Private Project

World of Diamonds

World of Diamonds (WOD) short film is an artistic experimental piece that sheds light on the vital issues affecting humans worldwide today while offering a new, bright path forward into a far more equitable future. Inspired by the 2020 pandemic, this piece highlights the inequities across our globe beginning with the racial disparities in death rates from the Covid-19 virus and extending far beyond. Rooted in justice, WOD serves not only as a critique of our values, practices, and health as a species, but also as a spring of hope for significant improvements to these areas so that we may all enjoy a better life here on Earth.

  • Hannah Bonecutter
    Writer
    Minstrel vs. Puppet
  • Jennifer Pierce
    Director
    Minstrel vs. Puppet
  • Hannah Bonecutter
    Executive Producer
    Minstrel vs. Puppet
  • Bianca Flowers
    Lead Producer
  • Bianca Flowers
    Production Manager
  • Johnny Imperato
    Associate Producer
  • Hannah Bonecutter
    Key Cast
    "All Roles"
  • Candice Majors
    Cinematographer
  • Sonia Jourdain
    First Assistant Camera
  • Marques Clark
    Photographer
  • Jamezz Hampton
    Gaffer
  • Emily DeWoolfson
    Film Composer + Sound Effects + Recording Mixer
  • Brooke Meade
    Violist
  • Bianca Flowers
    Audio Engineer
  • Hannah Bonecutter
    Production Designer
  • Jennifer Pierce
    Production Design Assistant
  • Johnny Imperato
    Production Design Assistant
  • Hannah Bonecutter
    Choreographer
  • Jennifer Pierce
    Choreographer
  • Hannah Bonecutter
    Costume Designer
  • Ashley Gaddis
    Makeup Artist
  • Hannah Bonecutter
    Hair Stylist
  • Hannah Bonecutter
    Editing Supervisor
  • Inde Post House Chicago
    Film Editor
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Music Video, Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 19 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 29, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    4,165 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Florence Film Awards
    Florence
    Italy
    February 5, 2023
    Europe
    Inspirational Film
  • Reale Film Festival - BiMonthly Awards
    Milano
    Italy
    November 10, 2023
    Honorable Mention
  • Stockholm City Film Festival
    Stockholm
    Sweden
    February 19, 2023
    Finalist
  • AltFF Alternative Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    March 22, 2023
    Nominee
Director Biography - Jennifer Pierce

Jennifer Pierce makes her short film directing debut with Hannah's experimental poetic piece World of Diamonds. Jennifer is from Chicago, IL and has a deep passion for storytelling, especially through music. In past years, Jennifer has written treatments for and directed several music videos for local artists. However, her love for music does not stop there. Minoring in dance in college, Jennifer is a talented choreographer and performer. She has orchestrated several dance shows that encompass a wide range of musical genres.

Outside the realm of art, Jennifer diligently pursues a career as a dentist and will graduate with her Master in Biological Sciences in May 2022. When she is not studying, dancing, or filmmaking, Jennifer is engaged in world-changing research with fellow scientists that is predicated on the will to make this planet a much more sustainable place for us all. Similar to Hannah Bonecutter, Jennifer Pierce is truly jacks of all trades.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As a woman of color who went without healthcare for over 8 years, hearing Hannah's piece on health inequities, climate change, and our current pandemic truly resonated with me. During my time without healthcare, I accumulated over $7,000 of healthcare debt. In America, healthcare is a privilege; in other countries across the globe, healthcare is a human right. No one goes broke due to healthcare bills because these countries adopted a universal healthcare system. Furthermore, her transcending message on the current pandemic also resonated with Jennifer. All of my immediate family experienced COVID-19, so listening to this poem touched me deeply. This poem Hannah wrote is needed now more than ever. America is exorbitantly far behind in so many arenas of public health. The world we live in now needs to change for the greater good of the people.

On a more personal note: I revere the moment Hannah asked me to direct this film. I am so glad I had the grand opportunity to direct my best friend’s short film World of Diamonds (WOD)! This vision of hers is extremely monumental and thought-provoking - I was immediately moved to bring it to life! Further, Hannah explained to me that all WOD team members in front of and behind the camera would either be female, of color, or both. Understanding that this is opposite the norm in the film industry today, I knew this was a uniquely powerful project I had to be a part of.

True to her word, every person on the WOD team is either of color, female, or both with the majority being Black women.

Inspired by the 2020 pandemic, this piece highlights the inequities worldwide beginning with the racial disparities in death rates from the Covid-19 virus. WOD persuades the viewer to think about values, practices, and public health in its entirety through immaculate visuals. The imagery and spoken word poetry performed is used as a vessel that brings blood to the heart of the issue(s) we face here in America and worldwide. Moreover, Hannah’s poem shines light on possible solutions that we can adopt to improve the quality of human lives on Earth.

I cannot wait to see what comes from this WOD creation! I am so proud of the WOD team and thankful to Hannah for trusting me with her vision.