Mel Chin, Art21, and
Longwood
Arts Project/Bronx Council on the Arts partnered
to create "S.O.S. (Straight Off the Street): MOMENT," a nonpartisan
video that presents the powerful thoughts of 77 residents
of eight Bronx neighborhoods on a range of issues that are dominating
the presidential election campaign. On August 1, 9, 10, and 11,
2004, the "S.O.S." production team roamed the streets of eight
Bronx neighborhoods, asking random passersby a simple question:
What
message would you like to send to the President? Bronx residents,
identified by name and the recorded beating of their hearts, stare
collectively in silence as their messages to the President of the
United States scroll ticker-tape style across their hearts. Arranged
in the order that the interviews were filmed, the messages to the
President include comments on the war in Iraq, terrorism, jobs,
the economy, and education.
Created with the conceptual development of artists Nicolás
Dumit Estévez, Tamalyn Miller, and Wanda Raimundi-Ortíz,
S.O.S. presents people of all ages, ethnicities, neighborhoods,
and political opinions. Filming took place over four days in the
Bronx neighborhoods of Mott Haven, Riverdale, the Hub, Morrisania,
Belmont, Woodlawn, Co-op City, and City Island, with interviews
conducted in English, Spanish, Russian, and Italian. It features
parents, students, the unemployed, teachers, laborers, war veterans,
retirees, social workers, cab drivers, and others whose origins
are as diverse as Italy, Ireland, Egypt, Argentina, Guatemala,
Puerto Rico, Russia, and every borough in New York City.
After its Bronx premiere on August 28, 2004 at Longwood Art Gallery,
S.O.S. screened continually during the Imagine Festival [linkto:www.imagine04.org]
(August 28 – September 4) as part of the group show “The
Freedom Salon” at Deitch Projects in SoHo. It is currently
exhibited in the project room at Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos
(September 27 – December 4). As promised to the participants,
it will ultimately be sent to Democratic and Republican congressional
representatives and to the White House, and is offered free of
charge by Art21 to screening venues across the country. For more
information on S.O.S., email Art21's
outreach staff.
For other Election 2004-related media resources and films, please
visit POV's "Why
Vote?" site. |
