Experiencing Interruptions?

We Are One - blood drum spirit

Exploring the musical and cultural threads that connect jazz with its West African roots, We Are One follows the stories of four American musicians as they travel to Ghana to collaborate with master musicians, dancers, and singers. Adapting traditional songs and rhythms learned in villages over decades, the group joins members of the communities from which the music comes, and together create an artistic offering that celebrates the connections we all share as part of the human family.

  • Sara Pettinella
    Director
  • Sara Pettinella
    Writer
  • royal hartigan
    Producer
  • royal hartigan
    Key Cast
  • Art Hirahara
    Key Cast
  • David Bindman
    Key Cast
  • Wes Brown
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    music, jazz music, world music, drums, Africa, Percussion, New York, jazz, documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 6 minutes 42 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    35,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Ghana, Philippines, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Logcinema Music Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    January 5, 2018
    No Screening
    Official Selection Best Music Documentary
  • Roma Cinema DOC
    Rome
    Italy
    April 7, 2018
    No Screening
    Official Selection
  • Jukebox International Film Festival
    Carson City, Nevada
    United States
    August 24, 2018
    Winner Best Documentary
  • Movie Nisville Summit
    Niš
    Serbia
    Official Selection
  • IndieFest Film Awards
    La Jolla, Texas
    United States
    September 1, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Moskov Indie Film Festival
    Moskov
    Russian Federation
    October 1, 2018
    Winner Best Music Score
  • Calcutta International Cult Film Festival
    Calcutta
    India
    October 31, 2018
    Finalist Best Documentary
  • West African Film Festival
    Houston, Texas
    United States
    February 1, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Dumbo film Festival
    Brooklyn, NY
    United States
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Sara Pettinella

Born in Rome, Italy, Sara Pettinella studied art, design and photography in Italy and the United Kingdom. In 2002, she won the Interfaces Award (–Museum of the Photographic Image and Visual Arts, University of Rome) and she worked in theater and movie productions in Italy and Belgium from 1996 to 2003.

Since 2004, she has been active in the non-profit sector in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa working with refugees and other vulnerable groups through photography and design. In 2011, she relocated to New York City, US, where she showcased her work and received photography awards.

Since 2014, she has been working on documentary projects, with a special focus on music and performative arts in US and Japan.

Add Director Biography