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.
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Beatriz BrowneDirector
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Beatriz BrowneProducer
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Cyrus StoweProducer
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Wei LeeProducer
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Juan RozoProducer
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Jim DrougasKey Cast"Self"
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Larry 'Ratso' SlomanKey Cast"Self"Renaldo and Clara, Rolling Thunder Revue
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Harry PincusKey Cast"Self"
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Alyssa FranksProduction Assistant
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Spencer KenneyComposer
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Juan RozoCreative Design
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Zach EganSupervising Sound Editor / Re-Recording Mixer
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Project Type:Documentary
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Runtime:22 minutes 35 seconds
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Completion Date:July 16, 2021
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Production Budget:500 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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.
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.