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Community Cinema The community cinema project stemmed out of BAYCAT’s 20 week filmmaking internship program which culminated in the production of a short film. One of the guiding principles of the program is cultivating creative ingenuity through improvisation and problem solving. In other words, doing more with less. The interns built camera rigs from scratch, soundproofed studio rooms using donated foam, and used their personal belongings as props in the film. With creative improvisation as a guiding theme of the internship, our program began to resemble the basic foundation of one of the greatest genres in cinematic history: Italian Neo-realism. In short, Italian Neo-Realism was a genera developed in the early 1930’s that focused on narratives of extreme authenticity, both in process and content. The films were shot strictly on location (no studios), all the lighting was natural, the principal characters were non-actors, and the subject matter was socially critical. These principles made for the most organic and groundbreaking films, which shaped policy and social structures on a mass scale in Italian society, the ripple effects of which were felt throughout the world. This is the power of storytelling. We believe the Bayview Hunters Point community deserves no less. Although we do not claim to be the Instituto Cinema de Italy, BAYCAT sees the unbelievable potential in applying these principles in our community of BVHP. It is a form of artistic engagement that touches every strata of the community because everyone can participate! |
