Divide - Time to Breathe
Gerald, an African American teenager who believes in taking a stance against the injustice to his people, and rebels against his father Jerome, a retired police officer, who does not agree with the methods implemented by the BLM supporters in 2020. Feeling suffocated and unable to breathe, Gerald lashes out against his father’s opposing beliefs resulting in the immanent divide between them. Tensions rise and Gerald’s mother, Trisha, is caught in the fallout of this modern New York City family as they crumble to the pressures of different ideologies, racial injustice, and being Black in America.
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Anthony PaulinoDirectorHere, Kitty Kitty, Strangers on a Subway
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Anthony PaulinoWriterHere, Kitty Kitty, Strangers on a Subway
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Laval AlsbrookWriter
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Vijaykumar MirchandaniProducerWhere The Streets Have No Name, Habaneros, The Process, Paese Che Vai-When in Rome, Love Can't Be Locked Down, The Last Jam jar
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Jorge AlvarezProducerStolen Innocence, Red Rose,
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Jamel LewisKey Cast"Gerald"
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Greg MaysKey Cast"Jerome"
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April ArmstrongKey Cast"Trisha"
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Brian PostKey Cast"Cop"
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:African America, Drama, Family, Youth, Social Justice, Human Rights
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Runtime:14 minutes 58 seconds
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Completion Date:February 7, 2021
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Production Budget:10,000 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:RED
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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International Black Diversity Film FestivalToronto
Canada
July 16, 2022
Canadian Premiere
Award Nominee -
Black Truth Film FestivalCalifornia
United States
June 17, 2022
Official Selection -
Unrestricted View Film FestivalLondon
United Kingdom
May 1, 2022
Official Selection -
San Diego Black Film FestivalSan Diego
United States
April 29, 2022
Official Selection -
BFC Short Film FestivalFort Lee
United States
January 17, 2022
Audience Award -
African American Marketplace & SE Manly Short Film Showcase
United States
January 14, 2022
Official Selection -
East & South Europe International Film FestivalLondon
United Kingdom
December 15, 2021
Best Lead Actor. Best Short Film -
The MIAMI International CinefestMiami
United States
December 11, 2021
Best Drama, Best Short Film, Best of Fest - Best Drama, Best of Fest - Best Short Film -
Gary International Black Film FestivalErie
United States
October 8, 2021
Official Selection -
Shorts Tv Worldwide Film Festival
United States
October 1, 2021
Official Selection -
2021 Great Lakes International Film Festival
United States
September 23, 2021
Official Selection -
Afrikana Independent Film FestivalRichmond
United States
September 16, 2021
Official Selection -
SOMA Film FestivalNew Jersey
United States
September 10, 2021
Official Selection -
Bronzelens Film FestivalAtlanta
United States
August 17, 2021
North America Premiere
Official Selection -
West Europe International Film Festival - Brussels EditionLondon
United States
August 16, 2021
World Premiere
Official Selection
"Make films that resonate with people." These are words that ring true for any filmmaker. But for him, they’re the foundation that carry his passion. Driven from the time he was 20 in a city full of ambitious artists and entrepreneurs, the inner-city youth took any opportunity that would help further his dream.
Anthony was born in the central city of Bonao, Dominican Republic. Migrating to America when he was 6 years old with his mother and 1 year old sister. As a child he was highly influenced by the colorful stories of Japanese anime, influencing his artistry and creativity immensely. He would sit for hours drawing his own characters, naming them and creating their own personal backstories. This would eventually carry over into his college years, when an unsure 19-year-old Paulino decided to follow his path in animation.
However, he quickly realized that this was not for him. Instead, it was the introductory media production course that same semester that would be the gateway to his true calling. Anthony immediately fell in love with the process of filmmaking. From writing, planning, shooting, and editing. It was the fulfilment of this all-encompassing experience that satisfied him more than anything.
While in college, he went on to create a number of short narrative films with the help of fellow students. The first being the eerie Here, Kitty, Kitty, that bagged an official selection at the 2019 CUNY Film Festival. Followed by the awkwardly relatable Strangers on a Subway that earned him a certificate of participation from the Asian Research Institute at the 2019 CUNY Asian American Film Festival. And even the campy horror Sleeping Forest that received positive reactions at Luv Story’s indie open screen in 2019.
After graduating, Anthony met FilmCloudStudio founder Jorge Alvarez, who quickly brought him onboard the production of his gritty introspective drama Stolen Innocence. The film was screened at the 2019 International New York Film Festival. This began a fruitful partnership between the two filmmakers, subsequently teaming up to write and produce the spy thriller Red Rose the following summer. Since then, Paulino has joined the team as a fulltime member of FilmCloudStudios staff, helping write, produce, and direct multiple projects, including their upcoming family drama “Divide –Time to Breathe” aimed to be released in 2021.
It all began in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd
in the spring of 2020. The advent of Covid-19 brought forth a period of unwanted complacency for filmmakers. 2 months of being quarantined had caused me to become creatively stagnant. That is until late May, when the video went viral. Suddenly a fire was lit across America and the world. People were out in the streets, standing up for their right to live, protesting against systematic oppression. I had seen similar events take place over the years, but nothing as visceral and wide spread as this. I wanted to do my part as an artist, to bring light to the situation without being lost in the giant wave of social commentary that was to come. I had to think differently.
Bringing awareness to the topic of police brutality through the lens of a family dynamic was something I hadn’t seen before. “Divide - Time to Breathe” is a film that explores the delicate relationship between an African American Father and son who are put at odds due to their opposing beliefs surrounding Black Lives Matter. What is it like to live as a Black cop during these turbulent times? How does it affect the relationships in your life? Are you seen as an enemy within your own community? For some reason, these questions weren’t being asked by the people around me; so I took it upon myself to ask them.
The main catalyst for the film came from a number of videos I had come across of Black Americans denouncing the BLM movement for various reasons. At first, I was perplexed, but then I started thinking...There seems to be a common misconception among us that one’s own opinion is representative of their group as a whole. Especially for topics that are meant to be universally unifying. We constantly subconsciously relegate individuals into categories indicative of their race. When in actuality, each person forms their own opinions based on their unique circumstances and surroundings. The notion that every African American will stand united against police brutality is a reasonable one, but it’s far from the case.
The characters of Gerald and Jerome stand independently on opposing ends of a spectrum. Despite the two sharing the physical similarities that would subject both to the same racial discrimination. At their core, they are complete opposites. I wanted to create a space where both perspectives were treated fairly and given a platform to express themselves without judgement. This film is meant to open an unbiased dialogue crucial to communicating with one another and understanding our differences.