On the next episode of Fiat Lux Redux, April 1, 2025, at 9AM, filmmaker and musician Tao Ruspoli gives the Commencement address to the UC Berkeley Philosophy Department’s graduating class of 2024 entitled Be Philosophers!
Tao Ruspoli is an Italian-American filmmaker, photographer, and musician born in Bangkok, Thailand, and raised in both Rome and Los Angeles. As an alumnus who studied under legendary U.C. Berkeley professor Hubert Dreyfus along with the works of Bertrand Russell and other great philosophers, Ruspoli shares how philosophy inspired him to use film to explore the human condition. You will hear an excerpt from his 2005 film “Flamenco, a personal journey” that includes the song Bulerias Solea by Fernanda de Utrera from Cante Grande De Mujer and and an excerpt from his 2014 film Monogamish that examines love, sex, and monogamy in our culture. He also discusses his fascination with the Bombay Beach community of the Salton Sea where he is co-founder of The Bombay Beach Biennale.
Fiat Lux Redux presents previously aired lectures, conversations, and podcasts originating on the campus of UC Berkeley every other Tuesday from 9am to 9:30am. These often-lengthy original programs have been edited to a 30-minute format by experienced KALX producers. The show’s name, Latin for “Let there be light”, is a reference to the University of California’s motto, which is also Fiat Lux. The show’s goal is to provide listeners with a window into the intellectual and cultural life of UC Berkeley and to showcase the wide range of subjects and diversity of thought and ideas that are present at UC Berkeley.
This episode of Fiat Lux Redux was edited by Lisa Katovich. If you have questions or comments about Fiat Lux Redux, contact lisa.katovich@gmail.com.
