Ben
is a media artist currently living in Washington DC. He grew up in
Akron, Ohio. Ben explains his motivation
for making this film: "I grew up in the heart of the rust-belt
of the United States. Just as I was born in 1975, our once wealthy
and powerful industrial region began to suffer an economic and social
collapse that continues today. From Detroit to Cleveland to Pittsburgh
and every town in between, manufacturing has moved overseas while
the factories and the lives of local inhabitants have shut down. Miles
of abandoned warehouses and lots, industrial decay, alcohol and drug
abuse, racial divide, physical violence - these were the suppressive
symptoms of the diseased environment that plagued my creative tendencies
and bursting heart.
"Fortunately for me, I was able to receive
the guidance and education of inspiring parents and teachers who led
me to believe in myself and pursue my dreams. Today, I am a media
artist and world traveler with a healthy desire for adventure. From
Ghana to Haiti, Europe to Japan, I move along creating bonds, loving
life, and cultivating collaborations in the arts and humanities. Motivated
to visit Bahia this past year by a love of the region's music, I found
a number of grassroots organizations founded by local artists that
were using colorful and lively performing arts traditions to give
at-risk youth a more hopeful future. This was such a great thing to
behold because while I observed that the relative poverty of the region
was much lower than what I had experienced as a youth, it was apparent
that their cultural richness (and therefore capacity to inspire) is
far greater. Having been so delightfully impacted by what I observed,
I am compelled to inspire others with their story while helping them
achieve their goals through video production."
