Many Lumens with Maori Karmael Holmes

BlackStar
  • 4.9 (49)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • WEEKLY SERIES

BlackStar founder Maori Karmael Holmes chats with the most groundbreaking artists, change makers, and cultural workers — finding meaning in the intersections of art, social change, and popular culture.

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  1. Sterlin Harjo

    EPISODE 1

    Sterlin Harjo

    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.

    39 min
  2. Cherien Dabis

    EPISODE 2

    Cherien Dabis

    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.

    59 min
  3. D'Lo

    EPISODE 3

    D'Lo

    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.

    47 min
  4. Meg Onli

    EPISODE 4

    Meg Onli

    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.

    54 min
  5. Michael "Cambio" Fernandez

    EPISODE 5

    Michael "Cambio" Fernandez

    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.

    50 min
  6. Life without roadmaps with Bethann Hardison and Lisa Cortés

    EPISODE 6

    Life without roadmaps with Bethann Hardison and Lisa Cortés

    Maori talks with award-winning producer/director Lisa Cortés and model and advocate turned filmmaker Bethann Hardison, who worked together on the documentary Invisible Beauty, about Bethann’s life. In the episode we hear how they both got their start and navigated their trailblazing careers without roadmaps. Maori also finds out how they met in “a New York that doesn’t exist anymore” and how Bethann, a “reluctant hero,” became both the subject and co-director of the film, after decades of advocating for more diversity in the fashion world. 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.

    48 min
  7. Centering Community Care with J Wortham

    EPISODE 6 BONUS

    Centering Community Care with J Wortham

    Bonus episode! This special episode was recorded live this summer at the 2023 BlackStar Film Festival. Maori and guest co-host, multimedia artist, Rashid Zakat interview New York Times Magazine writer and community care worker J Wortham. The three discuss technology beyond screens and devices, the safe space created at Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour, and J’s forthcoming book, Work of Body. And get ready for lots of astrology talk! 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.

    49 min
  8. Moving past fear with Fariha Róisín

    EPISODE 7

    Moving past fear with Fariha Róisín

    Maori chats with multidisciplinary artist and author Fariha Roísín (Like a Bird, Who Is Wellness For?). Fariha talks about growing up Bangladeshi in Australia, what it’s like to have a Marxist parent, and her journey towards becoming more connected to her name. We also hear why poetry helps her express herself more freely––and more precisely,  how she moves past fear when sharing very personal work, her definition of beauty, and why her new book (Survival Takes A Wild Imagination) is more playful than her previous writing. A content warning to listeners, this episode mentions childhood sexual abuse and trauma.  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.

    41 min
See All Season 3 (13)

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4.9
out of 5
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BlackStar founder Maori Karmael Holmes chats with the most groundbreaking artists, change makers, and cultural workers — finding meaning in the intersections of art, social change, and popular culture.

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