The Ackerman Center Podcast

Ep. 84 In Conversation with Natacha María Koss

In this episode, we speak with Natacha María Koss, a distinguished researcher and professor of Theatre History at the University of Buenos Aires, about the power of theatre as a space for critical thinking, collective experience, and political action. Drawing on her academic trajectory and her work in one of the most dynamic theatrical scenes in the world, we explore fundamental questions: What is theatre? From where do we think it? And how are art, politics, and territory intertwined? The conversation delves into theatre as a situated practice deeply connected to territory, while also reflecting on the concept of the “site of enunciation” and its feminist dimension, emphasizing how all artistic production and analysis are shaped by specific social, historical, and political conditions. It also examines the relationship between theory and practice, highlighting the importance of testing theoretical frameworks in concrete contexts, and analyzes the central role of theatre in Argentina’s cultural life. Finally, it addresses the rich tradition of audience formation as a critical and collective practice that expands modes of participation in the artistic field. We also reflect on how art and cultural thought persist even in contexts of violence, as well as the importance of collaborative spaces between Latin America and the United States for thinking about the present. An essential conversation for those interested in art, memory, politics, and human rights.

Ep. 83 Lives in Transition: Jewish Families in Poland

This special two-part episode brings together first-hand testimony and contemporary discussion to explore the experiences of Jewish families in Poland before, during and after the Nazis occupation. In Part I, Dr. Angie Simmons is joined by Dr. Nils Roemer, Dean of the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology and Director of the Ackerman Center. This segment highlights the experience of Silberstein family in Poland and includes archival audio from the USC Shoah Foundation- TheInstitute for Visual History and Education, featuring testimony by Sally Silberstein Chase. Used with permission. In the second part, Dr. Angie Simmons hosts Dr. HannoBerger, Assistant Professor of Film Studies and Fellow of the Miriam Lewis Barnett Chair for Studies related to the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights to talk about the Hulu miniseries We Were the Lucky Ones. The series is based on the book by Georgia Hunter and focuses on the real life Kurcfamily, a family of Polish Jews, and their fight for survival during the Holocaust and World War II. The discussion situates the series within broader conversations on Holocaust representation, examining its historical grounding, aesthetic choices, and emotional impact.

Ep. 82 From Nuremberg to Buenos Aires: Justice, Memory, and Accountability – In Conversation with Almudena Bernabéu

In this episode, we have the great pleasure of speaking with the distinguished international lawyer and human rights advocate Almudena Bernabeu, whose work has been fundamental in rethinking justice beyond national borders and in advancing key accountability processes for crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes in multiple contexts. From the establishment of transnational justice mechanisms to the contemporary challenges faced by victims in processes of truth, reparation, and memory, her professional trajectory sheds light on some of the most pressing questions about how societies confront mass violence and impunity. This episode is recorded in the context of the commemoration of two pivotal milestones: the 80th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials and the 40th anniversary of the Trial of the Argentine Military Juntas. Both processes marked not only legal precedents but also raised profound ethical questions about responsibility, truth, memory, and justice that continue to resonate powerfully today. We invite you to join us in this conversation to reflect on how international justice processes remain relevant in contemporary contexts. We seek to explore what it truly means to pursue justice, who builds it, and what legacy it leaves for future generations working toward more just and tolerant societies.

Ep. 81 Feminism, Documentary, and Resistance: A Conversation with Scholar-Filmmaker Lorena Cervera

In this episode, Dr. Shilyh Warren, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and affiliate faculty of the Ackerman Center, and Dr. Paula Cuellar Cuellar, Assistant Professor of History and Fellow of the Jacqueline and Michael Wald Professorship at the Bass School, host UK-based filmmaker and researcher Lorena Cervera, whose documentary work has opened essential paths to understanding gender inequalities, the precarization of education, and the transformative power of art in Latin America. Her first book, A Feminist Counter-History of Latin American Documentary, is just out with Routledge Press.  This episode was recorded just a few days before November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Lorena’s work deeply resonates with this day. Her documentaries portray the bodies and lives of women who have not only been victims of structural violence but have also resisted, created, organized, and built memory. The episode explores Lorena’s work and discusses the ways documentary cinema can contribute to transforming lives and imagining more just futures.

Ep. 80 Playing Verdi at Terezín: A Conversation with Maestro Murry Sidlin

In this episode, Dr. Mehak Burza sits down with Maestro Murry Sidlin, the internationally acclaimed conductor, educator, and creator of Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín. As Founder and Artistic Director of The Defiant Requiem Foundation, Mr. Sidlin has spent decades illuminating one of the most extraordinary cultural stories to emerge from the Holocaust—the powerful act of spiritual and artistic resistance carried out by prisoners in the Terezín concentration camp. In this conversation, Mr. Sidlin reflects on what first drew him to this work, the moral and emotional weight of interpreting music born of suffering, and the ways in which the arts help us carry memory into the future. He also shares deeply personal insights: how this work has changed him, what he wishes he could ask Terezín conductor Rafael Schächter, and why stories like this matter now more than ever. For young artists, scholars, and anyone who believes in the transformative power of the arts, this episode offers a rare window into the intersection of music, humanity, and moral courage.