Director of ¡BOZA! immerses herself documenting experience of migration to Spain

Sydney Bowie was filming her documentary “¡BOZA!” in an apartment in Morocco when someone asked if she wanted to see a boat.

The alumna and director of the film said she thought there had been an error in translation, unsure of how a boat meant to carry immigrants across the Mediterranean to Spain could fit into the small apartment. But then some prospective migrants brought out a small rubber raft and two hand-carved wooden oars, shocking Bowie as she imagined crossing the dangerous route on little more than a child’s toy.

Through “¡BOZA!,” which premiered April 29 at the Newport Beach Film Festival, Bowie followed three sub-Saharan African immigrants as they began new lives in Spain. She worked to tell a character-driven story by focusing on elements of her subjects’ immigration that were less widely documented in media – the struggle of the entire journey and the pursuit of the immigrants’ dreams once they arrive.

“There’s so much focus on the very tail end of this migratory journey … literally and figuratively (washing) up on European soil, but what people don’t really know or talk about is everything that comes before that,” Bowie said. “Migrants often spend years on that part of the journey and most of them describe it to me as the most difficult parts of their journey.”

Bowie said her own journey began when she first applied for a Fulbright grant in 2015 and used the money to live in Spain for several months in 2016 to conduct preliminary research. While there, she worked in an immigrant reception center and became involved in the immigrant community as she tried to find the right subjects for her documentary.

Ultimately, she said she decided to highlight three immigrants with distinct stories – Sani Ladan, an academic who left his home to get an education; Kone Yossodjo, an aspiring Olympic runner; and Yamal Awudu, who was orphaned as a child and sought a sense of community and home in Spain. Bowie felt their three stories complemented each other, as each is a different iteration of immigrants’ dreams while maintaining a shared optimism in the face of adversity.

“I felt like the media had a tendency to portray migrants, especially sub-Saharan African migrants, as victims of circumstance,” Bowie said. “I really wanted to have three inspiring protagonists that really had been able to follow their dreams after immigrating.”

As Bowie listened to their stories, she said she wondered how she could depict their immigration journeys. Awudu described his story of migration in vivid detail, as if he was the star of his own movie, Bowie said. He also loved cartoons, and the combination gave her the idea to work with Argentine animator Guadalupe Vyleta to animate the migration sequences using a watercolor style.

“That also served a practical purpose, which was, ‘We don’t have any footage of these events – what did the viewer see?’” Bowie said. “Animation was such a playful medium to work with because we kind of added a little touch of magical realism.”

Awudu’s love for film also inspired composer Freddy Avis when he was scoring the animated sequences. While Avis tried to keep the score more subtle throughout the rest of the film, the animated sequences offered an opportunity for the score to become a storytelling vehicle, and he used more pronounced percussion to underscore the danger illustrated in the vignettes of the subjects’ migrations.

“(Awudu) talked about his journey as a migrant being this sort of adventure for him,” Avis said. “So to score his flashbacks was really fun because giving it sort of a Hollywood flair was actually really appropriate for his memory of his experience as this adventure, which had really rough patches.”

Though the film featured elements of fantasy and historic recreations, the story was grounded in the relationships Bowie developed with each of her subjects. Director of photography Brecht Van’t Hof said he was struck by Bowie’s ability to help her subjects let their guard down and capture smaller moments and reactions that illustrated their character.

“(I learned to) be recording at all times because you never know what someone might say or what might happen,” Van’t Hof said. “The editor that (Bowie) brought on really brought on the quieter moments and shed light on how important some of those moments were, whether it’s something that they said in an interview or even just the way that they’d walk around in different cities looking around.”

Bowie said she sought to keep the theme of hope central to the narrative of the documentary, which informed how she titled it. She picked the word “boza,” a chant adopted by immigrants crossing the Spanish border. The word has Fulani origins, and translates roughly to “victory,” but has come to take on its own meaning for immigrants, Bowie said.

“It’s a celebratory chant that means freedom, end of suffering – I think each person would give their own unique definition of the meaning of the word,” Bowie said. “I just thought it perfectly captured the tone of the film and the kind of message that the film’s trying to convey.”

Study finds discrepancy in dialysis costs between private, government insurers

UCLA researchers found private insurers covering dialysis patients paid four times as much as government insurance programs for treatments, according to a study released Monday.

The study, authored by researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine and the Fielding School of Public Health, said government insurance programs pay an average of $248 per dialysis session, while private insurers pay an average of $1,041 per session.

Government insurance programs such as Medicare pay a fixed rate for dialysis care, according to the study. However, private insurance companies must negotiate with dialysis clinics on the price of treatment.

Researchers reviewed annual financial statements from DaVita, a private insurance company which controls 37% of the dialysis market in the United States, to arrive at their conclusions. However, according to the study, this method has some limitations, as some private insurers may pay more or less than the $1,041 average, and the results may not apply to dialysis providers other than DaVita.

According to the study, previous research has shown prices for medical care are higher in the United States than in any other developed nation, and the study’s data supports these findings in the dialysis market. The findings could potentially lead to policies that reduce prices for dialysis treatment, especially among private insurers, according to the study.

Student founds organization to support people who stutter, aims to reduce stigma

When Nathan Mallipeddi was in high school, people mistakenly thought he lacked confidence because of his stuttering.

“There’s a stigma that you’re not confident, you’re nervous – that’s a problem because for me, because when I was growing up and had to give a presentation, I wasn’t scared of people but everyone thought I was because I stuttered,” Mallipeddi said.

This prompted Mallipeddi, a third-year political science and biology student, to found the Southern California Stuttering Service in May 2017. He said the organization aims to help those who stutter through speech therapy, workshops and support groups.

Mallipeddi said growing up without resources to treat his own stuttering inspired him to help others access speech therapy.

“There are millions of students who stutter who are not receiving the support they need,” he said. “I wanted to see if there was something I could do, no matter how small, about something I was passionate about.”

Speech therapy is generally not covered by health insurance and is too expensive for many families to pay for out of pocket, Mallipeddi said. The organization partners with speech therapy clinics across the country, connecting students in need of therapy with those clinics and helping students pay for the cost.

The organization also hosts workshops and support groups at local high schools featuring adults in the workforce who stutter.

Mallipeddi said these workshops aim to teach people who stutter how to advocate for themselves and to show them they can succeed professionally despite their stuttering.

“Once you get to college and the workforce, it’s not like school where people go out of their way to get you help – you need to be proactive about it,” he said.

Mallipeddi said he thinks having support groups for people who stutter helps them feel less isolated in their struggles, which is how they may feel if few people around them deal with the same issue.

“It really gets you away from the path of loneliness and depression, because there are so many people like you, and in support groups they all come together,” he said.

Joee Gutierrez-Conrad, a second-year physiological science student who stuttered while growing up, said she would have liked to have a support group of fellow people who stutter while in school.

“I felt isolated and alone and embarrassed,” she said. “Knowing that there are others who stutter would have helped me and made me feel that it’s normal and that I’m not alone in it, that I’m not the only person on Earth who stutters.”

Mallipeddi received $15,000 in April 2018 from the Donald A. Strauss Scholarship Foundation, which he said he plans to use to fund speech therapy. He said he also received an additional $15,000 from investors in Silicon Valley.

Jennifer Wilson, Mallipeddi’s mentor for the Strauss Foundation scholarship, said in an email statement she thinks Mallipeddi is driven and compassionate.

“His personal experiences, the comments and support of his professors and mentors, his clear passion and dedication all show not only a fine student but also a man of emotional maturity who is already on the path to giving a voice to the voiceless,” Wilson said.

Mallipeddi said receiving the scholarship assured him his work was meaningful and important to people.

“My initial thought was I was overjoyed, it was validation … that there are people out there that believe the work I’m doing is worthwhile and monumental and are willing to invest in me,” he said. “It wasn’t so much about the money, more that they were willing to invest in me.”

Gutierrez-Conrad said she thinks organizations such as Mallipeddi’s could help reduce the stigma associated with stuttering.

“I think people don’t really understand that it’s normal, people still think it’s funny and okay to make fun of, it’s not something people can just accept,” Gutierrez-Conrad said. “It’s humorous to people and that’s what brings stigma.”

Mallipeddi said he hopes his organization will challenge the public’s perception of people who stutter. He said stuttering is an invisible disability, as many stutterers like himself are able to hide their disability, and he wants to change how people view invisible disabilities like stuttering.

“The disabilities movement is over in most people’s eyes, and there isn’t enough traction about invisible disabilities,” he said. “This movement is never over – it can always be improved.”

Undocumented young adults qualify for health care until age 26 in new state budget

Undocumented young adults may continue receiving health care coverage from the state until age 26, according to the governor’s budget report.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2019-2020 state budget, which was revised Thursday, stated the budget will allocate $98 million to extend the length of Medi-Cal coverage for young adults between the ages of 19 and 25 regardless of immigration status. Medi-Cal provides free or low-cost health coverage for low-income individuals in California.

Previously under Senate Bill 75, only those under the age of 19, including undocumented individuals, were eligible for Medi-Cal. Newsom’s proposal would extend Medi-Cal eligibility to age 26.

Several faculty members said they support this change.

Randall Akee, an associate professor of public policy, previously researched how populations were affected when they lost access to Medicaid.

Akee found that a lack of health care led to increased emergency room visits. He said his research predicts that Newsom’s proposal could cut down these costly visits by encouraging undocumented people to seek preventative care.

“They have a guaranteed source of medical coverage, so they would take the preventative care that otherwise results in increased emergency room visits down the line,” Akee said.

Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda, an associate professor of Chicana and Chicano studies, said he supports Newsom’s proposal because he thinks undocumented young adults are productive participants in the labor market who pay taxes and deserve health care.

“They are paying taxes and they’re not getting services like everybody else is,” Hinojosa-Ojeda said. “It’s deeply unfair, and (Newsom’s proposal is) a righting of an important moral wrong that can be identified in the nation right now.”

He added this change will make health care more inclusive of undocumented individuals and will make them more productive members of the economy, which will benefit society as a whole.

Burt Cowgill, an adjunct assistant professor of health policy and management, said while he thinks this is a change that a majority of California policymakers will support, some may be concerned that taxpayer dollars are funding people who are in the state illegally.

“Our tax dollars are going to pay for their needs either way, and I would rather pay for preventive and health-promoting care than paying for reactive care that’s addressing things that we could’ve addressed in the system earlier if they had better access,” Cowgill said.

Cowgill said the policy change should be heavily publicized so people know how it will affect them and how they can receive health care.

Steven Wallace, a professor of community health sciences and the associate center director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, said he also supports this change because it furthers California’s goal of health care for all.

“Health care is a basic human right and people who make their homes in California, who contribute to the economy through work or raising families, are a part of our communities, should have access to health care,” Wallace said.

Wallace said he thinks this proposal is a step toward expanding health care to all people in California. He added although this change is an improvement, the state should strive toward providing health care for all Californians.

“This is another great step forward, but there’s still several more steps until all Californians have equitable access to health care,” Wallace said. “So this is a great step, but politicians should not think it’s the last step.”

Spring Sing Committee rescinds award from Don McLean due to domestic violence charges

A student group rescinded a lifetime achievement award from a singer after realizing the recipient was convicted of domestic violence.

The Student Alumni Association at UCLA, which organizes Spring Sing, stated May 3 it would award Don McLean, the singer of the 1971 song “American Pie,” with the 2019 George and Ira Gershwin Award. The SAA Spring Sing Executive Committee announced May 6 it would rescind the award.

The Gershwin Award, a musical achievement award established by the SAA in 1988, is presented annually at Spring Sing, a showcase featuring student performers, to successful musicians who have made contributions to the music industry. Past recipients of the award include Linkin Park, Julie Andrews and Frank Sinatra.

SAA said in an announcement that it condemns violence.

“SAA rejects any behavior — including violence and the threat of violence in all its forms — that does not uphold the True Bruin Values,” the statement said.

McLean was convicted in 2017 of domestic violence criminal threatening, criminal restraint and criminal mischief. He pleaded guilty to other charges, including domestic violence assault, which were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, according to Variety.

McLean posted on Facebook to express his discontent that UCLA bestowed an award but rescinded it.

“You awarded me … then took it back because you found out about my squabble with my ex-wife,” he said in the post, which has since been deleted. “Maybe I need to give you some bribe money to grease the college wheels.”

He also said he denies accusations of domestic violence and demands an apology from UCLA.

Kayla Samuels, the executive director of Spring Sing and a fourth-year psychology student, said her committee is standing by their decision to rescind the award.

“We will not apologize for standing up for survivors of abuse, ” she said. “We stand firm in our decision to reject honoring any person who has inflicted any violence or trauma onto another human being.”

Jeremy Westby, McLean’s spokesperson, said in an email statement he thinks UCLA should have done more research on award candidates prior to giving out the award.

“We don’t believe it’s fair treatment and a public apology for SAA’s oversight and lack of research would have been appreciated,” Westby said.

Samuels said the Spring Sing committee conducted preliminary research on potential candidates for the award but still did not know about the charges against McLean.

“Typically, the baseline research is enough,” she said. “As soon as we were made aware of the allegations, and that he pleaded guilty, we immediately took action.”

Isabella Dohil, director of the Gershwin Award, said the committee will conduct more intensive research on the background of candidates in the future.

“This has been a learning lesson,” she said. “It has made us aware of the fact that this is a possibility.”

The Spring Sing Executive Committee has not yet decided on an alternative candidate for the Gershwin Award, Samuels said. She added the committee wants to use this opportunity to show support for survivors of violence.

“We are working hard on a plan B that not only captures the essence of the award, but is also able to pay tribute to survivors of all types of violence,” she said.

‘Game of Thrones’ season 8 recap – Episode 5: ‘The Bells’

Winter is here: The final season of “Game of Thrones” is one of the most highly anticipated television events of the last decade. Follow our columnists as they explore students’ weekly reactions as an iconic era of pop culture comes to an end. Beware, spoilers lie ahead in this special editor’s take.

Jet fuel may not be able to melt steel beams, but dragon’s breath can apparently crumble castles.

In a fire-filled blaze, the show’s penultimate episode aired Sunday night, serving up everything short of oblivion. With Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and Cersei’s (Lena Headey) much-awaited showdown, King’s Landing finally tested its impenetrable history during the season’s fifth episode, “The Bells.”

Gossip tends to get around in Westeros, and Daenerys quickly discovers that her advisor Varys (Conleth Hill) has swapped allegiances to support Jon Snow (Kit Harington) as rightful heir to the throne. His betrayal is met with fire, as the queen sentences him to death by dragon – the first of thousands to meet such a fate.

After suffering heavy losses in the prior episode, the fiery Mother of Dragons decides to burn the city in order to free the people from Cersei’s tyranny. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) begs Daenerys to consider calling off the attack if the citizens surrender, which they would signal by ringing the city’s bells. Of course, the gracious Breaker of Chains agrees to the idea of not slaughtering every man, woman and child in King’s Landing. A queen needs people to rule over, after all.

But then the fight begins. Arya (Maisie Williams), the Hound (Rory McCann) and Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) are already deep within the city on clashing missions as Drogon, the only remaining dragon, single-handedly wipes out the Iron Fleet, the city’s gates and hundreds of soldiers. Piece of cake.

Jon and his men charge alongside the Unsullied, making short work of city guards left and right. As Cersei looks on, her city surrenders and the bells begin to ring. The battle seems to be over – men drop their weapons and the onslaught comes to a halt.

The daughter of the Mad King, however, has other plans, and she launches Drogon into the air. He sweeps above the buildings, raining fire on screaming civilians and leveling the city. Audiences have watched the newly envisioned Mad Queen slowly loses her initial drive throughout the season, with power and pain increasingly blinding her from her main goal: to free Westeros from a power-hungry queen, Cersei.

Kristin Snyder, an assistant Arts editor and second-year English student, said the series could have approached Daenerys’ season-eight character arc more tactfully, but it does follow the personality shift hinted at in prior seasons.

“She’s clearly following her father’s footsteps where he became the Mad King and clearly she’s going to become the Mad Queen,” she said. “It’s just to show that absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Throughout the rest of the episode, the monster flies across the city, commanding her dragon to burn even the Red Keep into ashes. As civilians die left and right – both from the dragon and at the hands of pillaging soldiers – blood gushes in gallons. The horrendous sound of pooling and splattering blood permeates multiple shots, enhancing the gruesome nature of the post-surrender attack. Daenerys ends up responsible for slaughtering men, women and children en masse – with many, many of these senseless deaths shown on screen. She effectively becomes a tyrant of equal stature as Cersei.

Gabriel McCarthy, an assistant Sports editor, said Daenerys’ impulsive nature throughout the episode spoke volumes, as did her exhausted appearance and sunken eyes.

“I think we are used to seeing Emilia Clarke’s character always composed in many moments, especially recently in the season, so seeing her appear physically disheveled and on the edge of losing it was powerful,” said the second-year English and history student.

And the incestuously obsessed Jaime runs into Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek) on his way to the Red Keep. The latter manages to stab the kingslayer twice before he meets his own inevitable demise via skewering – even with one hand, Jaime beats his opponent down in hopes of saving Cersei. He somehow hobbles all the way into the keep, where he eventually finds his sister/lover/queen/baby mother. In quite the somber – if anticlimactic – death scene, the two hold each other as the building crumbles down from overhead.

So if the building just collapsed around Cersei, does that mean Daenerys just destroyed the very throne she hoped to sit on? It doesn’t seem to matter, as both Jon and Arya seem livid at the destruction the Khaleesi’s dragon caused. The question of their loyalty to the dragon queen is thus raised, and their disgusted expressions seem to be an answer.

Arya, midescape, almost dies a handful of times due to falling rubble, dragon fire and murderous Dothraki. But she does not go down in King’s Landing, and instead rides out of the leveled landscape on a Dothraki horse before the credits roll.

Coming on the heels of a yawn-inducing fourth episode, “The Bells” caused an exciting shift that effectively nullified any legitimate chance of Daenerys ruling Westeros. With one tyrant dead and another stretching her wings, the battle for the throne now seems to have much fewer pawns – and only one queen left on the board.

As for Arya’s incomplete prophecy, however, she has shut brown and blue eyes forever. All that’s left is green eyes – and she may be looking at you, Daenerys.