Maria Torres: Neighborhood Artist

What if making art could save your life? For this Peruvian-born New Yorker, painting helps heal physical and emotional trauma.

  • Davis Hall
    Director
    In the Blind, Mother's House, To Oh Seven
  • Ingrid Price
    Producer
    In the Blind, Mother's House, To Oh Seven
  • Maria Torres
    Key Cast
  • Malcolm Payne
    Composer
    Paying the Price for Peace, Trattoria, A Concerned Citizen, Mother's House
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 10, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    1,880 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    iPhone
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Davis Hall

Davis Hall (director, producer, editor). Born in Atlanta, he graduated from Northwestern University; lived and worked as an actor in Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Chicago; settling in New York City. His career as an actor has taken him to theaters across America, and to Broadway, film and television. He directed the award winning short films “Mother’s House,” “In The Blind” and “To Oh Seven.”

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Director Statement

For three years a woman sits on our sidewalk in New York City. Same spot, almost very day. She has paintings to sell. Some of them are very good.
We begin to talk. Just a casual “hello” at first. But as I get to know her… I realize Maria would be an interesting subject for a short film.
Several interviews follow; lots of filming, lots of coffee. And finally I thought; maybe we have enough QuickTimes files to begin editing. I make discoveries. I find a journey, not without detours and roadblocks, but the journey of an artist. Maria has dreams, a mission. I decide to tell her story in her own words. This film is about an Outsider Artist.