After the success of the “New Bedford Love Letters” project in September with local artists, a new short film around the culmination of New Bedford Creative’s work was screened at a private showing at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on December 4th.
“This film is less about documenting what we did and more about embodying the idea behind the initiative and presenting that,” said filmmaker Ethan de Aguiar, who co-produced the short film with Beatriz Oliveira and New Bedford Creative.
The short features footage not only of the artists who participated in the “Love Letters” campaign but additional shots by de Aguiar that he took throughout the year.
“It’s more of a continuation of the work Ethan’s been doing for us,” added Margo Saulnier, director and creative strategist for New Bedford Creative.
“This was a humbling, challenging project that I would dive right into over and over again,” de Aguiar said. “It pushed me as a creative. It taught me new things, not just about my work, but about my hometown and the people in it.”
According to Saulnier, the “New Bedford Love Letters” project was the end of a year of creating a connection initiative with Arts Midwest, which chose New Bedford to be its place-based pilot. With resources through Arts Midwest, which is a grant from the Barr Foundation, it tested the idea of what happens if you take one place and put in a framework of connecting the values that everyone has with creativity and its arts and culture.
“There is a validation in the faith that I have always had in the talent of the people who live in New Bedford and we’re so thankful that Arts Midwest puts its faith in us for its pilot to show that,” Saulnier said.
Artists discuss the art in New Bedford
In the film, several artists speak about their experiences with New Bedford; as well it features some of the Creating Connection Creative Ambassadors such as Mandy Fraser, Candida Rose Baptista, Gerardo Beltrán Salinas, Iva Brito, Cedric Douglas, Rhonda M. Fazio and Julia Roth.
“I like to consider New Bedford as the Paris of New England, Paris at the time the Impressionist was bubbling,” states artist Allison Wells in the short film.
“New Bedford is continuously filled with a lot of people that are like that, that are revolutionaries and leaders,” added Lee Blake, president of the New Bedford Historical Society.
“We weren’t just the city that lit the world, [it’s] a city that’s still lighting the world,” added Maia Jaye Livramento, a spoken word artist, in the 16-minute-long film.
A private screening of the film occured at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Dec. 4, which featured an art talkback, performances by Candida Rose Baptista, Maia Jaye Livramento, and Iva Brito, followed by a reception.
Next, the filmmaker is eyeing a potential festival run with the documentary short before releasing it to the public on their website. Through FilmFreeway.com, the potential plan is to submit to a number of national and international film festivals such as AFI Docs, Sundance, Cannes, Raindance and DOC NY.