Pieces of Us

Pieces of Us is an intimate look at the personal journeys of LGBTQ+ hate crime survivors who, by choosing to take their recovery public, inspire the survivor in all of us. The film juxtaposes the inspirational stories of recovery each of the film’s subjects (including transgender activist and Stonewall Riots survivor Victoria Cruz, and Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil of India) have experienced with the powerful connections their public actions have produced. Their stories take us to New York City, Denver and India to witness how intersectionality and speaking your truth can build a support community and even spark global change. The film explores the resistance of these unlikely heroes and survivors, people who didn’t choose to have their rights violated and their lives changed forever, but from those experiences chose to stand against hate and give voice to the voiceless.

  • Cheryl Allison
    Director
    Shatter the Silence, Hiding in Daylight, Far From The Tree
  • Mark Von der Heide
    Producer
    Central Park, Bob's Burgers
  • Carina Rush
    Producer
    No Letting Go, Hiding in Daylight, Shatter the Silence, Far From The Tree
  • Cheryl Allison
    Producer
    Shatter the Silence, Hiding in Daylight, Far From The Tree
  • Mykel Dicus
    Producer
  • Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil
    Key Cast
    "self"
    The Oprah Winfrey Show, Out and About, Keeping Up With The Kardashians
  • Victoria Cruz
    Key Cast
    "self"
    The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, Stonewall: The Making of A Monument
  • Jipsta
    Key Cast
    "self"
    RuPaul (Sexy Drag Queen - single)
  • Mykel Dicus
    Key Cast
    "self"
  • Beverly Tillery
    Key Cast
    "self"
    The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
  • Cheryl Allison
    Writer
    Shatter the Silence, Hiding in Daylight, No Letting Go, Far From the Tree
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 32 minutes 44 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 23, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    India, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • qFLIX Philadelphia LGBTQ Film Festival
    Philadelphia
    United States
    October 2, 2021
    Premiere: Mid-Atlantic
    Award: Artistic Achievement in Direction, Documentary
  • Dallas VideoFest
    Dallas
    United States
    September 30, 2021
    Premiere: Texas
  • Cinema Diverse Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival
    Palm Springs
    United States
    September 17, 2021
    California
  • Fargo-Moorhead LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    Fargo
    United States
    North Dakota
  • Newport Beach Film Festival
    Newport Beach, CA
    United States
  • Reading Film Festival
    Reading, PA
    United States
    October 3, 2021
  • Internacional LGBTQ Film Festival - Playa del Carmen
    Playa del Carmen
    Mexico
    Mexico
    Nomination: Best International Foreign Documentary
  • Bent Sacramento LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    Sacramento
    United States
  • Twin Cities Film Festival
    Minneapolis
    United States
    Minnesota
  • IndieFest Film Awards
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Award of Excellence: Documentary and Direction
  • Impact DOC Awards
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Award of Excellence - Documentary Feature
  • Accolade Global Film Competition

    Award of Excellence - Direction, LGBTQ Film, Original Song, Original Score, Women Filmmakers
  • Tallgrass Film Festival
Director Biography - Cheryl Allison

Cheryl Allison is an Emmy nominated, award-winning actress and director who has performed in broadway, national tours, regional theatre, film and television for over 30 years. She is best known for her starring role in the feature film NO LETTING GO opposite Kathy Najimy, Richard Burgi, and Alysia Reiner. Her performance in the film garnered her 3 Best Actress Awards.

She is the Founder | Director | Producer of WOW FILMS, a production company that strives to create thought provoking stories that deepen our understanding of the human experience. After a successful film festival run, her award-winning documentary feature SHATTER THE SILENCE (2019) made its broadcast premiere on KERA PBS and has recently been distributed on Amazon Prime. Cheryl directed the critically acclaimed short film HIDING IN DAYLIGHT (2019) which was selected into 33 film festivals worldwide including the elite American Pavilion's Emerging Filmmakers Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival. Her latest documentary feature PIECES OF US (2021) features the only openly gay royal in the world - Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil of India.

In addition to Cheryl's regional Emmy Award nominations, she is the recipient of numerous awards including three prestigious Telly Awards. Highlights from her career include performing at the Kennedy Center for President George H. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush, touring throughout Japan and North America in the Broadway tour of The Secret Garden, starring opposite the iconic Ruta Lee in Steel Magnolias and portraying the role of Madame Thenardier in her favorite musical Les Miserable at the historic Casa Manana theatre. She is a proud union member of Sag-Aftra and Equity. Cheryl was accepted into the Alliance of Women Directors in 2019 and is excited to continue making films with a female perspective.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Pieces of Us could easily have been filmed as a straightforward documentary focusing solely on the rise of LGBTQ+ hate crimes. I wanted more for this film. While hate crime statistics and hearing personal accounts of assaults are incredibly important, I feel it is equally important to explore the path one chooses after surviving such a horrific event. How does an assault define you? Pieces of Us examines the aftermath of hate crime survivors who choose to be defined by love, hope and healing. We reveal their deeply personal journeys from violence to triumph, following their stories as they heal themselves by reaching out to help heal others.

I feel very strongly that the film should have its own language tonally and structurally. I want the viewer to form a visceral emotional connection with the story, to really feel it. The audience will go on a personal journey with these survivors and experience the strength, courage and commitment they have made to themselves and to each other. As the viewer travels to locations such as New York City, India and Denver, my goal is to balance the painful past our subjects have endured with the hope and healing they strive for today: shifting tones between heartbreaking emotion, isolation, joy and celebration.

The historical fight and ongoing struggle for LGTBQ+ equality and acceptance is incredibly important to me and will be used to support the current day struggles the community still endures. Our subjects join together for World Pride in NYC honoring the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. This beautifully bridges the past with the present. My hope is that the viewer will leave having seen and experienced a piece of themselves in each of our subjects. After all, isn't strength, courage, healing and love what we all strive for as human beings?