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. We'll tell you about a new sculpture centered around the Kumeyaay creation story , then a few films for your consideration as awards season nears. Plus your weekend preview. That's ahead on Midday Edition. The Kumeyaay creation story is the subject of a new sculpture in the San Diego State Imperial Valley campus. The piece is called return of the Kumeyaay Creator. It's part of Sdsu Living Land series , which brings the words of the Kumeyaay Land acknowledgement to life through art. I'm joined now by the artist Johnny Bear Contreras. He's also the founder of the Yagan Foundation. Johnny , how are you doing ? It's always great to have you on the show.
S2: Oh , I'm doing great. And thanks for having me. I'd like to say hello , Uncle Mii. Uh , Halka. At Belmont. Uh , Johnny Bear Contreras. Um , just my name where I'm from. And , uh , I'm looking forward to , uh , this interview and the upcoming , uh , explanations about the piece. Yeah , yeah. For sure.
S1: I want to know all about it because. Okay , well , looking you give me that look.
S3: Like , ah , I went right to explanations like , oh well , let me explain why , when really a lot of it doesn't need it. Well , let.
S1: Me tell you. Okay. So you installed the first version of this sculpture series at the main Sdsu campus ? Yes.
S2: I hadn't been out there in a number of years , and I was actually part of a far south border north , uh , grant and initiative back in 2023 into 2024. And part of our campaign actually took us out to the campus at Sdsu and Imperial , the Sdsu campus at Imperial. And during that visit , I had already installed a piece here in the city campus. And when I was there for a lecture series , um , an exhibit , a couple other just kind of a meet and greet. They took 40 of us artists from Imperial County in San Diego County on a bus. Kristine Smith with the city of San Diego took us all out , which I still applaud her for putting putting up with us for so many hours. But what was most interesting for me is that as I met staff , some of the artists was starting to get more integrated into that area. I thought , why don't we have something like we're doing in the city campus that speaks to the continuity of the bands ? Um , there's different tribes , but as long as we're in that part of California , the influence of our dialect , if you want to call it our tribe runs from the Pacific Ocean to the Colorado River.
S1: So many deep ancestral ties there. Absolutely.
S2: Absolutely. And it just dropped on me , like like anything. And I was like , man , it would be so cool to have something like we're doing in the city campus here. And I started to kind of , you know , pitch it , if you will. And they're like , oh yeah , we'd love to have something. So when I came back to City Campus , I talked to Stuart and a few other folks that I was working with here , and everybody bought into it right away.
S1: That's great. Well , tell me more about the sculpture return of the Kumeyaay Creator.
S2: I my intent has always been to tell a story around maybe past experiences , some of my current experiences , and what I found through the last 30 years , the last three decades of being a professional sculptor and having worked throughout the nation , is that a lot of it comes back to the center of folks just not being familiar with a lot of the stories , the history , if you will , of indigenous peoples and especially the Kumeyaay here. So it things kept centering back and it turned into a goal of mine was initially just to really just kind of bring a little information out , right , and say , well , you know , there's a creation story of the Kumeyaay people , much like everyone else's creation story from other locations. Often you'll find that the indigenous folks have that right , and there just wasn't a lot of accurate information on it.
S1: I mean , can you tell me a little bit about that story ? Sure.
S3:
S2: I'll tell you a little bit about it.
S3: I know you can.
S1: This is what I know.
S3: So , uh.
S2: Initially , in a sense , as an artist , as , um , I've always worked toward being a voice of our people , a voice of the generations that were here before us , the generations that are here , and the next generations that are coming , which we are responsible in our decision making for the next seven generations. So with that little tidbit in mind , um , you start to look at what's going on contemporary in a contemporary sense , you know , what are the motivations ? What is our disposition ? We have 13 we have 12 different nations here of the Kumeyaay bands. We have 12 Kumeyaay bands here in San Diego. What ties us all together ? We all stem from that same creation story. That creation story started here in the Coronado Islands , and it moved on to the land. I mean , I think just a couple streets over and went through it and up into the mountains. And this story follows and is correlated to the land to near , if you will , you know , the waterways , the movement. And I was it was explained to me many years ago that the songs and the stories are descriptive of the topography of the land. You see this one thing when you come over a certain clearing. You fill this , you know the heat , or you fill the coolness of moving from the valleys into the deserts or moving toward the wetlands. So creation. Um , and it's to kind of put it in a encapsulate , it is to say it's the story of how my people have been here , are here , and are planning and what it'll look like in the future. So it's not just a linear time aspect that lands. It moves , you know ? And that's what I love and really appreciate about what what I really appreciate that Sdsu has the Living Land acknowledgement.
S1: Yeah , that's what I was just going to say. It's a living story , right ? Absolutely.
S3:
S1: Well , there are two other sculptures in this series , Stargazer and People of the sun , which are on the main campus.
S2: Yeah , absolutely. So in that , in that same sense , you know , um , Stargazer is very contemporary. Uh , he sits in front of Hepner Hall and he , he , um , is around five foot , maybe five foot six to the to the top. And on either side , it almost looks like two radar dishes picking up signal. But it's actually a variation of the California poppy has a lot more petals before anybody says that's not , you. Know.
S3: Know.
S2: Because it's always a variation. It's a it's not a bunch of California poppies , but it could be because of all the petals on either side of him. His eyes are closed and he's he's absorbed in in what's around him , his surroundings. I've often one of the best descriptions I like to give is that if you look at his face and you look at where his projection would be if you projected his view out , he's looking through Hepner Hall. He's looking into the time before this landscape was here. And he he's conscientious of what's here now , and he's anticipating what's the next aspect that ties all the way to the reason I use Stargazer is it talks about the Milky Way. The Milky Way is very much a part of our creation and part of our , um , ceremonial songs , our social songs , our thoughts and our focuses. We talk a lot about being here , going to the Milky Way and beyond. It sounds like a Star Wars movie right now.
S1: It's fascinating. Okay.
S3: Okay.
S1: But really. Hey , okay , there's also a virtual component here. Each of the sculptures have a QR code that leads to a video.
S2: The Native Resource Center was working along with the studio here on campus , and they had Sony technology and I believe a part of a grant , and they were combining everything into making it. And the interpretation could be accessed through the QR code. And I'm talking songs. It could be updated , you know , in a moment's notice. So it's a it was a beautiful thing seeing technology come together with a customary practice of storytelling. The second piece that I did , um de la Sol , people of the sun , it talks about , um , Huerta And and a few of the folks that were really involved in some of the first migrant , um , rights , you know , activists and what have you. So for me doing these pieces , um , Sdsu is very gracious in allowing , um , what's what was important for me to bring continuity to our story as our people and that we have all these different levels that we participated on for so many years. And if you go to these pieces on campus and you hit that QR code , you're going to hear , um , anything from storytellers ? Uh , you're going to see some videos of traditional dancers , singers , uh , Blue Vigil , uh , white folk or um , uh , it's my cousin , it's white Pope. Matt. Um , Matthew. Uh , Jacob. The Alvarado brothers. I mean , it's just it's an entry , a window , a door , a pathway into some of the levels of what is gourmet country. Wow.
S1: Wow. And that technology aspect makes it so much more accessible too. That's great.
S2: It does , it does. Absolutely.
S1: Well , this is this. This also marks the start of a new mentorship program for indigenous artists in the Imperial Valley.
S2: What we're doing is trying to make the pathway possible. The pathway is there , but there are sometimes , um , there. I don't want to say obstacles , but a lot of times there isn't the funding , there isn't the , um , the different aspects that need to come together to help an upcoming artist one get recognition , you know , to get in the galleries or to get shows to get on campus to get public artwork. I had to kind of slide my way into my first public art piece. I wasn't quite who they.
S3: As they called places they thought it was. And by the time they found out that I had it actually been.
S2: In the running for some work here in San Diego , which I wasn't , I they , they told me no , right at the door. Practically.
S3: Practically. So in Los.
S2: Angeles and it worked. By the time they had , they had said , wow , you're not as experienced as we would like. We just kind of gelled. And I and I ended up doing this incredible piece of bronze in Los Angeles. And so I look at that now and I think about the up and coming artist , you know , being motivated , full of. All.
S3: All.
S2: That , that energy. And somebody said , oh , well , you know , you need to go do this for ten years. So the pathways are exactly that is to give them an introduction , to bring them in and fill in the gaps and whatever those gaps may be , whether it's access to to funds , education , practical experience. So the the mentorship in Imperial Valley is is starting and we're identifying some individuals now that can actually come in. Of indigenous descent will come in , be it a poet. Uh , what is that song ? There's a poet , a let's say.
S3:
S2: What we're hoping to do is we're going to bring you in , and we're going to take your creation , your idea , and we're going to turn it into something monumental. And we're looking for three folks to do some work at the Imperial campus. Wow.
S1: Wow. You know , getting that , getting that foot through the door and then having your talents nourished. I mean , that's that's key right there.
S2: That is there. And hopefully that's that's what we're going to be able to accomplish in the upcoming year. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Well , okay. So in the last minute we have um , in this the video for this sculpture , return of the Kumeyaay creator. Yes. Um , you say that you don't feel accomplished or finished , you feel started , like just getting going here. So.
S3: Um.
S2: Um. You know. I love that because it is. We talked about technology , but I also have been working with Comic Con for a number of years. We're doing a digital con in February out at Harrah's Casino near Valley Center. Those are the next things that are that. Those are the things that are next , uh , allowing , um , the next generation of creators to be embraced by the technology and the and the different types of , um , platforms that are there , giving them access to those platforms. Uh , for me personally and work and what have you. Um , I'm always looking for new and upcoming pieces , and so I'm. I'm excited.
S1: All right. I've been speaking with public artist and founder of the Yarn Foundation , Johnny Bear Contreras. The official unveiling for the Living Land acknowledgement at the Sdsu Imperial Valley campus will be January 22nd at 11 a.m.. Johnny , it's always great to have you on. Thank you.
S2: Thank you. It's a pleasure.
S4: Thank you.
S1: Coming up , a few films for your consideration as the year comes to a close. KPBS Midday Edition is back after the break. Welcome back to midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. Award season is in full swing for the movie industry. The Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes already announced their nominations , with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announcing its Oscar nominations on January 22nd. So we have gathered our midday movie's critics to suggest some films for your consideration this holiday season , so you can be ready to vote this award season for what you think is best. Joining us once again is KPBS Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando and movie Wallaces podcaster Yazdi. Welcome to you both.
S5: Thank you so much.
S6: Thank you.
S1: Always great to have you guys in here and have these conversations. So the studios often wait till the end of the year to release their Oscar hopefuls. So some big mainstream films will be hitting cinemas this month , and Digital Gem Cinema hosted an FYC For Your Consideration series , rounding up some of the foreign and indie hopefuls. So let's start with a film that will open on Christmas Day.
S7: But I do love the director , Josh Safdie. And I have to say I was completely won over by this film. I was riveted , like in the first five minutes. And I think I've discovered that I don't like Timothee Chalamet when he's trying to be a romantic lead or a hero , but when he's playing a complete and utter jerk and narcissist , he's great. Um , so he's a ping pong player , which is not a huge sport at this point in time. This is the 1950s , but he's trying to get better lodging at this tournament from the organizers , and I think you'll get a little sense of his personality. Here.
S8: Can I help you with something ? I was just curious.
S9:
S8:
S9:
S8: At the Ritz ? Yeah , that's what I heard.
S9:
S8:
S9:
S8:
S9: I'm so sorry. It doesn't meet your high standards. We offer complimentary housing to all our players , Mr. Martin. So far as I know , you're the only one to complain.
S8: Talk to me like I'm any player off the street. Okay. I need good rest so I can. So I can win the tournament. You know perfectly well when the American win will do for the future of the sport. I'm good for table tennis , Mr. Seth.
S9: Appeal to the Usta. Maybe they've come to the Usta.
S8: Two guys in a desk. It doesn't. Exist.
S9: Exist. My problem.
S8: It is your problem. I want to stay where you're staying. That's what I need.
S9: I am finding this whole exchange really offensive.
S3: He's so. Annoying.
S7: Annoying. And it's great. And this is Josh softy. He's also one of the co-directors of Uncut Gems , which he did with his brother Bennie. Both of the brothers have made solo projects this year. Benny did The Smashing Machine , so it's interesting that both of them have done sports films , but kind of fringy sports films , wrestling and ping pong , and huge kudos on making a tense , riveting film out of ping pong. I mean , maybe I'm being biased , but it was amazing. And it does have a similar vibe to Uncut Gems. It's somebody who is just acting in a way where you want to slap them and say like , don't you realize like how you're behaving and it's wrong. So this is just a great film for being absolutely compelling , sucking you into this storyline , constantly moving. It's so like kinetic and energized and.
S6: Yeah , I fully agree with you. This is the movie to beat this year. I think it is just like two hours of somebody hustling and will not wait for anybody to be in their way. He will get what he wants at any cost and it makes for great cinema.
S1: All right , we got to check that one out. Well , Yazdi , you have a foreign film to recommend , the secret agent. And this is Brazil's official entry for best international feature. Yes.
S6: Yes. So the secret agent is in cinemas right now and will be will start to screen at the digital gym on January the 6th. And the secret agent tells the story , which is set during the militaristic and authoritarian regime of 1970s Brazil. And a scientist has to go undercover to escape governmental retribution. And the film does this deep dive into 1970s Brazil. And just like last year's winner for Best Foreign film , also from Brazil , I'm still here. This one , too , doesn't just evoke that time period , it becomes it. Just to give you a sense , here is a clip from the film that uses music so well to create this emotion.
S10: Live your life now.
S11: Now you take away to be. It's part of me. Now baby please don't go.
S6: So no other film this year I think has done a better job with production design is this film , especially considering that so much of it is shot outdoors. And the secret agent is more playful than I'm still here though it is having so much fun with form and tone , and is so clever , even as it is being harshly contemptuous of the government abuses at that time. And then finally , I think the movie features a quiet but very lived in , fully realized lead performance from Wagner Moura , which won him the best actor at Cannes this year. And the film also very deservedly nabbed a prize for Best Director at Cannes. So I think this is a movie to really look out for , to get this sense of what things were like. You know , 50 years ago.
S7: And maybe not that distant from where we are today. I mean , I think that's the other thing about it is , even though it's a very specific time frame , it feels incredibly and scary in its relevance.
S1: It feels very familiar. Yes.
S7: Yes. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Starting to at least. Well , you know , Beth , you also have a foreign film recommendation. Sentimental value , which is Norway's official Oscar injury. Yes.
S7: Yes. So for people who may not be aware , the Oscars allow each country to submit a single film for their official entry into Best International Feature. So that's why , like , each of these films is , you know , represented by their country or their representing their country. So I have to say , I have to give credit to Yazdi. He noted that this film , Sentimental Value , is the film that Jay Kelly wanted to be. That's the film that stars George Clooney , but that film is as hollow a vessel as its main character and total Oscar bait with nothing really compelling. And I want to play this clip because it's an interesting contrast to Jay Kelly , which opens with this oner , which is a single shot , and it takes you through the entire set of this studio , and it's very flashy and technically intricate , but completely devoid of any real content. And in this scene , Stellan Skarsgard as Gustav , he's a director. He is explaining to his actress how he is going to put together this oner for the film , and I don't want to reveal the kicker at the end. That's a nice joke , but just listen to him kind of set it up and you get a little bit of insight into his creative process.
S12: Did I say that all this would be one shot.
S13: I wonder ? Yeah , this whole thing.
S12: The whole editing. Just one shot. No editing. Complete sync between time and place.
S8: Oh , wow.
S12: So the boy just stands there looking at her. Something's off. He doesn't get it. So he just grabs his flag and runs off. She goes here. And make sure that this time he really leaves. We only hear the garden gate closing behind her because the camera's here on her. Now , this is crucial. The expression she has here.
S13: What is she thinking ? Exactly.
S12:
S7: So it gives you insight into his process. It ends with a little joke which is revealing of character because it shows how he's manipulating people. And it's in a funny way it reveals it. But this film is about a father and his two daughters , which is the same as Jay Kelly also. It's almost like this film was made in in reflection and parallel with it , just to prove that the Americans couldn't do it right. Um , but this film is willing to get messy in terms of the emotions and to give us real flesh and blood characters that are complex and flawed. And it really dives into what the creative process is like and what people are sacrificing in order to try and create art. And it's just a marvelous film and great cast.
S1: Yeah , something a lot of people could relate to , I'm sure.
S6: Yeah , and I think the film has some of the best acting this year as well. And I , I would not be surprised at all if this movie nabs not just in the Best Foreign Film category , but in acting , directing , etc. even though it's a Norwegian film.
S1: Well , Yazdi , you have another foreign film , and although made by an Iranian filmmaker , it is France's official entry for Best International feature at the Oscars. Tell us what this is. Yeah.
S6: Yeah. So this is the film. It was just an accident , which is the latest from Iranian director Jafar Panahi. It is currently playing at the digital gym and it is also streaming. And this is another film which is deeply , deeply political but plays so well with your expectations as it doles out information piecemeal that changes your alliances with each of the characters in the film. It really asks a very fascinating question , which is kind of a moral quandary. If you have been tortured and imprisoned by an authoritarian government , what is your moral responsibility ? If you were to run into who you think might be your torturer after leaving prison , and the movie kind of builds on that. So here is a clip from the film where one of the victims kidnaps this person who he believes has been his previous torturer , and he's getting ready to just plain bury him alive.
S14: That is. Not it. That is. What that is.
S6: So this premise might sound very brutal and dark , which this movie is , but it's also playful and funny at times , and it gathers together this family of individuals who are struggling with this moral dilemma. And like all of his films , this one too makes you marvel at how this film got made at all in the current political climate within Iran. And to give you an idea of the strength of this film , this film just won the prize for Best Foreign Film as well as Best Original screenplay at the San Diego Film Critics Society winners , which were just announced yesterday. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , sounds like a winner to me.
S7: Oh , Jafar Panahi is such a brilliant director. I mean , his films play so naturalistic , early. Like , you feel like the camera's just been dropped in somewhere , and this one really captures the sense of trauma that can come from having been tortured or imprisoned. And , you know , it captures the sense that it can be haunting to you. And there's there's a few moments where you're not sure what's real and what's not. Like , are they imagining that they're still being kind of followed or stalked or something ? And or is this just something that's going to be forever , like , in their head ? Wow. Brilliant.
S1: Well , Beth , you have a film that you love , but it's chances of awards recognition are very slim.
S7: Very slim. Yeah.
S1: Tell me about. That.
S7: That. So the academy and other groups don't tend to love genre films. They tend to , you know , favor more dramas and things like that. But this is reflection in a Dead Diamond. It's streaming on shudder and it's directed by this. These two directors , Helene Coté and Bruno Falzone , and they've made a career out of paying homage to what's called giallo. And these are stylish and often violent Italian crime thrillers that are kind of the precursors to slashers. But this film feels like everything they've been doing and their career has finally come to fruition in this gloriously stylized fever dream that's full of bold colors and audacious camerawork and an absolutely ridiculous plot. It's a film that just is , like , intoxicating in terms of how it plays with cinema. I mean , at one point there is a masked killer that if you look into their eyes , you will be hypnotized and think you are in your own movie and you will die when it says the end. I mean , that is so kind of like meta , but fun. So this is a clip which hopefully gives you a little sense , but there is a female assassin who essentially chooses her soundtrack by dropping a coin into a jukebox , and then takes care of a bunch of thugs who are about to attack her.
S11: These are.
S15: Alone Equatorial harbor. So it gives.
S7: You a little sense of some carnage going on there and its gorgeous carnage.
S1: Well , I could never go wrong with a thriller for sure. Um , Yazdi , your final recommendation debuted in San Diego at Phil Mount. So tell me about that one. Yes.
S6: Yes. So I saw this film twin less , uh , at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year , and I've been championing it since , uh , to enlist at first is seems like a deceptive film that would lead you to think that it is this lighthearted examination of a support group for twins who have recently lost one of their twins. But then the movie kind of grows into something deeper and far more sophisticated , so that at the end , I was convinced that this movie might have the best script of any film I've seen this year. And it plays so well with its structure and with its revelations that you can only marvel afterward at the creative architecture with which the film has been plotted. Plus , I think the film has been criminally overlooked in acting considerations for Dylan O'Brien as well as James Sweeney , the latter of which also wrote and directed the film. So it's a it's a gem of a film. I think people need to just watch it to realize how clever and well-constructed the script for a movie can be.
S16:
S17:
S16: Yeah , yeah. Of course. I'm sorry.
S17: You know , if I get something wrong , tell me , because then I can know better.
S16: Would now be a good time to point out. I think you meant to say. Sharpest tool in the shed.
S1: I love it already.
S7: It was a great script. It was so nuanced and carefully planned out. It took twists and turns that were so satisfying.
S1: Huh ? All right , well , I think we have a solid list here of what to seek out this holiday season. Once again , I want to thank our critics , KPBS Cinema Junkie , Beth Accomando and movie Wallace podcaster Yazdi. We'll be back in January with our own Midday Movies award , so check back in with us next year to find out what we thought was the best of 2025. Beth Yazdi , thanks so much.
S6: Thank you. Thank you Jade.
S1: Your weekend preview is coming up KPBS. Midday edition is back after the break. Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman for our weekend preview. We have a full slate of holiday offerings. Then we'll hear what KPBS staff picked for their favorite restaurants , bars , cafes , books , outdoor adventures , and much , much more this year. But first up , we have KPBS arts reporter and host of the finest podcast , Julia Dixon Evans to talk about all the festivities and events you can check out this weekend. Julia , welcome.
S18: Hey Jade , thanks for having me.
S1: Glad to have you here. So let's start with this event that I think a lot of people enjoy over the summer. It's the Nat at Night program at the San Diego Natural History Museum , and they're bringing it back this Friday. Yeah.
S18: Yeah. And I mean , everybody loves the idea of , like , sneaking into a museum or a library and the cloak of night. So I think this is really fun for everyone. And the Natural History Museum has recently opened up their paleo lab. So you can really tap into those childhood fantasies and maybe archaeology or being a paleontologist. Um , there's also a ton of their great standard exhibits , including The Coast to Cactus. And throughout the exhibition halls , you can get a signature cocktail or some food , and they're also opening up their rooftop with a special bar and more food options , and the rooftop gives you these really great views of Balboa Park and the city and just all lit up. It's going to be lovely. I also feel like Balboa Park in general is really untapped at night , so it's great to have these options. Um , the museum is open all day , but the not at night festivities start at 5 p.m. that's when the half price admission starts and is open until ten. And then these events will continue monthly until Memorial Day , when they ramp up weekly for the summer. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , over at the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center , they're having a winter family. Posada. It's happening on Saturday. So what's going to be there ? Yeah.
S18: So the Chicano Park Museum is hosting this special free , family friendly event. It's Saturday afternoon. They're having a bunch of local artists and vendors. There's going to be some art making activities as well. There's mosaic Art workshop with the museum's resident artists , David and Janine Corral , and you can also make your own gift. Gift wrap wrapping paper with pour la mano press. They have a new printmaking studio at the museum. It's a great way to check that out. There's also live music. You can buy some Mexican cacao drinks from local vendors. Reina de la Cocina AMA cacao. They're also hosting a toy drive if you want to bring something to donate. This is 12 to 4 on Saturday and it's free.
S1: Awesome ! If you're looking for an excuse to just bundle up in your winter coat or jacket or sweater , I mean , it is San Diego.
S18: It's the boat light parade. It goes past downtown San Diego and everyone decks out their boats with holiday lights. You can set up. Yeah , bring a lawn chair. Or just stand there along the route and watch them sail by. It kicks off at 530 at Shelter Island , and the organizers actually have a list of like , pretty exact times where you can expect the boats to hit all these other points along the route , including Seaport Village , Cesar Chavez Park , the pier there , and then the final point they expect to be around 7:40 p.m. at their Coronado Ferry landing.
S1: All right , well , let's talk about the Nutcracker because there are so many Nutcracker options. Um , and then I know that you can give us a few of those performances that are on your radar in the remaining days of this holiday season. Right.
S18: Right. So first is City Ballet of San Diego. This is one of the bigger San Diego companies. And I'd say that this is definitely one of your best bets for , like , that traditional Nutcracker. They'll perform with live accompaniment from the City Ballet Orchestra the like. Live music is really great to capture that Tchaikovsky score , and on stage is going to be some of the most talented ballet dancers in the region , and these performances are in North County at California Center for the Arts , Escondido. Saturday through Tuesday the 23rd.
S1: All right. And one more ballet. But with skateboarding , huh ? Okay.
S18: Bear with me. Okay. This is actually also another traditional Nutcracker. Best bet in my mind , it's the Golden State Ballet. And they've been holding performances at the Civic Theater downtown since last week. And they're accompanied by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. And this is a relatively new company , but they do have , like , this world class dancers. And yes , they have invited legendary San Diego skateboarder Tony Hawk to come on stage. The organizer said that he's apparently been convinced by his own daughter , his teenage daughter , to do it. Um , it's still a mystery as to how this will happen , whether he's going to skateboard or not , but fingers crossed he does. And he'll be part of just one show. It's the 7:30 p.m. performance this Saturday. And last I checked , just about an hour ago. There were still tickets available. Wow.
S1: Wow. If he does a pirouette on a skateboard , I'm just going to be amazed. All right , well , moving from events to staff picks , we have Midday Edition producer Giuliana Domingo in the studio with us today. She's going to join us and talk about some of the there favorite choices for drink , food and media for 2025. So with that. Hello , Giuliana.
S19: Hey , Jade. Hey , Julia.
S1: So , okay , let's start with your favorite restaurant or cafe in San Diego this year. Yeah.
S19: Yeah. So I am going to focus on cafes for this one , because cafe hopping is one of my absolute favorite things to do in San Diego. So my pick for the year , it's new. It's chances coffee on El Cajon Boulevard. It's a new Vietnamese coffee shop. It's actually named after the owner's dog , chance. He's a rescue pup. And so yeah , a lot of the drinks are themed after him. My personal go to order is the double pandan latte , which is really good and like so many people all over the world , I love matcha. So I'm always following the latest on new pop ups and places. And so Rara Watanabe , our marketing sales coordinator , mentioned Libera as one of her picks and one of my friends actually put me on Libera and oh my gosh , it is so good. It's in Claremont. It's a great place to also get some work done or study. And Ra Ra shouted out the Earl grey matcha with cold foam and that would be my recommendation as well.
S1: All of it sounds delightful.
S18: My like one splurge this year was vulture. It's this new vegan restaurant from the people behind Kindred and Mothership. It's gorgeous inside , like plush , dimly lit , like indulgent feeling. And the menu is kind of in the same way , which , I mean , it's kind of nice for vegans to get to feel that kind of decadence as well. And I had the most amazing foe. Crab cakes and a wedge salad. And both of those meals went like instantly to the top of my favorite dishes ever list. I also had a really good old fashioned. Their whole drink menu is incredible , as is expected for the people behind kindred. But I am a fan. Like , I love to just try out an old fashioned wherever I go is like a benchmark and it was perfect.
S1: Wow , that all of that sounds delightful and really quickly. Um , favorite read this year , Julia.
S18: Okay , so I challenged myself to read a ton this year , and I also tried to read as many new books as I could. My favorite out of 2025 was a book called is a novel , The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett. It's such a delight. It's absurd. It was sad and hilarious. Like , I laughed out loud so much , despite it covering a lot of really difficult topics like abuse , death or suicide. And I think that is so hard to pull off in writing , but it was so great.
S1: All right. Julianna favorite film.
S19: Sentimental Value , which we just heard about in the midday movie segment by Joachim Trier. It's from Norway. I saw it two times in theaters , which can be a lot because it's a very , very emotional , devastating film. But , um , it's it's lovely. Definitely my top film of the year. And , um , which is , you know , one of the strongest years in , in cinema. I feel like personally , you know , one battle after another came out this year. Sinners came out this year. So , um , definitely a lot of competition there. Um , and it's no secret I adore this year's Superman. I have told literally everybody about this movie. Um , so I'm sorry if I've talked your ear about it. Um , talk to your ear off about it. But , um , it's so full of hope , and so it's really hard for me not to be charmed by it and just to draw the truth. You know , the through line for both of the films ? I think the three lines kind of a through line. Right. Um , a big focus of both is kind of this idea of earnestness and tenderness. And obviously both these movies are , you know , on their face , very different. But for Superman , like , his whole thing is kindness and goodness is the new punk rock. And then in Sentimental Value , the director said when the film festival was when they premiered the film at Cannes , the film festival , he said that tenderness is the new punk rock. So okay. I mean , yeah , that's kind of the through line between two. So those are my top two films for sure.
S1: Thank you. Lastly , Julia , you've got a show to recommend.
S18: So I went with one that I watched with my teenage daughter. We were liars. It's Amazon Prime Video , and it's actually an adaptation of a book that she'd already read. I was instantly hooked. It was like this monumental twist at the end , but just this great mystery about the dysfunctional elite. But it's so well acted. The characters were thoughtfully written. I was surprised the entire time , and my daughter said that even with reading the book , the twist was still impressive to her. Wow.
S1: Wow. Great recommendations there. That's it for our weekend preview. And if you want to come along with me to some of these awesome places , just recommended follow me on the socials. I'm on Instagram at Jade Hindman. Uh , as always , you can find more details on our events and KPBS. Best of 2025 list on PBS.org. I've been speaking with KPBS arts reporter and host of the Finest , Julia Dixon Evans and Midday Edition producer Giuliana Domingo. Thank you both so much.
S18: Thanks , Jade.
S19: Thanks , Jade.
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.
