We Heal

“WE HEAL,”is an art project created by artist Nora Valdez in collaboration with patients from the Cancer & Sickle Cell Support Programs at Boston Medical Center, patients from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and youth from the Urbano Project. This project was funded by the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) Creative City Boston grant, with funding from the Barr Foundation and support from the Boston Foundation.

Begun in April 2020, WE HEAL encouraged patients, many of whom are immigrants, to explore and express their healing journey in artistic ways. It created a space for patients
to be together, share, and learn in a nurturing atmosphere. Amid the pandemic, Valdez adjusted her workshops to function in a digital space where patients, youth, and with the help of local filmmaker Donte Thomas worked together to explore the topic of healing. What images, words, people, and foods bring comfort and aid healing? What inspires and brings hope? Participants created collages, mandalas, poems, and personal prayer flags to foster peace, compassion, strength, delight, and wonder and to spread goodwill. They also recorded stories of their individual healing journeys and integrated them along with home and family photos, favorite landscapes, and sentimental images into the project’s video documentation.

  • Nora Valdez
    Director
  • Donte Thomas
    Director
    On Dawgs in Super16
  • Nora Valdez
    Writer
  • Donte Thomas
    Writer
    On Dawgs in Super16
  • New England Foundation for The Arts
    Producer
  • Urbano Project
    Producer
  • The Barr Foundation
    Producer
  • Donte Thomas
    Editor
    On Dawgs in Super16
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 19, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Sony FS7, 4k XAVC - SLOG3 CINE.G
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Nora Valdez, Donte Thomas

Born and raised in an immigrant family in Roxbury, Massachusetts Donté Thomas is an educator, filmmaker, and installation artist. Beginning as a journalism student at Morehead State University, Donté found himself drawn to film. He has worked in the media industry for over 10 years, creating motion and still graphics at design houses, re-trafficking analytics at engineering firms, and working with award winning filmmakers, playwrights and curators. He has also been a media educator in the Boston Public Schools.

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Director Statement

This project has been such a heartfelt experience. All participants were lovely to be around. You can feel the energy and love that combats their ailments. At 14, my younger sister past away at 12 due to cancer. During the post production process I immersed myself into the project to tell their story.