Many Lumens with Maori Karmael Holmes

Maori chats with cinematographer Michael "Cambio" Fernandez. Cambio's credits as a DP include the award-winning projects The Burial of Kojo, directed by Blitz Bazawule; Beyoncé's Black Is King; Walter Thompson-Hernandez's If I Go Will They Miss Me; and most recently, Sing J. Lee's The Accidental Getaway Driver. In this episode Cambio talks about his non-traditional path to working in film, how his spirituality is reflected on set, and what he learned touring with an indie hip-hop collective in the early aughts. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori talks with LA-based curator and writer Meg Onli, whose work attends to the intricacies of race and the production of space. She is the co-curator of the 2024 Whitney Biennial, previously served as the director and curator of the now-shuttered The Underground Museum in Los Angeles, and was prior to that the Associate Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. Meg tells Maori about growing up in LA, what exhibits transformed her, the curators that inspire her, and what pop culture she turns to at the end of a long day. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

In this episode, Maori talks with her friend, D’Lo, a Tamil-Sri Lankan-American actor and writer who uses humor to discuss family, gender, and sexuality. Beyond his stand-up and multi-character solo shows, D’Lo has appeared on popular TV shows like Looking, Mr. Robot, Sense 8, and the new Quantum Leap. Most recently, he appeared in the feature film Bros. D’Lo shares how being trans was his first training in performance, how 1990s hip hop taught him to be outspoken, and why we should talk about what beautiful masculinity can look like. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

In this episode, Maori talks with critically-acclaimed director, writer, and actor Cherien Dabis. Cherien is known for directing episodes of Only Murders In the Building, Ozark, and Ramy. In addition to her work in television, Cherien has had a prolific career as an independent filmmaker with her films May in Summer and her groundbreaking 2009 debut feature, Amreeka, which depicted the life of a Palestinian single mother in small-town Indiana. In their discussion, Cherien talks about her directing style, what she learned from the actors she has worked with, and how her experiences as the child of immigrants and an Arab woman lends a much-needed perspective to American popular media. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori talks with filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, the brilliant co-creator and showrunner of FX’s breakout hit Reservation Dogs. Filmed in this home state of Oklahoma, the sitcom follows the lives of four Native teenagers living on a reservation who are on a mission to head to California while dealing with the death of their friend. He is also the director of the short films Goodnight, Irene (2005) and Four Sheets to the Wind (2007), which premiered at Sundance. Maori and Sterlin discuss working in Oklahoma, how he runs his sets, and which “Rez Dog” character he most identifies with. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Everyone's talking about Season 3 of Many Lumens! Get excited for the return of the podcast — premiering April 19, 2023 — and 10 new conversations between host Maori Karmael Holmes and the most groundbreaking artists, change makers, and cultural workers. BlackStar Projects, home of Many Lumens and the BlackStar Film Festival, creates the spaces and resources needed to uplift the work of Black, Brown and Indigenous artists working outside the confines of genre. Learn more at blackstarfest.org. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Bonus Episode! Maori chats with the renowned filmmaker, activist, and this year’s Blackstar Film Festival Luminary Award Recipient, Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay!, Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake). Mira talks about her childhood, how she made her way from India to the United States to attend Harvard, and her early artistic influences including theater, photography, and cinema vérité. The two explore the relationship between film and social change, the making of her 1991 film Mississippi Masala, her experiences directing while parenting, and more. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori talks with fashion designer Telfar Clemens and creative director Babak Radboy, the principal forces behind the iconic TELFAR fashion label. Clemens and Radboy share their connection being 'third culture kids,' the organic nature of their creative partnership, and how they've navigated the fashion industry together. They also discuss other projects in the works, namely building out TELFAR TV and potentially a TELFAR physical space that "might not be what you think." Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori chats with musician, poet, artist, cultural worker, and professor Camae Ayewa, also known by her stage name Moor Mother. Camae talks about her early life growing up in Aberdeen, Maryland and her formative influences. They also discuss her journey as an artist, from her early days performing in Philly’s underground music scene to her successful solo project, bands, and involvement in the Black Quantum Futurism Collective. Camae is truly an inspiration to all creatives, as she pushes the bounds of experimentation and reminds us of the importance of comfort with the journey. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori talks with Oakland-based, artist, writer, and curator, Astria Suparak. Astria’s curated exhibitions, screenings, and performances have appeared at art institutions and festivals worldwide, as well as far more unconventional spaces, including roller skating rinks, sports bars, and rock clubs. In their conversation they talk about her introduction to Riot Grrrl culture as a teen and the intellectual through line from her punk rock beginnings to her work now. They also discuss her recent project Asian Futures, Without Asians, a visual analysis of over half a century of American science fiction cinema. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori chats with poet, activist, mother, and professor Sonia Sanchez (Homecoming, We a Baddddd People, Homegirls and Handgrenades, Morning Haiku). Sister Sonia’s accomplishments are vast and include being named Philadelphia's first poet laureate in 2012, receiving the first Presidential Fellow at Temple University, and most recently being awarded the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. Maori and Sister Sonia discuss struggle, love, and loss. Sister Sonia talks about her experiences as a young adult in New York, how the form of haiku has influenced her life, and the balancing act of raising children while maintaining her artistic practice. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori chats with renowned painter Amy Sherald, who documents contemporary Black American experiences through otherworldly figurative paintings. Amy talks about what life was like for her growing up in a small Southern city and her process of self-exploration and honing her craft. They discuss the nuances of her artistic practice, career trajectory, and what life has been like since the release of her portrait of Michelle Obama. They also explore a question we all want to know — when is Amy going to paint a portrait of Maori? Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori and guest co-host Rashid Zakat chat with their friend, artist, musician, and filmmaker Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty, Random Acts of Flyness). The three talk about Terence’s childhood and the long term impact of growing up in a family of creatives, drawing inspiration from love, and the importance of community for Black artists. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori chats with powerhouse producer Deniese Davis (Insecure, A Black Lady Sketch Show), founder of two media companies — Color Creative and Reform Media Group — that seek to uplift and champion Black and brown voices. In their conversation, Deniese shares her journey from being a rising basketball star to helping to shepherd the cultural phenomenon that was Issa Rae’s Insecure. They also discuss finding work-life balance and their shared passion for musicals. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori chats with writer, artist, and chef Tunde Wey, known for his gastronomic projects that critically poke fun at and examine gentrification, economic inequality and the enduring neo-colonial politics of food today. Tunde shares how stepping out of family expectations of success is a full circle process, and discusses what it’s like being back home in Nigeria. They talk about how his understanding of Black Atlantic food culture has evolved from his time in Detroit and New Orleans, and how he still owes Maori a husband. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori chats with visual artist, filmmaker, writer, and photographer Sky Hopinka, director of maɬni – towards the ocean, towards the shore and a co-founder of the Indigenous film collective COUSIN. They discuss creating work that isn’t beholden to whiteness and the impact his family has had on his artistic practice. The two also get into what it means to protect and nurture space for those you hold closest and the nuances of charging white people to take your photograph. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

In this episode, Maori talks with Princeton African American Studies Professor and prolific author Imani Perry (South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation). The two talk about shared geographies and discuss how the places they belong to have shaped who they’ve become. They get into Imani’s commitment to beauty, her family, and the intellectual tradition she inherited from her grandmother. And finally, Maori and Imani bond over being migrant weirdos. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori chats with kindred spirit and prolific writer Jeff Chang, author of Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. In their conversation they time travel back to the 80’s and 90’s, looking at how hip-hop transformed their politics and shaped their outlooks on the world. They also discuss how to learn from failure, Black and Asian solidarity, and the significance of chosen family. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

Maori sits down with close friend Dr. Yaba Blay, a producer, professor, cultural consultant, self-described “maroon academic,” and author of the award-winning book, One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race. The two discuss beauty and the pressures Black women face to conform, how to step out of the isolation and rigidity of the academy, and finding your way through time and geography. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.

A sneak peek at Season 2 of Many Lumens with Maori Karmael Holmes. Produced by BlackStar Projects, this season premieres May 11, 2022 and will feature 12 new conversations with the most groundbreaking artists, change makers, and cultural workers in the game. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens. Trailer features Season 2 guests Imani Perry, Jeff Chang, Sky Hopinka, and Yaba Blay. Subscribe to Many Lumens wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @manylumens for the latest. All episode transcripts and show notes are available at manylumens.com. Many Lumens is brought to you by the Open Society Foundations.