The Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Sometimes I want to kick myself for studying communication in college. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved my classes and professors and am constantly blown away by all the incredible things I learned. It also gives me a sense of pride that UCSB's Communication department was ranked #1 by the National Communication Association. 
 The thing is: I also love film. Growing up with a talented artist for a father and three crazy siblings who were always ready and willing to make fools of themselves behind a camera, it was kind of hard not to. As a child, I had always imagined that I would one day work in the entertainment industry and be a part of that movie magic, whether it was in public relations, production, post-production, or even directing. I mistakenly thought that a degree in communication would be all I needed to gain entrance into this exclusive industry, but it is now clear to me that I am going to need a hell of a lot more than this degree if I want someone to give me that opportunity. 
 I was able to take a few film classes while I was in college (Introduction to Film, Writing for Film, Documentary Filmmaking) and these classes were some of the best I have ever taken. In Writing for Film, where we learned how to write film reviews and critical analyses and that sort of thing, I first discovered my desire to attend a film festival. It turns out that UCSB's film department offers a "class" where they take a group of students to the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado and the students are required to watch dozens of films and write reviews on them. UMMMM. Seeing as how my absolute favorite thing to do is watch movies all day and because I love to write, that sounded like a dream come true to me. I was unable to go on the trip that year, but, ever since then, I could not get the idea out of my mind. It wasn't until this past weekend that my dreams of attending a film festival came to fruition. 
Every year, smack dab in the middle of awards season, my college-town of Santa Barbara, CA hosts an international film festival. There are tons of great events scheduled this year, including appearances by world-renowned director Martin Scorcese, Viola Davis (actress, The Help), Christopher Plummer (actor, Beginners), and so many more that it would be ridiculous to list. Although I wish I could have made it to one of the special events, my work schedule and the fact that I live two hours outside of Santa Barbara would not permit this. I did, however, take advantage of my day off on Sunday and hightailed it to SB, where I spent a grand total of 24 hours (from Saturday night - Sunday night) relishing in the beauty of the city, hitting up some of my favorite eateries, and, of course, attending the film festival. 
 On Saturday night I picked up a friend from UCLA (who happened to be my roommate in Santiago, Chile!). We drove over to the quaint little town of Isla Vista where we met up with more friends with whom we also shared our experience in Chile. I can't even describe the bond I have with these girls; they were my family when my family was an entire hemisphere away. I can't imagine ever NOT being friends with them. Coincidentally, my friend Lara (who went backpacking with me through Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay at the end of our trip)reminded me that Saturday was the one year anniversary of our departure to Chile!!!! Unreal. 

What is a trip to Isla Vista without nachos from Freebirds?

The next morning, after staring in awe at the Pacific Ocean and inhaling fat bagels from Bagel Cafe, Rachel & I drove down to State Street to get in on all the action. We each purchased a pass that would admit us into four movies so we knew it was going to be a long day hahaha.

The first movie we watched was Hugo in 3D, which played at 10 AM at the Arlington Theater.

Hugo was directed by none other than Martin Scorcese and has been nominated for a whopping 11 Academy Awards. I guess you could say it is a child's film, as the protagonist is an 11-year old boy, but the style and the tone of the movie ware a combination of whimsical/dark, which makes it enjoyable for a more mature audience. The star-studded cast (Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chloe Moretz, Emily Mortimer, and Jude Law) is amazing and they are all so, so funny! To be quite honest, I missed a good chunk of the movie because I fell asleep haha -- it was early, okay!!! But I can't wait to watch it again in its entirety. If you haven't seen it already, go!!

The next movie we watched was actually the world premiere of Nothing Like Chocolate, a documentary by Kum-Kum Bhavnani. We had no idea what it would be about but we both love chocolate and figured we would enjoy it. Before the movie I commented to Rachel, "We are probably going to want chocolate soo badly after this," thinking that the film was going to be full of food porn. I then added, "Unless it's like some sort of exposé on the corruption in the chocolate industry!!" We both laughed. It turns out it is!! (an exposé). 

The film focuses on Mott Green, an American expatriate living in Grenada (an island in the Caribbean) and his efforts to create a completely organic, labor-safe chocolate factory. The film exposes the poor quality of industrialized chocolate and, most importantly, the disgusting conditions under which it is produced. For example, I learned that 43% of the world's chocolate comes from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, which enslaves children as cacao farmers. If the farmers are not enslaved, they are extremely underpaid. Taking it upon himself to change this industry, Mott Green created a chocolate co-operative in Grenada, where he pays independent, organic farmers in his neighborhood a lot of money for their cacao beans. The movie is very funny, uplifting, and eye-opening. When the movie ended and Mott stood before us and received a standing ovation, I literally had to fight back tears. I really will make an effort to purchase organic, free-trade chocolate (and other food for that matter). Here is a link to Mott green's website where you can buy chocolate from him:  Support social change!
'Nothing Like Chocolate' Teaser from Kum-Kum Bhavnani on Vimeo.
After a short lunch break at Chipotle (mmm...), we returned to the Metro 4 movie theater to watch Pina in 3D, a film by Wim Wenders. Excepttttt, I wouldn't really call it a film... It is more of a collection of dance performances. The film is a tribute to the late Pina Bausch, the director and innovative choreographer of the Tanztheater Wuppertal dance company in Germany, who died of cancer days before this film was scheduled to begin shooting. The dancing is very avant-garde -- unlike anything I have seen before. It is very sensual and bold and emotional. The beginning is slow (I may have fallen asleep again hahaha) but it picks back up halfway through. Something I particularly liked about the film were the "interviews" with the dancers that are scattered between the performances. After a performance, the camera would cut to the image of a dancer sitting on a chair looking off to the side in complete silence, as though they were deep in thought. Very slowly, the dancer would move his or her eyes to the camera and would just stare this penetrating stare while a voiceover began in the background, including some statement this dancer had made. It is very spooky.

The last movie we watched, once again at the Arlington Theater, was Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Lasse Hallstrom. I had never heard of it, but we went to it on our friend Jade's insistence, who joined us to watch it. The movie is about a group of very different people who join forces to pull of a near impossible project: introducing salmon to the waterways of the Yemen, a middle eastern country. What makes this movie interesting is the clash of personalities of the characters and how this experience changes all of their lives. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy, who wrote the screenplay for the award-winning Slumdog Millionaire, so you can only imagine how beautiful and magical it was. The cast is INCREDIBLE (Emily Blunt, Ewan MacGregor, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Amr Waked) and they are all seriously spot-on in regards to their humor. So funny. Also, Emily Blunt is perfection.  
 
 After the movie, Rachel and I stopped for a snack and then returned home to LA.
 
It was such an amazing day. Hopefully next year I will be able to attend more screenings. And maybe I will even get the opportunity to go to Telluride! :) 
 Oh, and this means I accomplished goal #056: Go to a film festival. And you thought I forgot about my Day Zero Project, didn't you? Only six months left!!!

College in Review

Alright alright, don't get your panties in a bunch -- I didn't finish college yet!

To make it official I have to take my final exams next week

and then spend 6 wonderful months in Chile

(which, c'mon, totally does not count as school).

So how would I sum up my college experience? As Borat Sagdiyev so eloquently put it:

There were some good times

and there were some shit times.

Mostly there were shit good times.

hehe.

Don't get me wrong, there was a time when I really loved being at UCSB,

it's just that the absence of some people made it really hard to be there

and the presence of others only made it harder...

I am so excited to be free of all that next week! I plan to:

- be a better blogger & do sooooo many Day Zero

Project goals that your head will be spinning!

- get a job in the LA/OC area so I can make some

money before I study abroad

- catch up on all the reading I was not able to

do this crazy, hectic quarter

- celebrate the holidays with my favorites!!!!!!!!!!

Me, at Hannah's apartment last week celebrating Hanukkah!

Hungry?

Please make this:

 Mushroom Lasagna by Smitten Kitchen

Photo by Hannah B

Photo by Smitten Kitchen

Photo by Smitten Kitchen

Photo by Smitten Kitchen

Hannah & I made this for dinner the other night. Our exact words following our first bites:

Me: OMG

Hannah: Wow!

Me: Wow....

Hannah: ...wowwww.

Or these:

Toffee Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by Week of Menus

Photo by Joanne Choi

Photo by Joanne Choi

I made these Halloween weekend.

So so so good.

New favorite cookie. 

♥

Do you remember all the city lights on the water?

Excuse the small child hanging lifelessly from my hand

#065: Kiss in the rain

Coffee & Life

First of all, I recently found out that my mother was hoarding TWO Starbucks espresso machines.

Who does she think she is?! And there I was, wasting my precious dollars at the local S-bucks

like a sucker. So when I went home this weekend, she very graciously offered me one of hers.

Thanks Mom!! I am very excite!

I have a goal planned for this weekend... maybe two, depending on how brave I feel. 

It is getting harder and harder to complete goals now -- not only because I am super busy,

but also because I have gotten all the easy ones out of the way and all that are 

left are the ones that require a very specific circumstances or detailed planning.

Can you (yes, you!) please read through my list and tell me which ones I should work on?? 

As a present to you, I have stolen friends' facebooks photos. Enjoy:

♥ ♥ ♥

Hannah B's 21st Birthday! 

I joined them for dinner Thursday night and then 

Hannah spent the weekend in Vegas with some of the friendsies. 

 

My friends are so gorgeous! 

Ashley's 21st Birthday

I put some camera phone pictures up here a while

 ago, but here are some regular photos haha. 

West Beach Music Festival

Soo much fun!! The first night we went to a secret concert on a cruise ship around

 Santa Barbara and the second night we went to see Rebelution at Chase Palm Park. 

Did I mention I talked to Jimmy Jay and he let me WAVE HIS FLAG?!

Yeah. I know I'm cool. 

We ate snickers because it was all they offered to 21 & Under people at the bar. 

That is all. I will update you on my DZP this weekend, PROMISE! 

Happy 21st Ashley!

 ♥

An Open Letter to Jill Davenport

Dear Jill,

I know you did not realize it, but, this morning was the last time that 
I will ever kiss your sweet little puppy head. 




 
Today you are moving in with your new family and I can honestly say that
I will never forget the short time we had together! 


Yes, we may have gotten off to a rough start -- you can't entirely blame us for that, though... 
You WERE cross-eyed and twice Jack's size (always hogging mama's milk for yourself!)


anndd you used to poop and pee on people!!! 

Pobre Emily

A baby squirrel Jill killed and dragged into the house

But now you are a fluffy ball of golden cuteness. 


You learned to jump on and off the couch before Jack, because you are not afraid. You let us scratch your belly without squirming and sticking your arms out at weird angles. Even if we aren't petting or playing with you, sometimes you like to just cuddle up next to us and take a nap. 

 
I guess what I am trying to say is: Ashley, Emily and I are really going to miss you. 
I am not sad because I know you are moving in with a new family who already loves you so much! 
I just hope you are happy there and that you will never forget the first family you had.

Love,
Marcella (the blackest one) 

The Quarter to End all Quarters

Tomorrow is the first day of my last quarter at UCSB.

YESSSSSSSSSSSS.

I mean, this place is great and all, but it is hard to feel nostalgic for my 

soon-to-be-over college experience when I know that I will be spending

 the following six months exploring all of South America. 

I  just cannot wait to live in Chile and spend my days...

 perfecting my spanish by talking to complete strangers, strolling around the outdoor fruit markets in Santiago, traveling to exotic places like Ancient Machu Picchu in Peru, taking wild bus rides through the insanity that is Bolivia, and living it up during Brazil's legendary Carnival.

Oh yeah and studying. Hah.

Did I mention Chile is famous for its wine? 

There are still plenty of things I am looking forward to during the next four months in 

Santa Barbara. Here are some Day Zero goals I hope to accomplish before I leave:

093. Vote in an election
095. Read an issue of the New York Times, cover to cover
086. Touch a giraffe
084. Do a handstand
077. Enter a contest
005. Cook a meal for a large group of people

073. Make another music video

074. Spend an entire day without speaking

075. Make a toast

063. Spend the day with a child
045. Take a ballet class
055. Read a novel in Spanish
054. Memorize a bible scripture that I love
041. Make myself a scarf
039. Do the UCSB Undie Run
033. Throw a huge party
028. Visit San Francisco
014. Go on a hike
020. Have a picnic
016. Play paintball
003. Eat at an upscale restaurant alone

Speaking of my Day Zero Project, here is a little update: I have accomplished 37 goals in 332 days. 

A little over a third of my goals in a little under a third of the time I am alloted. Perfect!

 The downside: this means, according to goal #100: Deposit $5 in my savings account

 for every goal I DO complete, I should have 185-Day-Zero-dollars saved up. HAHAHA. 

The problem with having money in my bank account is that... I spend it! It is wayyy to easy to just swipe my card and voila-- dresses/makeup/lattes/groceries! To solve this issue, I have decided that I am going to keep a jar full of my Day Zero Project money. No spending allowed. I am not sure yet what I will do with the cash once I am done... save it? give it? spend it? (spend it!) 

I guess that is something I will decide on Day Zero. 

♥