Arts & Culture

6 The Daily Aztec Arts & Culture

Nov. 10 - 16, 2021 EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com

‘Miku and the Gods’ inspires its actors

By Haley Risch CONTRIBUTOR

“Miku and the Gods,” presented by San Diego State’s Arts Alive, took its audience on an emotional and thought-provoking journey. Through passionate acting and thoughtful set design, the performance led viewers through conversations about death, friendship and the simultaneous importance and impermanence of memories.

“Miku and the Gods,” written by Julia Izumi and directed by Peter James Cirino, follows the story of a young Japanese American girl from a polytheistic background who desires to be a god. The performance opened on Oct. 29 and completed its final showing on Nov. 5. It was held virtually and had a limited in-person audience to comply with COVID-19 protocols.

Despite the decision to be presented mostly virtually, which is atypical in prepandemic theater, nothing from the play seemed to be lost. The story and spirit of the actors was conveyed perfectly through the screen. Hope-Elizabeth Dagdagan, the SDSU student who portrayed 12-year-old Miku, had the ability to bring the audience back to their inquisitive and sometimes painful childhood years through her emotive acting.

Cirino explored this aspect of the performance during the “Miku and the Gods” Discovery Series Panel Conversation on Oct. 26.

“I get taken away by the story and by the fierceness [of] this young character that Julia wrote so well, Miku,” Cirino said. “And it makes me long for those

Photo by Mckenna Perry A performance sequence from the production of “Miku and the Gods,” an immersive play put on by SDSU Arts Alive.

times when I was little, to be that sponge and want to take on the world.”

Miku was struggling to deal with the death of her older brother and wanted to become a god so she could use her powers for good and ensure no more innocent people died. She and her new friend Ephriam, portrayed by Jaiden Sanmarti, sought out how to become a god and slowly learned of the sacrifices they must make.

At the same time, Miku’s grandmother, Grandma Seiko, was afflicted with dementia. She has lively and difficult conversations with her friend Shara, the minor god of war, portrayed by Booker Schrock. They dealt with the process of dying and the idea of memories fading being inevitable.

The elaborate storyline slowly revealed to the audience how all four characters are

deeply connected through death. Through explosive and touching monologues from Grandma Seiko, Shara and Miku the audience is provoked to think about the complexity of memories and death.

The ability of the actors to portray characters far outside of their age range as well as their ability for their emotions to transcend beyond the Zoom screen was fascinating to watch. Justine Elise Banal, who portrayed Grandma Seiko, explained how she was able to relate to her role.

“My grandma is my rock. A lot of who I am today, as corny as it sounds, is because of her. So, it was really interesting to play that opposite role and be that person for Miku in the play,” Banal said.

The audience not only received both the calm and intense acting moments well, but the music, lighting and set design further helped the performance

come to life.

Although the set was static throughout the performance, it was well utilized through use of multiple levels for the actors to walk on and a wall of crystal-like beads which added dimension. The bold, colorful lighting of Act II synced with the mood and made each scene vibrant and visually pleasing.

The costumes also added to the visual beauty of the play. The gods’ costumes were all brilliantly unique and eyecatching. They created a nice contrast from the regular clothes of the human characters. The captivating end scene where the gods finally spoke about their personal deaths was made all the more interesting because of their costumes.

The utilization of different camera angles for the Zoom audience was engaging and made it feel almost as if watching a film. From the music to where the character stood on stage, everything in the play was well connected and symbolic.

Along with the central themes of the play, Izumi wanted to showcase Japanese American culture. She did so through Grandma Seiko’s onigiri, the use of Japanese honorifics, the practice of polytheistic culture and more. In the “Miku and the Gods” panel Izumi described the importance of having polytheistic representation and how it was a reflection of her own experiences.

“Miku is Japanese American because I am. Her story is not my story, but a lot of me is in her,” Izumi said.

To learn more about the upcoming performances from SDSU’s Arts Alive visit the School of Theater, Television and Film event page or visit the Arts Alive SDSU website.

San Diego State Symphony and Wind Orchestra shine

By Marian Cuevas STAFF WRITER

On Nov. 4, the San Diego State Wind Symphony and Symphony Orchestra performed their “Nothing Gold Can Stay” concert downtown in Balboa Theatre. The program consisted of two sections, each of which featured two pieces.

President Adela de la Torre and the Dean of Professional Studies and Fine Arts attended the event and shared their words and gratitude with the audience at the start of the event. In her brief time on stage, de la Torre stated SDSU will now start sponsoring an evening of gratitude each fall, an event for which the SDSU Wind Symphony and Symphony Orchestra will perform in Balboa Theatre.

This news was well received by music majors, whose pleas have been unattended by the president’s administration. Sade Rains, a third-year piano education major who attended as an audience member, shared her thoughts on this.

“I was surprised to see the president of our school giving a speech about how special the music students are… It was a relief to hear her mention how the music school would begin to receive some new sponsorships,” Rains said.

The performance touched their audience, especially in the context that it took place. “I have been deprived of the concert experience for so long, which is what made this performance even more special,” Rains said. “I feel that my words alone can’t bring the Nothing Gold Can Stay concert justice.”

The venue was a notable element of this event, as Samuel Jiménez, a fourth-year violin education major who performed with the orchestra commented.

“It was such a privilege to… perform

in such an amazing venue with some outstanding music. As students, we don’t always have the privilege to perform in these spaces, and it completely changes our sound into something that is truly astonishing to listen to,” Jiménez said.

The Wind Symphony opened the concert by performing “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Steven Bryant. This piece, based on the poem of the same title by Robert Frost, captures a simple and familiar beauty.

Bryant discussed how the composition, which was inspired by Frost’s poem, captures a paradoxical descent from dawn to day, embodying the “lucky fall,” the idea that “loss can bring greater good, and is in fact necessary,” Bryant said.

The second work in the program featured Elizabeth Gaitan, a fourth-year vocal performance soprano. “Places we can no longer go” tells the story about the composer’s mother, who has dementia. It goes from unintelligible blabber to distinct, clear fragments of memories.

For this piece, the soprano starts singing in the audience, further capturing the disorientation dementia patients navigate daily by placing the soloist among the audience members, where many were not able to pinpoint where the voice they were listening to was coming from.

Jiménez, who is also Gaitan’s boyfriend, said this performance was an amazing way to return to music in an indoor space.

“[Her] solo in this piece was so emotional and I can’t even begin to express how proud I am of all her hard work and success. The offstage clarinets and triangles plus the space… really brought out the powerful energy this piece had to offer and brought me to tears,” Jiménez said.

The Symphony Orchestra took over for the second half of the program, performing

Photo by Virginia Michel The SDSU Symphony Orchestra’s performance of “Firebird Suite” was one of the night’s highlights.

“Blue Cathedral” by Jennifer Higdon and “Firebird Suite” by Igor Stravisnky.

“Firebird Suite” was a performer and audience favorite.

“[Firebird] has such a special place in my heart, and I am so grateful for being able to perform it with the symphony,” Jiménez said.

Rains, an audience member for this portion of the concert, said this was her favorite piece, as the audience was able to see each section of the symphony shine.

This event also left music majors hungry for more, hoping that their craft will be better appreciated going forward. Rains emphasized the hardship of being a music major while also expressing hope that the larger public will be more appreciative of the arts.

“SDSU’s music program has an amazing group of people that constantly juggle their personal lives, a million one-unit classes, and the stress of mastering their

craft,” Rains said. “Even if you aren’t a music student or a fan of classical music you should definitely take the time to see what we do here in the music building. My peers have been so inspiring to me and I’m so thankful to have had that experience with them as an audience member.”

Photo by Virginia Michel

Composer Michael Gerdes led the symphony orchestra in their performance of “Firebird Suite.”

Nov. 10 - 16, 2021 EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com

Arts & Culture

Student’s editing expertise leads to viral TikTok fame

By Lucelis Martinez SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Kayli Sandoval is a San Diego State student in her third year, studying journalism with an emphasis in media studies and minoring in film. Sandoval enjoys working with mixed media, and has gotten a lot of attention for the style she showcases on video edits, which has brought her many work opportunities with big names.

Sandoval also has 172 thousand followers on TikTok. Sandoval said she downloaded Tik Tok in 2018 because her younger sisters were obsessing over it and as the older, more protective sister, she wanted to look out for them.

When quarantine hit, she started posting more seriously and started uploading content she says she was extremely proud of. Her first viral video got 4.3 million likes and depicted the year 2020 through the lens of Sandoval’s signature edits. It was the first video she created with Premiere Pro, which she found out she had access to as a student.

Since then, Sandoval has gotten to work with big names like Vinnie Hacker, popular TikTok creator and YouTuber. Some members of Hacker’s video team reached out to Sandoval and asked if she could do some edits for them.

“It was definitely a milestone into the style that I have today,” Sandoval said.

Sandoval’s editing style is fast paced and put together using apps like Adobe Premiere Pro. She likes using camcorders and film photos to give a ‘90s and early 2000s aesthetic. She can’t start an edit without picking out the music, and likes listening to different genres in her personal life. Sandoval said reggae is a must for some mornings.

Being a fan of mixed media, she also likes incorporating collages and using photoshop for a bunch of frames, along with doodles.

Brazilian film series enlightens students

By Noé Sandoval MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR

The Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies at San Diego State is now featuring a film series for its third year. The Brazil Center has partnered with Language Acquisition Resource Center to provide educational material to students through documentary and narrative films. It provides both language and culture learning opportunities through cinema.

The film series used to function by having a one-time screening on campus where students can go watch these featured films; however there was a change during the pandemic. The center decided to subscribe to Eventive, an online streaming website for independent filmmakers.

Through Eventive, users have an allotted time to watch the featured film from their own devices.

Currently, as we have returned to the in-person functions, there has been a mixture of both in person screenings and online streaming.

These featured films have covered a wide range of topics and themes concerning from the sociopolitical climate to everyday narrative of the Brazilian people. All these films take place in Brazil and are made by Brazilian filmmakers.

Screenshot courtesy of Kayli Sandoval

The popularity of Sandoval’s TikTok soared during 2020, helping her land elusive job opportunities.

“That’s definitely a signature thing that’s like, that’s a Kayli video if it has the doodles in it,” Sandoval said, “If you were to play one of my videos frame by frame, you can really see my attention to detail which I find to be another one of my signature aspects to my edit. There’s almost something new in every frame if not every three frames.”

Sandoval said she did an edit for a brand in Australia, and drew specific items related to the brand onto it.

Sandoval has been involved with Kolorhouse on campus. Kolorhouse was a brand founded in 2019, which then grew into a chapter. The group encourages community building through creative outlets and mediums of expression.

Kolorhouse founder, Charlie Seith, reached out to Sandoval before classes started this semester but Sandoval took the time to find out what Kolorhouse was all about. She checked out their Instagram, and really liked their message

Kristal Bivona is the assistant director for the Center for Brazilian Studies, and she has a background in Brazilian film research.

“We try to bring a wide variety of films,” Bivona said. “We have some independent filmmakers who [are] trying to promote their first film, but we also [have] filmmakers who are more experienced.”

For the film series, Bivona also has the chance to interview the directors for these featured films. Bivona conducts a Q&A session with the film director for each film and these sessions are available through the Center’s Youtube Channel.

Bivona also mentioned that it is a difficult time for Brazilian filmmakers nowadays due to the sociopolitical climate of the country.

The Brazilian film industry is currently going through a lotof changes due to the country’s governance.

In Brazil, many arts of work with cultural significance can be funded by the government through the Lei Rouanet and the Lei Audiovisual, laws that permitted individuals and companies to receive allotments of funding by the government for arts of work including music, dance, theatre and

so she joined right away.

“Being around other creatives is something that I never knew was so important, until I was able to experience it,” Sandoval said. “The first time I was around other creatives was probably the one time that I felt the most inspired.”

Sandoval hadn’t made a video for about four months before that, as she was turning down commissions because she felt like she had to get back into the momentum of in-person classes.

Despite the demand for her work increasing, she says she likes to listen to her heart when choosing what work to do.

“I don’t say yes to every commission because if it’s some brand that just doesn’t really go with my own aesthetic, I don’t really see how we can work together so I definitely am a little bit choosy with who I pick to work with,” Sandoval said. “I definitely think it’s very important to keep my own style with every video that I do.”

Painting with her mom when she was young, and watching interesting documentaries with her dad has inspired her to create some of her own works in the future.

“I vividly remember one of my first edits was like this music video, to Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora’s ‘Black Widow’ and it was my little sister just walking down our driveway and I would just like to film them and put some effects on in Videostar,” Sandoval said. “That was a tragedy but it’s really, really funny to look back on now cause I’ve grown so much as an editor.”

Sandoval said that for every one second of video, she may edit for an hour or more.

“Without art, I would not be sane,” Sandoval said.

One can find that brand video, and others Sandoval has done, by going to her online portfolio or checking out her Instagram, @KayliSandoval.

movie productions. These laws have been under attack due to the governance of the right-wing president, Jair Bolsanaro.

For the film series, the current film available is titled “Aos Olhos dos Ernesto” (Through Ernesto’s Eyes). It tells the story of an elder Uruguayan man, Ernesto, living in Brazil who has lived a life of adventure and love being a photographer, but has become dependent on others due to becoming blind.

The film takes place in the city of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. It is the southernmost metropolitan city in Brazil and borders the countries of Uruguay and Argentina. The protagonist of the film is from Uruguay. The film has a mixture of both Spanish and Portuguese within the film.

Ana Luiza Azevedo, the director of the film, explained that this film showcases the diversity of culture that can be found in

Southern Brazil.

“I think these mixtures of languages are very beautiful,” Azevedo said. “It is a way of generosity so that what matter is not to speak well a language but to communicate and be able to understand and exchange.”

Courtesy of Elo Company

“Through Ernesto’s Eyes” directed by Ana Luiza Azevedo.

The Daily Aztec

7

Decolonizing Attraction aims to accept all

By Sumaia Wegner STAFF WRITER

On Nov. 1, SDSU’s Women’s Resource Center and Latinx Resource Center hosted an event centered around “decolonizing attraction.”

Decolonizing attraction is learning how to upack identities, experiences and broader cultural systems impacting the ways we experience attraction whether it’d be platonic, romantic, and sexual in forming relationships.

Participants were welcomed in this educational safe space with essential oil fumes and yoga mats to sit on. A fiveminute meditation was led by staff to help ground oneself - given the context of the material that was going to be discussed.

A “zine” (a miniature activity book related to the discussion) and colorful markers were given to participants to fill out while a powerpoint presentation was conducted. Topics of conversation included vulnerability, intimacy, biases, and barriers, and a series of questions were asked in relation to these topics.

Participants then shared personal experiences and examples, which allowed for everyone to engage through their similar feelings and understanding.

The event aimed to ensure participants knew how to better interact with themselves and others. They also explained how to have complex talks with their partners in regard to their identity, and how the system of oppression manifests in intimate relationships.

Senior Camile “Eden” Pino (she/her/ hers), a foods and nutrition major and a Spanish minor, said she appreciated learning about boundaries.

“I feel like I learned how to set healthy boundaries with someone in my family,” Pino said. “I learned about answering with yes-but, not just hard no’s. I really like the aspect of those boundaries.”

Setting boundaries is something everyone should practice, says Josh Imperial, a senior majoring in civil engineering.

“I also agree with setting boundaries,” Imperial said. “A great point is that sometimes you want to practice what you want to say to your partner, so it is good to understand the boundaries you want to set.”

Both Pino and Imperial were happy to have the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) back open since it was closed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both agree they would recommend the center as a place to go for other students.

“Myself, being a person of color, I felt super welcome there and I feel like I was a part of the group even though I just met everybody. Everyone felt so inclusive and supportive,” Pino said.

It’s a place where people can come together.

“You feel a sense of community. I know the emphasis is on women, but we are welcoming of all. People can put themselves out there, like we all do,” Imperial said.

The WRC serves women and all people who face gender-based oppression. The center operates with an “intersectional feminist lens” and offers educational and healing events that address the biases of justice involving gender and race.

Jess Chappelear is graduating this year with a major in psychology and minors in philosophy, counseling and social change. She is a fellow at the WRC, and was asked how to get more students to use the WRC as a resource.

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Arts &

Nov. 10 - 16, 2021

8 The Daily Aztec

Culture

EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com

San Diego tribute band appears on E! network music competition show

By Sara Rott SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Projected across television screens all over the country, San Diego based tribute band “The Fooz Fighters” traded in live concerts for recorded performances.

“The Fooz Fighters,” like the name can tell you, is a tribute band dedicated to “The Foo Fighters.”

Members include lead vocalist Nicky Rich, guitarist Brent Wright, drummer Boll3t, bass and backing vocals Gui Bodi and guitarist David Tishenkel.

The tribute band rockstars competed on E! Network’s “Clash of the Cover Bands,” their episode will air Wednesday, Nov. 1o.

The only band from Southern California to appear on the show, the band spoke about how the experience was surreal.

“I can speak for everyone when I say this is something that we’ve never done before,” Rich said.

Boll3t spoke about how every detail was taken into perspective, from the crew themselves to the sound quality, he enjoyed the professional side of the show.

The premise of the 10-episode show is to showcase tribute bands in the same genre. Every week, two bands compete head-tohead against each other. The judges decide who reigns supreme that night, judging on vocals, appearance and overall likeability.

Meanwhile, they get to work with people in the business like Meghan Trainor and vocal coaches to get advice and become better performers.

“The Foo Fighters, a lot of them are shoe-gazers, except for the lead singer and the drummer,” Tishenkel said. ”The rest of the band is just there and don’t really step out front and we emulated that.”

Tishenkel explained how “Clash of the Cover Bands” wanted none of that and

made them step out of that comfort zone. However, it was a lightbulb moment for them to step out every time they performed.

Boll3t spoke about how the energetic stage presence the band portrays whenever they perform is a big part of their show.

“I think that’s where we concentrate more, we gotta keep the energy flowing,”Boll3t said.

From their time on the show, Fooz Fighters learned there’s not just one person who carries the energy of a show, it’s about the whole band combining their energy.

Rich spoke about how the whole experience was a show up and wait kind of deal, where they would arrive at the studio with no prior knowledge of the schedule ahead.

“There was this, ‘we don’t know what we’re getting into’ and that can be a little intimidating,” Rich said. “But we put on our big boy pants and went out there and did the best we could.”

Many of the performers on the show were cover bands, which are very different from tribute bands. Unlike a cover band, which plays music in the style of various artists, a tribute band sticks to imitating the original performers in movement, dress, appearance and playing music note-fornote.

Rich is the example in this case; he grew his hair out and got Dave Grohl’s exact tattoos to resemble the Foo Fighters’ lead singer.

“It’s an interesting process, but I think whenever we take the stage wherever we are, we are ‘The Foo Fighters,’” Wright said. “The whole band puts their heart and soul into matching the energy.”

Besides performing in front of large crowds, they also take time for the fans, especially the younger ones.

They are currently supporting a 10-yearold boy from Australia who had surgery for cerebral palsy. The little boy was a big

Courtesy of Fooz Fighters

When performing onstage, the Fooz Fighters share a heavy resemblance with their inspirations.

“Foo Fighters” fan, even dressing like Dave Grohl.

“His mother reached out to us and said he would love it if you played a song for him, so I sat down and played a song for him,” Rich said.

The special moments shared between this band and their fans is so powerful. Although they may see themselves as only a cover band, their fans see so much more.

Understanding this, the “Fooz Fighters” put their time and energy into replicating the real deal for fans. The band is more than happy to help raise awareness and perform at events for good causes.

After the show, the band went on tour and performed in Colorado and Texas.

“I think we played our best shows ever as a band, I’ll go off on a limb, at those shows,” Wright said.

However, the band can’t help but agree that performing in San Diego has special meaning. Either a sold out show or close to it, nothing beats the fan base they have established here.

Rich spoke about how after the taping of the show, COVID-19 issues canceled their shows at one of their favorite places in San Diego, the Belly Up Tavern.

For the local scene, it’s a chance to see this cover band make its comeback after two years of no live performances.

“That’s what makes this show so significant, a lot of the people here at home have not seen the transformation that we’ve gone through pre-COVID-19.” Rich said.

“Fooz Fighters” are booked to perform at the Music Box on Nov. 20 at 9 p.m. open to ages 21 and up.

Review: ‘Dune’ overcomes its ‘unfilmable’ expectations

By Morgan Ray STAFF WRITER

*WARNING: MILD SPOILERS*

The phrase “‘Let’s make a movie out of ‘Dune,’” is enough to strike fear into the hearts of the brave.

Adapting Frank Herbert’s 1965 monolith novel has been one of the most daunting tasks in sci-fi cinema history; from the bonkers tale of Alejandro Jodorowsky‘s unrealized vision to the ambitious yet highly abbreviated 1984 David Lynch adaptation, which he has since disowned.

However, in the words of Lady Jessica, “fear is the mind-killer.”

With Denis Villeneuve (“Arrival”, “Blade Runner 2049”) taking his crack at the storied space desert epic, have we finally received a worthy adaptation of “Dune”… or rather, “Dune: Part One?”

Villeneuve’s “Dune” will be a two-parter, with “Part Two” due for fall 2023. “Part One” introduces us to Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), heir to House Atreides, who’s haunted by strange visions of a mysterious woman (Zendaya) that compel him to the planet Arrakis. Perfect timing, because House Atreides has been assigned control of Arrakis, a lucrative source of spice (a.k.a. interstellar fuel), thereby replacing the planet’s brutal overlords House Harkonnen. Upon arrival, Paul’s visions only get stronger and it becomes clear that House Atreides’ presence has an entirely different purpose.

“Dune” has long been deemed

“unfilmable” because of the vast amount of material an adaptation needs to cover — even summarizing the film isn’t easy. Hence “Dune: Part One”’s nearly threehour run time,but is it better to do the source material justice at the expense of audiences’ attention spans?

Let’s be clear; there’s a lot of information to take in and it can be a bit overwhelming. Thankfully, “Dune: Part One” trusts its audience and the screenwriters feel no need to explain themselves; unlike the 1984 version, where literal playbills were passed out to explain what/who everything was. If anything, giving theatergoers less explanations allows them to piece everything together. They’ll become more immersed in the world of “Dune” and will be sufficiently primed for “Part Two.” Hell, at this point, we might actually need three parts.

It’s clear that “Dune: Part One” is enamored with its source material. Even the uninitiated can sense this film was created by actual fans of the book and this passion radiates from every gorgeous frame. Hans Zimmer’s potent score sweeps through scenes like a desert breeze and the visuals, oh, the visuals!

The costumes (Jacqueline West, Bob Morgan and Stacy Horn), cinematography (Greig Fraser) and production design (Patrice Vermette) are a stunning reminder of why we watch grand sci-fi epics. With such imagery, you’d be tempted to completely forget about the performances, which would be a grave mistake. Timothée

Chalamet‘s moody performance continues to confirm all the hype surrounding his name, the supporting cast is absolutely stacked (Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, etc.) and if you haven’t been paying attention to Rebecca Ferguson, you should be.

Plotwise, “Dune: Part One” gives its dated source material a much needed revamping. For one thing, it’s quite literally driven by female voices: the much more prominent role of Lady Jessica (Paul’s mother), the gender-flipping of Dr. Kymes, even Zimmer’s score with its female choir. Regarding protagonist Paul, Villeneuve’s adaptation embarks on his “Hero’s Journey” with more caution than its contemporaries. Paul is aware of the power mechanics and privilege that brought his family to Arrakis, but will his visions bring him to perpetuate that cycle? How much of his “destiny” does he truly have a say in? Can this adaptation avoid making Paul Atreides a “Gary Stu” and/or keep itself from falling into the insidious “white savior” trope? This new “Dune” cycle could be setting itself up for a colossal victory or a catastrophic failure.

“Dune: Part One” has an odd duality; it’s definitely holding back, but this adaptation is still giving everything it’s got. It’s just a matter of whether “Part Two” can find a way to land these beats. There’s a crucial moment where a key character says “This is only the beginning.” That much is clear. For now though, House Villeneuve remains relatively triumphant.

7.5/10

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Picture of the ominous, desert-laden studio poster for “Dune” outside Reading Cinemas in Grossmont.