my favorite , favorite songs from the album. Is.
S3: Is.
S6: The Way of My Persuasion. Don't have the time , the energy or resources to spare?
S5: I put it at the end of the album because it's kind of like an understanding of just kind of like I can't pour out into other things or other people what I can't , um , give and pour to myself first. And this whole like , empty cup analogy of giving what one doesn't have. And these are also things that I'm very much still understanding and trying to get better at. Mhm.
S10: Mhm. Mhm.
S5: There's kind of like this moment where it like it flips over onto the bridge. It just kind of like breaks loose and it opens up. And it's this kind of like musical party that's going on. Um yeah I love freaking out.
S3: No tiempo pensamiento no mi tiempo is no tiempo. No Adam. Yo , tiempo con no pensamiento tiempo.
S4: And Rena is a song that , like , starts out in English. And then you finish in Spanish. Yeah. Can you talk about writing in two languages? Like how do you find or or like assign a language to a song or even like verse two verse. Yes.
S5: Yes. You know , I feel like sometimes it's a bit of like my , my no sable brain peeping in in which , like , there's like certain words that I feel like can be better translate what it is I'm trying to say in either Spanish or English. Um , but very intentionally. I do want to continue like writing in both um , and like a big influence of mine that like , I feel like weaves really well out of both languages is someone like Kali Uchis or someone like Selena too , like she would do that all the time. But I think honestly , it just comes down to me trying to like , represent and evoke a specific emotion. And sometimes I feel like one language is better at like getting that across than the other. And it's , it's all and it's very much like a feel depending on what and how it is that I'm trying to say it to.
S4: So you were in Tijuana when you were a baby. Like , how long did you live there? Oh , I.
S7: Lived there until.
S5: I was seven. Okay.
S4: Okay. So you grew up there?
S5: Yeah , yeah. We grew. Yeah , I grew up in Tijuana. Playas. Then we came over here , and then I did elementary and middle school and high school over here.
S4: And , um. Did you play music in school?
S7: Yeah , yeah.
S5: So , uh , growing up , my parents , they had put me in my sister into la mesa Arts middle school , and that honestly built a lot of , like , my musical foundations from a very young age. It just created access to these , like , programs that my family wouldn't have been able to , like , pay for otherwise. Um , and I was part of their , like , ensembles , their choirs , and we would perform all around town. I think that , like the access that I had to the arts in my public education was a big pillar in my artistic evolution. Yeah. Growing up , I'd always been very academically driven , and for a long time I had the aspirations of , like , wanting to become a lawyer. Then around the age of 14 is when I , like , figured out that I wanted to I didn't want to live with like the what if? And I was like , you know , if I want to at one point go back to school and give another career like a try , like school will always be there and. Then.
S3: Then. I would get another key.
S4: So Nicole got serious about studying music and learning to express her feelings through sound. She left home to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston , where she pieced together that debut album , layers. One of the standout tracks on that album , and the one we first heard in her Tiny Desk Contest video , is beast.
S5: It's the only song on the album that's fully in Spanish , so I , I'm talking a lot about like , a passive aggressive , like emotion towards someone just kind of being like , look , this is what could have been , but this is what it was , and there's nothing that can get us to what it was anymore , because this is what it is. Beast like , as the word itself means. Look , it's a term normally used in Cuba that's just kind of like vista , like , look , I don't know how to explain it. It's it's kind of like a slang , kind of like , you know , those words that depending on , like the inflection of how you're saying it , they mean different things. It's one of those words. When the song starts very like Timidly , almost. And it's kind of like it's like brewing and eventually just kind of like , explodes fully at the end.
S3: Um , you know.
S5: I think that at least in the way that I've experienced a lot of my own passive aggressiveness , it starts off with , like me , like sending like , well wishes and all of these different things. And then eventually , like , the act comes down and it's like , forget all of that. Screw you. Um , but , um , and I think that that's kind of why I wanted to introduce the movement at that moment of when those lyrics come down , where the walls are also coming down.
S3: And then , like we did , you know , get on Mars.
S4: Coming up , Nicole scours the city to assemble her dream band. Stay with us.
S1: That was musician Nicole Hernandez and KPBS Julia Dixon Evans for the finest podcast. You can listen to The Finest at KPBS or wherever you get your podcasts. Coming up on KPBS Midday Edition , we preview the San Diego Italian Film Festival on the eve of its 20th edition. The theme this year is legacy. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando will be speaking with the festival's artistic director when we return. Welcome back to KPBS midday Edition , I'm Jade Hindman. On Saturday , the San Diego Italian Film Festival will hold a launch party to kick off its 20th year. But the film festival starts in earnest on Wednesday with a slate of short films. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando previews the festival. Take a listen.
S11: I am here with Antonio Anota , the artistic director of the San Diego Italian Film Festival , and Antonio , this is a big year for you guys. This is the 20th anniversary of the San Diego Italian Film Festival. So how does it feel to be 20?
S12: Well , finally , we're becoming adults. It feels great. We're very proud. You know , we're a small organization and we're a niche film festival. So , you know , to to to hit 20 years , it's a it's a big deal. Our founder and dear friend Victor LaRussa left us a few years ago. We never doubted that we could continue , but , you know , with a lot of sadness at first. But , you know , this year , of course , I'm thinking a lot about Victor , and I'm very hopeful because , you know , many people around me now are new people , in a way. And so , you know , the community of film lovers or lovers of Italian culture is growing. And so we're very proud to celebrate them , but also to plan our next 20 years.
S11: The theme this year for the festival is legacy. So remind us a little bit about Victor's legacy in the sense of what did he imagine for this festival?
S12: Victor was a film lovers , but more than that , it was a people person. He wanted to have people around him. He wanted to share a movie as much as he wanted to share a meal together. And besides watching a movie , you always want to have a conversation about the film , about , you know , topics , issues that are important for Italians , but also for Americans and people , humans in general. Here in this particular moment here in San Diego , in California , in the United States. So , you know , he imagined the festival as a piazza. And that's why if you guys take a look at our poster this year , yes , we have the big theme of the 20 years with legacy. But we decided to create an image of people in a piazza , in a square , watching a moving outdoor. The metaphor of the piazza is really something to get together in person , to have a glass of wine and in some finger food before watching a movie and then staying and chat about it , opened the floor to questions trying to Contextualize the movie and have a conversation. There was something that Victor really enjoyed and thought it was really important for us. Now , more than ever , we need occasions to be together , to be together , chat together , share a conversation about the things that we love.
S11: And the festival is your centerpiece , but you also do things throughout the year that people can attend.
S12: Yes , absolutely. We usually have two monthly series , one in North County , in Encinitas , at the unique theater that is La Paloma. And in fact , we're going to have two movies there in November and in December. And then , you know , from January to May. We always also have a monthly series downtown at the digital Gym cinema. Usually the movies that we do at the digital gym cinema have a theme that put them together sometimes can be a genre. A couple of years ago we did the commedia all'italiana comedy Italian Style. We always try to have a variety of genre , you know , comedies , dramas , documentaries , independent movies and of course , you know , our shorts.
S11: And you mentioned shorts and digital. Jim. So you are going to kick off this year on Wednesday at the digital gym with a showcase of shorts , which I had the honor of being one of the judges for. So explain what you want to do with this program.
S12: Yes , the the research program was one of our favorite projects that Victor and I put together 8 or 9 years ago. It's the competition bit of our festival. We open the competition to everybody. You don't have to be an Italian director to submit your movie. That's very important. But if you're not an Italian director , you should deal with some Italian , Italian , American type of content at large. And so one of the eight finalists , in fact , is a movie produced in Australia.
S13: It's a little hand on a pico la mano. No.
S14: No. Knock knock. Knock knock.
S13: Knock knock. I got pregnant. In this dream. UN un. Sonya. In the night I found out I was in the Roman Empire. Gladiator. Just like our ancestors. Gladiator.
S14: Gladiator.
S13: See me Gladiator to protect this little girl. Piccola ragazza.
S12: Out of 100 120 submissions , we select eight finalists , and then we hand over the finalist to the jury. That's very important with Victor. We want an independent jury to give the awards , and that's what we do. But that night , Wednesday night at the Digital Dream Cinema , we're going to also screen a short movie out of competition that you haven't seen it. Nobody has seen it that we. The Italian Film Festival produced about a Latino giorni , that is an Italian artist that recently moved from Italy to San Diego. And so , you know , during the night , you guys can can watch nine shorts. The eight finalists of our restricted competition plus this out-of-competition gift.
S11: One of the things I like about your festival is that it's very manageable. Some festivals have multiple theaters. So many films , you get FOMO all the time going like , I can't see everything , but you have essentially one film a night. You can see everything and you will be opening with a film called Napoli to New York. So tell us about this one.
S12: Yeah , that's a very special movie because it's based on a rediscovered screenplay by Federico Fellini , a Tullio Pinelli that was hidden somewhere , and Gabriel Salvatore's , that is , a Academy Award winning director , put together a very sweet movie. It's a movie about migration. Of course , it's also dramatic in a way , but it's also a fantastic comedy with young kids as protagonist.
S15: Excuse me? You understand.
S16: New York. Okay.
S12: So we're gonna fall in love with these two from Napoli trying to to make it to New York and trying to survive a very difficult moment in our , in our history. So it's a beautiful movie that was the perfect choice to open our 20th festival.
S11: And I know asking for favorite films is like picking your favorite child , but you do have a film that the festival is partnering with and explain what this one is.
S12: Yes , this is perfect for you. And we're partnering with the Alzheimer Association. It's a very sweet movie based on a true story about a father in his early 40s who get this very aggressive form of Alzheimer and is a pre teenager and then teenager son , then slowly takes care of him. And this was such an incredible story. Again , a true story in Italy that the president de la Republica , the president of the Republic , Sergio Mattarella , gave a word to this teenager for his time in dedicating his life to his death. It's a possibility for us to have also a conversation about what's going on today with the research , but also the care that people can have here in San Diego. So we invited the Alzheimer Association , the San Diego chapter. We're going to have a representative from their organization on stage with me to talk after the movie about their work , and also about the movie.
S11: And a number of the films you've talked about have a basis in reality. There is another film at the towards the end of the festival that has a political content to it. I'll be with you for that film to discuss it. I cannot comment on the politics , but that's why you will be there. One of I love the fact that you give us these historical context for some of these films where we can watch them and appreciate kind of the human drama going on , but getting that insight into some of the politics really enriches the whole experience. So this is La Grazia , and it is from a pair of people who have worked together before on political drama. So what can people expect from this one? Yes.
S12: Yes. So la gratia literally means the grace , but also at the same time it means the pardon. Because the movie is about a president of the Republic played by Tony Cervello and the director is Paolo Sorrentino. And this is his best work since the great beauty that won the Academy Award for International Film. What we can expect. But finally we can see a good moral , ethical politician at work. So this politician , this president de la Republica , is in his last six months of his term and is considering to sign a couple of very difficult laws. In particular , he is considering to sign , finally , a law about euthanasia , about the end of leaving. That is something that Italy doesn't have. Let's not forget that Italy. Italy is not a very conservative country , but also the homeland of the Pope and the Catholic Church. So this is a super intricate and difficult topic. But this president that is also a jurist is also a scholar , a very important scholar , also something that has been attacked recently , not just in the United States but all over Italy , is an ethical man that is thinking of doing something that can change and improve thousands of lives. So it's a it's a beautiful movie in any case. But with this , you know , important political issues that I'm going to be so happy to discuss with you and our audience.
S11: Yes , you have another partnership this year , and that's with Little Fish Comics. So what is this going to be?
S12: Yes , this is going to be for our matinee , our movie in the morning , Sunday morning , October the 4th. The movie is called Joya mia sweetheart. It's a beautiful story between a Noni grandmother and her grandson that is forced to live with her in Sicily , and the students of the Little Fish comic book studio are going to imagine an illustration , a poster , or a comic book of one page about about this movie. And after the movie , we're going to have a panel with them , and we're going to give them the mic and the possibility for them to tell us about , you know , their passion about comics and illustration and art. So that's also it's going to be another beautiful morning of cinema and conversations.
S11: And there can't be an Italian film festival without food. Victor would be looking down on us and scolding us harshly. So you have a couple of parties also?
S12: Yes , we're going to have our final party , our festa , on October the 10th , when we're gonna announce the winners of our restricted awards and screen them. And after , you know , we welcome the , the , the people. And we're gonna screen the movies in the beautiful theater at the Museum of Photography Art. So we're gonna have our party. We're very excited this year because we're gonna have the food prepared for us by Zafira Catering. There are a couple of amazing chefs from Sicily. We order a big cake because , you know , we need to celebrate our 20th year. But , you know , we're gonna also have another party since this year. You know , as we mentioned a couple of times , it's a big anniversary for us. We decided to have also a launch party , kickoff party this Saturday. And we're going to have also food for that. We're going to see some shorts. So we're gonna honor the memories and the legacy of Victor LaRussa. And yes , we're going to have a good time. You know , Victor always tell us , you know , to have a good time to enjoy what we do. Because it's , uh , you know , it's what makes us humans.
S11: Well , I want to thank you very much for talking about the festival. It's something I always look forward to. Not only great films , but great food and great conversation.
S12: Thank you. Beth.
S1: That was Beth Accomando speaking with Antonio Inada of the San Diego Italian Film Festival. The festival runs October 1st through October 10th at the Museum of Photographic Arts. 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.
