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34 Carmine St.

34 Carmine St. is a short documentary about preserving the culture and community of small businesses, in a time where Capitalism is sweeping its essence away. Our story is esoteric, told through the life of a bookstore owner who embodies the last fortress of one of New York’s most prominent neighborhoods. It is light-hearted, yet solemn. It is a key to enter the door of a Boheme world that still exists within our modern society.

  • Beatriz Browne
    Director
  • Beatriz Browne
    Producer
  • Cyrus Stowe
    Producer
  • Wei Lee
    Producer
  • Juan Rozo
    Producer
  • Jim Drougas
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Larry 'Ratso' Sloman
    Key Cast
    "Self"
    Renaldo and Clara, Rolling Thunder Revue
  • Harry Pincus
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Alyssa Franks
    Production Assistant
  • Spencer Kenney
    Composer
  • Juan Rozo
    Creative Design
  • Zach Egan
    Supervising Sound Editor / Re-Recording Mixer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    22 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 16, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Beatriz Browne

Beatriz Browne is a Webby Award winning producer, and director specializing in non-fiction storytelling. Beatriz has worked extensively creating documentary-style content with clients such as Google, Airbnb, Peerspace, The New York Times, CNN, Square and Fatherly. Now, as a new step in her career, she has directed and produced 34 Carmine St., a film she has been working on for 3 years.

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Director Statement

There is a moment in time where we all ask ourselves whether the present day’s system within society truly puts humanity first. New York City is naturally a place that opens our eyes to such disparity, but its culture and soul outweighs any LOUD profiteers, allowing us to resist, persist, and celebrate our truths.
Our film is a mere example of this truth. We discover that such loud voices are Imperialism: because people are removed from their land due to exploitation for the resources in their land, and Capitalism: because wealthy people who have a large amount of capital are the ones who benefit from this system. And when such truth is juxtaposed with a makeshift storefront titled “Unopressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books”, one can’t help but smirk at the magnetic charisma of New Yorkers.
I lived on 34 Carmine St. myself for two years, which is how I met James Drougas. By forming a friendship with Jim, I soon realized that my curiosity buttons were never truly fulfilled each time I walked into the store. It’s an indescribable feeling really, but it’s the peculiar environment he has created. Fast forward to asking him to film the store for a day — what I had thought would be a cute short-video sold to whatever publisher, became a life-changing experience.
Not only did the course of the film evolve within the past three years, but I also evolved as a first time filmmaker. I acknowledge that initially I was just a kid having the hubris to think I was capable of telling such a story. Of course I wasn't. But now, I take pride in knowing that I was just a kid attempting to preserve culture within the means of a documentary.