By My Side – Film Screening
As a part of Veterans Artist Residency Program, Kala is excited to host a film screening of By My Side at The Pearson Theatre at Meyer Sound followed by a Q&A Panel Discussion with Vicki Topaz, film director/producer, Emilio Gallegos, Kala’s Veterans Residency artist, and Luis A. Hernandez, Director/ Veterans Academic Achievement Counselor at University of California, Berkeley,. A reception in the Kala Gallery will follow.
*5:30pm Doors open, 6 – 7:15pm Film Screening and Panel Discussion, 7:20 – 8:15pm Kala Gallery Reception
BY MY SIDE, celebrates our veterans and their love of country and family. The film shows how and why service dogs – who match their loyalty and commitment – can heal broken hearts and quiet the wars within. That is the message our veterans and their families want others to know. There is hope and it can be found on the end of a leash.
Emilio Gallegos is a poet and writer from San Jose, California, and a Purple Heart recipient, and a single father of two adult children. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing from San Jose State University, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts in San Francisco. Emilio adopted writing as a constructive coping mechanism, and as a road to recovery, following reintegration into society after driving over an improvised explosive device in 2008. His work seeks to progressively pursue healing, while pushing to continuously build bridges that help connect people with words.
Vicki Topaz is a filmmaker and photographer with a 25-year career. She is the daughter of a U.S. Army veteran who flew missions as a tail-gunner during World War II. He returned home with PTSD, then unidentified. Her struggle to understand her father’s demons helped her recognize the same suffering in the veterans and their families amongst us. Inspired by her father, she began her 2010 multimedia project, “HEAL,” that shone an early light on these untold tales. Her short film, “Veterans Speak About PTSD,” gained national attention, being screened at 17 film festivals. Topaz has completed the documentary “BY MY SIDE” that follows three veteran families and their healing journeys with service dogs that have saved their lives. Since its release in 2023, the film has been featured in 42 film festivals, earning 14 awards, along with numerous community screenings.
Born in Honduras, Luis Hernandez moved to the U.S. at age four and largely grew up in Union City, CA. After high school, feeling unmotivated by academics, he enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17 alongside his brother, serving five years as an Avionics Electrician/Technician for aircraft like the AV-8B Harrier and F/A-18 Super Hornet, ultimately reaching the rank of Sergeant. Stationed at MCAS Yuma, he deployed twice with the 31st MEU before separating in 2004 to pursue higher education. He attended Ohlone Community College and then UC Berkeley, where he majored in Anthropology and engaged in various campus activities and archaeological projects.
After working as a Job Developer and Case Manager for homeless veterans at Goodwill of Silicon Valley’s Veterans Individualized Placement Program, assisting them in overcoming barriers to employment and maintaining stable jobs, Luis returned to UC Berkeley in 2014. In a newly created role with the Cal Veteran Services Center (CVSC), he served as an Academic Achievement Counselor, supporting fellow veterans. For the past 11 years, Luis has been instrumental in helping the UC Berkeley Veteran and Military-Connected community achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals. In his current role as Director for the CVSC, Luis now oversees all aspects of the program, including its services, holistic counseling, and funding.
Event Details
Date: May 28, 2025
Time: 6:00 pm–8:00 pm
The Pearson Theatre at Meyer Sound
2837 Tenth Street Berkeley, CA 94710