Hudson County Diary Showcase work descriptions 2005-06

Not Being Far from Home, by Fabian Leon, is a love letter to Hudson County - an experimental narrative work inspired by the works of independent filmmaker Su Friedrich in her autobiographical films Sink or Swim and Rules of the Road. The piece is a personal narrative that tells a simple tale of growing up in Hudson County in the shadow of Manhattan, and how a region thought of as an impersonal urban center perhaps has more in common with "small town America" than many people think.

Me and the 86, by Melissa Polin, is an experimental video that incorporates voice-over with ambient sound, sound effects, stills and the moving image. The idea was inspired by the writer and photographer, Carol Van Houten, from her work entitled "poems from the 86." The viewer is invited along on a bus ride that reveals the character of Hudson County as we travel down Bergenline Ave., through Jersey City, past Dickinson High School, and gaze at "the most beautiful house in Jersey City, 531 Palisade Avenue, the historic Van Vorst House…" Climb on board.

Light Rail, by Bryan Boswell, is a documentary short in the tradition of "cinema verite." The piece was shot entirely on the Light Rail originating in Jersey City, NJ and traveling through to Bayonne, NJ. The audio and video is derived exclusively from numerous trips made by the filmmaker over a period of a week, and assembled to re-create a light rail experience from day until dark.

Union City, by Delmira Valladares, "was designed as a three-channel video based on a trio of fantastic, but true stories that occurred in Union City, New Jersey: a wildly eccentric, vibrant, predominately Hispanic town. The stories, which deal with murder, suicide, kidnapping, and forcible hypnosis, are a part of the growing group of underground urban Latino mythology, and I am particularly interested in exposing these hidden narratives. The storytelling devices I've employed are straightforward, and perhaps even threadbare; the stories don't have definite closure, little character development, almost no dialogue. These are stories of the body, stories of the street. They are almost purely psychic in their representation, and I believe that my experience with experimental video has allowed me to find the head of the trail to treat narrative in a purely visual way."

escaping vapors expanding yet filtering - lost replenished realm, by Raul Garcia, is an homage to Chris Marker's seminal film, La Jetee. Garcia's "tone poem" explores memory and its allure in numerous locations in Hudson County. Site specific sounds and silence are intertwined with ghost-like images to create the dream world envisioned by the artist.

Welcome Home, My Lovely Daughter, by Ronaldo Baluyot, is an experimental narrative short with a strong anti-war message. A lonely, saddened father visits the grave of his daughter, a U. S. soldier who has recently died in the Iraq war. Upon seeing her picture at the gravesite, his mind opens up to an intimate memory of them driving together through the streets of Hudson County at sunset when she was five years old.

Apocalyptic Antidote, by Rick Torres, is a "video haiku" shot in downtown Jersey City. After a massive biochemical attack, the earth's sole survivor awakens to find himself protected by a gas mask, yet mistrustful of its ability to keep him alive. He explores the annihilation around him, forgets himself, and makes a grave mistake with irreversible consequences.

Hands, by Maxim Almenas, is an up-close and personal view of how Robert Castillo - professional storyboard artist, animator, and filmmaker - uses his hands. A Jersey City artist born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Massachusetts, Castillo describes how "our hands are connected to body, mind, and spirit." As Castillo narrates, his hands sketch images relating to his words and reveal a parallel layer of visual narrative.

Giorno Di Festivita, by Louis Libitz, is a non-fiction video portrait of the "family feast" held every July by the Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in Jersey City, New Jersey. Narrated by long-time parish member, Sonny Tullo, Giorno Di Festivita immerses the viewer in the procession, food, games, and rituals surrounding this century-old celebration of family and community. "There are neighborhoods, such as the Marion Section in Jersey City, New Jersey that follow old traditions. As the years pass, people leave these areas and the elderly pass on. It is up to the younger generation to keep these traditions alive."