UCLA PRESENTS THE BEST in arts and culture, community events, sports and entertainment. From film screenings to art exhibits, explore the unique and interesting experiences the last days of 2024 have to offer. For more UCLA events, visit community.ucla.edu.
DECEMBER 3 | 2 P.M.
Tradition has long identified Moses as the author of the Pentateuch, with Ezra as editor, but other ancient readers have suggested that David wrote the psalms and Solomon wrote the proverbs. So, clearly, there’s one pressing question at hand: Who really wrote the Bible? UCLA professor Bill Schniedewind certainly can’t tell you who copyedited Genesis or revised Deuteronomy, but he draws on ancient inscriptions, archaeology, anthropology and close readings of biblical text to trace the communal origin of biblical literature. This lecture — presented by the Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies and the Ancient World Seminar Series, and co-sponsored by the UCLA Center for the Study of Religion — takes an interdisciplinary approach to an age-old question. While they can’t promise you an answer, Schniedewind can offer some new insights to a book that is anything but new. RSVP here for the event at Royce Hall Room 314.
NOVEMBER 23–DECEMBER 18
Three Homelands: A Sergei Parajanov Retrospective
Born to an Armenian family in Georgia during the final years of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, filmmaker Sergei Parajanov once claimed “everybody knows that I have three motherlands.” Known for his sober, underground Ukrainian films and internationally recognized masterpieces during Caucasia’s eras of conflict, Parajanov vibrantly reimagines film through movement, myth, music, ritual and folk arts. For the occasion of his centennial year in 2024, the UCLA Film & Television Archive presents a series of Parajanov’s best films.
Explore his unique view of his homelands — Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia — through a wide range of screenings:
His 1960s Armenian masterpiece The Color of Pomegranates, a look at the transportive life of 18th-century Armenian poet Sayat-Nova that signaled a major stylistic shift in Parajanov’s work, screens on December 4.
A young shepherd protecting the village flock meets a passing knight and receives a magical flute in the 1950s Ukrainian film Andriesh on December 8.
A fortune teller prophesizes that the only way to save a crumbling fortress is for someone to die within it in the 1980s Georgian film The Legend of Suram Fortress, created after Parajanov spent a decade incarcerated for crimes of sexuality in Soviet prisons, on December 11.
DECEMBER 3–DECEMBER 19
MoMA Contenders 2024 Screenings at the Hammer
New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Hammer Museum at UCLA want to convince you that 2024 was a great year for film, and they’re prepared to back it up. Come to one — or all — of the Hammer Museum’s December screenings of MOMA “Contenders,” the Museum of Modern Art’s renowned series of influential, innovative films from the past 12 months. From Oscar-bound masterpieces to instant cult classics, the 2024 MOMA picks make for a great night at the Billy Wilder Theater, offering something for every kind of film buff. Tickets are $10 for Hammer members and $20 for general admission. A sampling:
December 3, The Brutalist: An accomplished Hungarian Jewish architect and WWII survivor (Adrien Brody) reconstructs his privileged yet traumatic life in postwar America.
December 9, Emilia Pérez: A darkly funny crime drama (and jaw-dropping musical!) following a Mexican lawyer’s interesting vocational transition, followed by a conversation with the film’s composers, Clément Ducol and Camille Dalmais.
December 19, Anora: Sean Baker’s audacious, thrilling and comedic take on a Cinderella story, tackling sex, love, class and money in a film with plenty of directness, Russian mob members and sparkle.
DECEMBER 7 | 6 P.M.
Live Night: Cruising Bodies, Spirits and Machines
The artistic, the musical and the mechanical collide in Live Night, an ensemble of experimental performances at the iconic 1920 United Theater on Broadway in downtown L.A. Presented by the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA and REDCAT, Live Night pushes past the stage, instead taking place throughout the theater, three-story grand lobby and stage. Roam throughout the United Theater to see a curated amalgam from performance artists, DJs, dancers and experimenters. Alongside a slew of performers engaging with machines, AI and avatars, Live Night also features the adobe brick and performance artist rafa esparza ’11 and the virtual reality artists of the MUXX collective. Get tickets here for a new kind of immersive experience that melds the technological future with the ancestral past.
DECEMBER 8 | NOON
The Value of Heirloom Corn: Biodiversity, Culture and Cuisine with Fátima Juárez
As part of his PST ART Breath(e) project Grounded, urban gardener and artist Ron Finley has grown a temporary garden at the Hammer Museum to house a series of workshops led by local artists. “The Value of Heirloom Corn” is led by Chef Fátima Juárez, known for her house-made masa and food inspired by her Mexico City upbringing. Throughout the workshop, Juárez will discuss the environmental, cultural and social impacts of criollo corn — a Mexican-grown maize — versus the genetically modified corn you’re used to seeing in grocery stores. Beyond learning about the broad cultural and gastronomic applications of criollo corn, participants will learn how to make criollo corn dough and prepare a delicious, traditional treat. This workshop is completely free, and all materials will be provided by the instructors. Availability is limited to the first 20 participants in the Hammer lobby day-of, on a first-come, first-served basis.
DECEMBER 14 | 8 P.M.
South African dancer and choreographer Gregory Maqoma dances like everyone is watching. And with good reason: His deeply rhythmic stylings are all about transcending the physical nature of dance and connecting with the human spirit. For one night at the UCLA Nimoy Theater, The Land We Carry showcases a barrier-defying performance that ruminates on the visceral release experienced through dancing, collective tempo and the magic that happens when humans uninhibitedly connect through movement and spiritual awareness. Hailed as one of the most talented of South Africa’s new generation of artists, Maqoma is dancing for something bigger than a stage. Get tickets here.
DECEMBER 3 | 7:30 P.M.
Men’s Basketball vs. Washington
It’s the B1G opener! UCLA basketball welcomes you to the first regular season game of the year. Come to Pauley Pavilion early for plenty of commemorative UCLA x B1G merch and to enjoy an array of delicious food trucks serving Korean barbecue, deli foods and New Zealand–style ice cream. Halftime will feature the national anthem performance by the group Awaken A Cappella, as well as a “Frat Face-Off,” where students will fiercely compete for a set of prizes (as well as their honor). General admission tickets are available here; faculty and staff can purchase special $10 tickets at the box office on game day.
DECEMBER 14 | 2 P.M.
They’ve been perfecting their flips, jumps, twists and turns, and now they’re finally ready for you to come and see all of it. The UCLA gymnasts make their triumphant return to Pauley Pavilion in “Meet the Bruins,” their pregame showcase for UCLA fans before the season begins in January. With no scores at stake, the event is everything you love about gymnastics in a relaxed setting chock-full of music, dancing and free-flowing performances from our world-class athletes. Not to mention, “Meet the Bruins” is completely free, no RSVP required.
DECEMBER 29 | 2 P.M.
Women’s Basketball vs. Nebraska
Basketball season has barely begun, and women’s hoops is already climbing the rankings as one of the top 10 teams in the nation. Join your fellow Bruins fans in cheering on this highly anticipated match against the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first regular season game of the campaign. Come early for a pregame performance by the Alumni Band — and stay late for postgame autographs from all your favorite players. Alumni will even receive up to four complimentary tickets at the box office on game day. Purchase general admission tickets here.
DECEMBER 5 | 6 P.M.
25th Annual Asian Pacific Alumni Holiday Toy Drive and Reception
You’re invited! Join the 25th Annual APA Community Holiday Toy Drive and Reception, which hopes to raise $45,000 to provide more than 2,000 toys to support children from low-income families in the Los Angeles region. The APA Holiday Toy Drive features food, drinks and entertainment in Little Tokyo’s Japanese American National Museum. RSVP to help make a difference this holiday season. Can’t make it to the reception? Please consider donating to the APA Community Toy Drive. Any amount — large or small — will help APA reach its goal to bring holiday cheer to as many families as possible.
DECEMBER 21 | 10 A.M.
Men’s Basketball Pregame Party at the CBS Sports Classic
Calling all New York Bruins! UCLA Alumni and the Wooden Athletic Fund invite you to a pregame happy hour at the CBS Sports Classic before the UCLA men’s basketball game vs. the University of North Carolina at world-famous Madison Square Garden. Enjoy a family-friendly happy hour with free delicious appetizers (while supplies last), and get in the blue and gold spirit before the big game! The event will be held at Mustang Harry’s, near Madison Square Garden. Come connect with other Bruins and celebrate a great night in sports! RSVP and get your tickets to the game here.
