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I KNOW
WHAT
PANDEMIC
MEANS
In March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted every aspect of life in New York City, many immigrant New Yorkers became jobless and were without guidance. Thousands of them found Documented’s WhatsApp group and began sending us urgent messages.
After almost a year of correspondence via this WhatsApp group, a picture began to form of some of the ways the pandemic has impacted and altered the lives of many immigrant New Yorkers so far. Their responses were vivid and multi-faceted. We wanted to spend more time with these stories.
Documented collaborated with Waterwell - a production company that tells engrossing, complex civic stories - to produce this short documentary, created and directed by Frisly Soberanis, a filmmaker from Queens via Guatemala.
Messages sent to Documented via WhatsApp.
yo necesito ayuda con la renta perdí mi trabajo por la pandemia y no e podido pagar mi renta si me pueden ayudar el casero ya me demando gracias espero que me respondan yo necesito ayuda con la renta perdí mi trabajo por la pandemia y no e podido pagar mi renta si me pueden ayudar el casero ya me demando gracias espero que me respondan
2:30 PM
Quisiera aplicar para la ayuda económica de los inmigrantes pudieran ayudarme por favor Quisiera aplicar para la ayuda económica de los inmigrantes pudieran ayudarme por favor
3:30 PM
Tap to view English
When Gov. Cuomo’s “New York State on PAUSE” executive order went into effect on March 22, 2020, the City transformed overnight.
Half of New York’s immigrant population became unemployed. As the days passed, rent debts and food lines began to grow.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Between February and June 2020, the City's unemployment rate grew from 3.4 percent to 20.3 percent.
Source: City Comptroller Scott Stringer
3.4
%
20.3
%
The messages we received became more dire:
Disculpa la pregunta yo vivo en el área de Queens ny pero con la situación q está pues no e trabajado y pues no sé cómo hacer para tratar de recibir alguna ayuda Pues tengo una familia de 4 nenes y mi pareja Gracias por la información q pueden darme feliz día Disculpa la pregunta yo vivo en el área de Queens ny pero con la situación q está pues no e trabajado y pues no sé cómo hacer para tratar de recibir alguna ayuda Pues tengo una familia de 4 nenes y mi pareja Gracias por la información q pueden darme feliz día
5:30 PM
* I'm having really hard time right now. I'm not eligible for any benefits from government and I don't have proper document as well. I have 3 months rent due. I don’t have money to buy foods/hygiene products or medicines. I'm facing many problems. Please help me
7:30 PM
* Message sent in English.
Al ser vendedor independiente prácticamente mi trabajo se estanco porque no podía salir ni podía visitar a los clientes esto significó que mis ingresos bajaron a casi cero lo cual representó un gran problema para mí porque tengo dos niños y no califico para ninguna ayuda estatal ni siquiera cupones por nuestro estatus migratorio sin embargo He recibido ayuda de algunos familiares y he buscado comida en algunos Pantry lo único que me atormenta ahora mismo es mi renta y la luz no sé hacer con estas dos y estoy muy atrasada en ambas Al ser vendedor independiente prácticamente mi trabajo se estanco porque no podía salir ni podía visitar a los clientes esto significó que mis ingresos bajaron a casi cero lo cual representó un gran problema para mí porque tengo dos niños y no califico para ninguna ayuda estatal ni siquiera cupones por nuestro estatus migratorio sin embargo He recibido ayuda de algunos familiares y he buscado comida en algunos Pantry lo único que me atormenta ahora mismo es mi renta y la luz no sé hacer con estas dos y estoy muy atrasada en ambas
8:30 PM
Primero que nada quedarme sin trabajo y estaba embarazada y pues tener más cuidado por mi embarazo después lidiar con los pocos ahorros que se terminaron y debo renta luz y otros gastos apenas di a luz y ahora tendré que cuidarme y a mi bebé de este impactante virus First of all, being left with no job and pregnant, I had to be really careful with the pregnancy and with the little savings I had. Then I used them all and now I owe electricity. although I paid a bit so I can get it back on. Now I have to take care of myself and my baby from this virus.
9:30 PM
Tap to view English
Immigrants without social security numbers were excluded from the federal stimulus package passed in late March 2020 and undocumented people have never been eligible for unemployment. Eventually, mixed status families were eligible for federal dollars. Many were pushed to take jobs essential to pandemic relief like cleaning the subways, becoming street vendors or dangerous close quarters ]warehouse work; low paying jobs that are often very high risk for contracting COVID-19, and offer few health and safety protections.
On April 16, 2020, the Mayor's office announced that it would be distributing $20 million to undocumented New Yorkers through a grant provided by the Open Society Foundations. An estimated 560,000 undocumented immigrants live in New York. The money was distributed quickly and since then, there has been little help.
Recently, however, the New York State legislature created a $2.1 billion fund to provide cash payments to workers who are ineligible for benefits due to their immigration status.
Hola buenos días, yo quisiera pedir ayuda para la renta aunque sea unos dos meses que debo estoy sin trabajo por el momento. Podrían ayudarme? Disculpa la molestia. Soy madre soltera de una niña. Yo arriendo un cuarto de casa y pago 600 al mes, no he podido pagar x falta de trabajo, yo soy indocumentado. Ya me esta pidiendo la habitación. Hay proteccion para personas como yo? Hello, good morning, I would like to ask for help to pay rent, even if it is for two months that I own. I am out of work at the moment. Could you help me? Sorry for the inconvenience. I am a single mother of a girl. I rent a room of house and pay 600 a month, I have not been able to pay due to lack of work, I am undocumented. They are already telling me to leave the room. Is there protection for people like me?
10:30 PM
Tap to view English
As the virus spread, a pattern emerged: COVID-19 was hitting immigrant neighborhoods hardest.
In areas like Corona or Elmhurst, residents often share small spaces due to increasing rents. Common jobs in those neighborhoods, like cleaning, construction, and working in the service industry, were particularly high-risk for contracting the virus. Queens quickly became the first epicenter of the pandemic.
CORONA CASES
At 11,672 cases, Corona/North Corona, Queens had the highest number of cases in the City as of March 22, 2021.
Source: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
The death rate of the virus eventually slowed, but the toll has been immense and has disproportionately affected people of color. People of Latin American descent are 2.3 times more likely to die from COVID-19 and Black people are 1.9 times more likely to die than White people from the virus. Trump’s anti-immigrant policies pushed many undocumented New Yorkers away from the medical system, as did the sentiment that the U.S. health care system is designed with biases against people of color and the uninsured.
“I feel afraid that I have to go to the hospital. Even though I recently got sick I chose to stay home because I don’t want something like that to be used against me later… I’m not just talking about myself but many people like me.”
By late April, over 2.3 million New Yorkers have been fully vaccinated and over 1.1 million others have had one dose. In neighborhoods with predominantly immigrant residents however, mistrust of the federal government, poor local healthcare options, misinformation, logistical difficulties and lack of comprehensive city education programs about the vaccine have driven vaccination rates down.
La vacuna es exactamente la misma para todos ó va hacer diferente para los ricos y el gobierno el miedo está presente y son justificados cuando hemos tenido un gobierno tan racista que creemos que asta nos pueden matar. La vacuna es exactamente la misma para todos ó va hacer diferente para los ricos y el gobierno el miedo está presente y son justificados cuando hemos tenido un gobierno tan racista que creemos que asta nos pueden matar.
10:30 PM
Tap to view English
“We survive this pandemic thanks to the help given by communities. We had no income and it was very difficult for children to attend school via the internet because I was looking for food and because our relatives were sick. We felt powerless of providing help, all we could do was provide comforting words. We lost a brother, it's very sad to see a mother go into deep depression because of this loss. At the same time, you worry about paying rent.”
Eso fue un verdadero infierno gracias a Dios mi familia se encuentra bien. solo mi tío,y mi primo no pudieron vencer al Covi 19 me partió el alma al ver cómo se iban. mi mamá le dio muy fuerte ella tiene 66 años ella es grande Dios la liberto salió victorioso y a mi me da mucho gusto que este bien.bueno somos indocumentados no pudimos recibir ninguna ayuda pero estamos bien y eso es lo importante ahora! nos toca esperar que reabran los trabajos para pagar nuestras deudas de los biles mi mamá mi hijo,mi hija, yo estamos bien ya nos recuperamos. Gracias a Dios
Que este año nuevo sea prospero a un apesar de las adversidades de la pandemia que en cada hogar brille la fe y el entusiasmo para seguie siempre von fortaleza y que Dios ilumine al nuevo mandatario y ayude a nuestra comunidad 😊🙏🏼 feliz año y gracias por mantenernos informados. Eso fue un verdadero infierno gracias a Dios mi familia se encuentra bien. solo mi tío,y mi primo no pudieron vencer al Covi 19 me partió el alma al ver cómo se iban. mi mamá le dio muy fuerte ella tiene 66 años ella es grande Dios la liberto salió victorioso y a mi me da mucho gusto que este bien.bueno somos indocumentados no pudimos recibir ninguna ayuda pero estamos bien y eso es lo importante ahora! nos toca esperar que reabran los trabajos para pagar nuestras deudas de los biles mi mamá mi hijo,mi hija, yo estamos bien ya nos recuperamos. Gracias a Dios
Que este año nuevo sea prospero a un apesar de las adversidades de la pandemia que en cada hogar brille la fe y el entusiasmo para seguie siempre von fortaleza y que Dios ilumine al nuevo mandatario y ayude a nuestra comunidad 😊🙏🏼 feliz año y gracias por mantenernos informados.
10:30 PM
Tap to view English
Once again, New York is in transition.
The end of the pandemic may be near, but the future is uncertain.
But, hundreds of messages made one thing clear.
Despite the loss, the joblessness and the anxiety the community has faced, hope prevails.
CREDITS
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Documented started our WhatsApp newsletter in 2019 as a way to communicate with Spanish-speaking readers through a platform they frequently use to share news and important information. It was a tool to communicate directly and rapidly with immigrant communities who were struggling to make sense of the Trump administration’s changes to immigration law, but it quickly became a hub of information on how to seek out help within New York’s immense bureaucracy.
Then, the pandemic began.
We sent phone numbers and websites for organizations providing economic aid, free food, and support on legal issues out to the community via WhatsApp. Through this direct communication, we simplified the complex bureaucracy of New York State’s rent relief programs and tried to provide answers to the complex questions posed by the precarious situations undocumented New Yorkers found themselves in.
Then, Documented sent out a different kind of message.
We asked people to share personal stories about how the pandemic was affecting them. These dozens of stories inspired the preceding documentary.
ABOUT DOCUMENTED
Documented is a nonprofit news site devoted to covering New York City’s immigrant communities and the policies that affect their lives. An estimated 3.2 million immigrants—nearly a half million of them undocumented—live in New York City, comprising 37 percent of the City’s population and 44 percent of the workforce. Documented provides original reporting on how these communities are impacted by labor policies, law enforcement practices and directives from local, state and federal governments. We also run Documented Semanal, an award-winning publication that provides valuable information to Spanish-speaking New Yorkers based on their needs through WhatsApp.
Our reporting has been cited in federal lawsuits and human rights campaigns and national media outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post. Our stories caused the divestment of over $7 million in private prison stock and led to an introduction of a law in Canada to create more oversight of government spending. We have won awards from the Online News Association, Local Independent Online News Publishers and EPPY’s.
ABOUT WATERWELL
Waterwell is a group of artists, educators and producers dedicated to telling engrossing stories in unexpected ways that deliberately wrestle with complex civic questions. The company is led by a shared leadership team: two-time Obie Award winning director Lee Sunday Evans - Artistic Director, Adam Frank - Managing Director, and Heather Lanza - Director of Education. The company was co-founded in 2002 by Tom Ridgely and Arian Moayed (Succession), an Iranian-born immigrant, award-winning actor, director, writer and educator who currently serves as Waterwell's Board Chair.
The company's recent projects include The Courtroom: a reenactment of one woman's deportation proceedings, which was named on The New York Times' Best of Theater 2019 list, and The Flores Exhibits (www.flores-exhibits.org), a series of videos in which artists, lawyers and immigrants read the legal testimonies of children held in immigration detention at the U.S./Mexico border in June 2019. Watch two short videos from The Flores Exhibits here and here, and read this piece in Capital & Main about screenings of these videos around the country in Fall 2020.
Waterwell has been in-residence for over ten years at a NYC Public School, the Professional Performing Arts School, leading world-class conservatory-style theater training for 200+ students from all 5 boroughs, grades 6-12.
About Frisly Soberanis (frislysoberanis.com)
Frisly Soberanis is a director and video artist, from Queens, New York via Guatemala. His work explores separation, distance and the immigrant experience.
He has received support from E4FCs Fuse fund, Tribeca Film Institutes New Media Prototype Fund, Culturestrike and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. He is one of the OSFs Photo Documentary Fellows and a current Artist in Residence at the Hemispheric Institute (HEMI).
Frisly's work has shown at during encuentro @Centro de Cultura Digital (CCDMX) in Mexico City, during Moving Walls 25, the Hilversum Museum, Tribeca Family Day and Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.
Frisly is interested in how 360 video/ virtual reality / media and technology can challenge borders and reshape the way we think of memories and messages. They grew up filming quinceañeras and bodas, and hope to create more stories of healing and reconnection.
and
English
Español
and
I KNOW
WHAT
PANDEMIC
MEANS
Watch Film

In March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted every aspect of life in New York City, many immigrant New Yorkers became jobless and were without guidance. Thousands of them found Documented’s WhatsApp group and began sending us urgent messages.

After almost a year of correspondence via this WhatsApp group, a picture began to form of some of the ways the pandemic has impacted and altered the lives of many immigrant New Yorkers so far. Their responses were vivid and multi-faceted. We wanted to spend more time with these stories.

Documented collaborated with Waterwell - a production company that tells engrossing, complex civic stories - to produce this short documentary, created and directed by Frisly Soberanis, a filmmaker from Queens via Guatemala.

Messages sent to Documented via WhatsApp.
yo necesito ayuda con la renta perdí mi trabajo por la pandemia y no e podido pagar mi renta si me pueden ayudar el casero ya me demando gracias espero que me respondan yo necesito ayuda con la renta perdí mi trabajo por la pandemia y no e podido pagar mi renta si me pueden ayudar el casero ya me demando gracias espero que me respondan
2:30 PM
Quisiera aplicar para la ayuda económica de los inmigrantes pudieran ayudarme por favor Quisiera aplicar para la ayuda económica de los inmigrantes pudieran ayudarme por favor
3:30 PM
Hover for English.
WATCH FILM

When Gov. Cuomo’s “New York State on PAUSE” executive order went into effect on March 22, 2020, the City transformed overnight.

Half of New York’s immigrant population became unemployed. As the days passed, rent debts and food lines began to grow.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Between February and June 2020, the City's unemployment rate grew from 3.4 percent to 20.3 percent.
Source: City Comptroller Scott Stringer
3.4
%
20.3
%
The messages we received became more dire:
Disculpa la pregunta yo vivo en el área de Queens ny pero con la situación q está pues no e trabajado y pues no sé cómo hacer para tratar de recibir alguna ayuda Pues tengo una familia de 4 nenes y mi pareja Gracias por la información q pueden darme feliz día Disculpa la pregunta yo vivo en el área de Queens ny pero con la situación q está pues no e trabajado y pues no sé cómo hacer para tratar de recibir alguna ayuda Pues tengo una familia de 4 nenes y mi pareja Gracias por la información q pueden darme feliz día
5:30 PM
* I'm having really hard time right now. I'm not eligible for any benefits from government and I don't have proper document as well. I have 3 months rent due. I don’t have money to buy foods/hygiene products or medicines. I'm facing many problems. Please help
me
7:30 PM
* Message sent in English.
Al ser vendedor independiente prácticamente mi trabajo se estanco porque no podía salir ni podía visitar a los clientes esto significó que mis ingresos bajaron a casi cero lo cual representó un gran problema para mí porque tengo dos niños y no califico para ninguna ayuda estatal ni siquiera cupones por nuestro estatus migratorio sin embargo He recibido ayuda de algunos familiares y he buscado comida en algunos Pantry lo único que me atormenta ahora mismo es mi renta y la luz no sé hacer con estas dos y estoy muy atrasada en ambas Al ser vendedor independiente prácticamente mi trabajo se estanco porque no podía salir ni podía visitar a los clientes esto significó que mis ingresos bajaron a casi cero lo cual representó un gran problema para mí porque tengo dos niños y no califico para ninguna ayuda estatal ni siquiera cupones por nuestro estatus migratorio sin embargo He recibido ayuda de algunos familiares y he buscado comida en algunos Pantry lo único que me atormenta ahora mismo es mi renta y la luz no sé hacer con estas dos y estoy muy atrasada en ambas
8:30 PM
Primero que nada quedarme sin trabajo y estaba embarazada y pues tener más cuidado por mi embarazo después lidiar con los pocos ahorros que se terminaron y debo renta luz y otros gastos apenas di a luz y ahora tendré que cuidarme y a mi bebé de este impactante virus First of all, being left with no job and pregnant, I had to be really careful with the pregnancy and with the little savings I had. Then I used them all and now I owe electricity. although I paid a bit so I can get it back on. Now I have to take care of myself and my baby from this
virus.
9:30 PM
Immigrants without social security numbers were excluded from the federal stimulus package passed in late March 2020 and undocumented people have never been eligible for unemployment. Eventually, mixed status families were eligible for federal dollars. Many were pushed to take jobs essential to pandemic relief like cleaning the subways, becoming street vendors or dangerous close quarters ]warehouse work; low paying jobs that are often very high risk for contracting COVID-19, and offer few health and safety protections.
On April 16, 2020, the Mayor's office announced that it would be distributing $20 million to undocumented New Yorkers through a grant provided by the Open Society Foundations. An estimated 560,000 undocumented immigrants live in New York. The money was distributed quickly and since then, there has been little help.
Recently, however, the New York State legislature created a $2.1 billion fund to provide cash payments to workers who are ineligible for benefits due to their immigration status.
Hola buenos días, yo quisiera pedir ayuda para la renta aunque sea unos dos meses que debo estoy sin trabajo por el momento. Podrían ayudarme? Disculpa la molestia. Soy madre soltera de una niña. Yo arriendo un cuarto de casa y pago 600 al mes, no he podido pagar x falta de trabajo, yo soy indocumentado. Ya me esta pidiendo la habitación. Hay proteccion para personas como yo? Hello, good morning, I would like to ask for help to pay rent, even if it is for two months that I own. I am out of work at the moment. Could you help me? Sorry for the inconvenience. I am a single mother of a girl. I rent a room of house and pay 600 a month, I have not been able to pay due to lack of work, I am undocumented. They are already telling me to leave the room. Is there protection for people like
me?
8:30 PM

As the virus spread, a pattern emerged: COVID-19 was hitting immigrant neighborhoods hardest.

In areas like Corona or Elmhurst, residents often share small spaces due to increasing rents. Common jobs in those neighborhoods, like cleaning, construction, and working in the service industry, were particularly high-risk for contracting the virus. Queens quickly became the first epicenter of the pandemic.

CORONA CASES
At 11,672 cases, Corona/North Corona, Queens had the highest number of cases in the City as of March 22, 2021.
Source: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
The death rate of the virus eventually slowed, but the toll has been immense and has disproportionately affected people of color. People of Latin American descent are 2.3 times more likely to die from COVID-19 and Black people are 1.9 times more likely to die than White people from the virus. Trump’s anti-immigrant policies pushed many undocumented New Yorkers away from the medical system, as did the sentiment that the U.S. health care system is designed with biases against people of color and the uninsured.
“I feel afraid that I have to go to the hospital. Even though I recently got sick I chose to stay home because I don’t want something like that to be used against me later… I’m not just talking about myself but many people like me.”
By late April, over 2.3 million New Yorkers have been fully vaccinated and over 1.1 million others have had one dose. In neighborhoods with predominantly immigrant residents however, mistrust of the federal government, poor local healthcare options, misinformation, logistical difficulties and lack of comprehensive city education programs about the vaccine have driven vaccination rates down.
La vacuna es exactamente la misma para todos ó va hacer diferente para los ricos y el gobierno el miedo está presente y son justificados cuando hemos tenido un gobierno tan racista que creemos que asta nos pueden matar. La vacuna es exactamente la misma para todos ó va hacer diferente para los ricos y el gobierno el miedo está presente y son justificados cuando hemos tenido un gobierno tan racista que creemos que asta nos pueden matar.
10:30 PM
“We survive this pandemic thanks to the help given by communities. We had no income and it was very difficult for children to attend school via the internet because I was looking for food and because our relatives were sick. We felt powerless of providing help, all we could do was provide comforting words. We lost a brother, it's very sad to see a mother go into deep depression because of this loss. At the same time, you worry about paying rent.”
Eso fue un verdadero infierno gracias a Dios mi familia se encuentra bien. solo mi tío,y mi primo no pudieron vencer al Covi 19 me partió el alma al ver cómo se iban. mi mamá le dio muy fuerte ella tiene 66 años ella es grande Dios la liberto salió victorioso y a mi me da mucho gusto que este bien.bueno somos indocumentados no pudimos recibir ninguna ayuda pero estamos bien y eso es lo importante ahora! nos toca esperar que reabran los trabajos para pagar nuestras deudas de los biles mi mamá mi hijo,mi hija, yo estamos bien ya nos recuperamos. Gracias a Dios
Que este año nuevo sea prospero a un apesar de las adversidades de la pandemia que en cada hogar brille la fe y el entusiasmo para seguie siempre von fortaleza y que Dios ilumine al nuevo mandatario y ayude a nuestra comunidad 😊🙏🏼 feliz año y gracias por mantenernos informados. Eso fue un verdadero infierno gracias a Dios mi familia se encuentra bien. solo mi tío,y mi primo no pudieron vencer al Covi 19 me partió el alma al ver cómo se iban. mi mamá le dio muy fuerte ella tiene 66 años ella es grande Dios la liberto salió victorioso y a mi me da mucho gusto que este bien.bueno somos indocumentados no pudimos recibir ninguna ayuda pero estamos bien y eso es lo importante ahora! nos toca esperar que reabran los trabajos para pagar nuestras deudas de los biles mi mamá mi hijo,mi hija, yo estamos bien ya nos recuperamos. Gracias a Dios
Que este año nuevo sea prospero a un apesar de las adversidades de la pandemia que en cada hogar brille la fe y el entusiasmo para seguie siempre von fortaleza y que Dios ilumine al nuevo mandatario y ayude a nuestra comunidad 😊🙏🏼 feliz año y gracias por mantenernos informados.
11:30 AM

Once again, New York is in transition.

The end of the pandemic may be near, but the future is uncertain.

But, hundreds of messages made one thing clear.

Despite the loss, the joblessness and the anxiety the community has faced, hope prevails.

VIEW CREDITS
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Documented started our WhatsApp newsletter in 2019 as a way to communicate with Spanish-speaking readers through a platform they frequently use to share news and important information. It was a tool to communicate directly and rapidly with immigrant communities who were struggling to make sense of the Trump administration’s changes to immigration law, but it quickly became a hub of information on how to seek out help within New York’s immense bureaucracy.
Then, the pandemic began.
We sent phone numbers and websites for organizations providing economic aid, free food, and support on legal issues out to the community via WhatsApp. Through this direct communication, we simplified the complex bureaucracy of New York State’s rent relief programs and tried to provide answers to the complex questions posed by the precarious situations undocumented New Yorkers found themselves in.
Then, Documented sent out a different kind of message.
We asked people to share personal stories about how the pandemic was affecting them. These dozens of stories inspired the preceding documentary.
ABOUT DOCUMENTED
Documented is a nonprofit news site devoted to covering New York City’s immigrant communities and the policies that affect their lives. An estimated 3.2 million immigrants—nearly a half million of them undocumented—live in New York City, comprising 37 percent of the City’s population and 44 percent of the workforce. Documented provides original reporting on how these communities are impacted by labor policies, law enforcement practices and directives from local, state and federal governments. We also run Documented Semanal, an award-winning publication that provides valuable information to Spanish-speaking New Yorkers based on their needs through WhatsApp.
Our reporting has been cited in federal lawsuits and human rights campaigns and national media outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post. Our stories caused the divestment of over $7 million in private prison stock and led to an introduction of a law in Canada to create more oversight of government spending. We have won awards from the Online News Association, Local Independent Online News Publishers and EPPY’s.
ABOUT WATERWELL
Waterwell is a group of artists, educators and producers dedicated to telling engrossing stories in unexpected ways that deliberately wrestle with complex civic questions. The company is led by a shared leadership team: two-time Obie Award winning director Lee Sunday Evans - Artistic Director, Adam Frank - Managing Director, and Heather Lanza - Director of Education. The company was co-founded in 2002 by Tom Ridgely and Arian Moayed (Succession), an Iranian-born immigrant, award-winning actor, director, writer and educator who currently serves as Waterwell's Board Chair.
The company's recent projects include The Courtroom: a reenactment of one woman's deportation proceedings, which was named on The New York Times' Best of Theater 2019 list, and The Flores Exhibits (www.flores-exhibits.org), a series of videos in which artists, lawyers and immigrants read the legal testimonies of children held in immigration detention at the U.S./Mexico border in June 2019. Watch two short videos from The Flores Exhibits here and here, and read this piece in Capital & Main about screenings of these videos around the country in Fall 2020.
Waterwell has been in-residence for over ten years at a NYC Public School, the Professional Performing Arts School, leading world-class conservatory-style theater training for 200+ students from all 5 boroughs, grades 6-12.
About Frisly Soberanis (frislysoberanis.com)
Frisly Soberanis is a director and video artist, from Queens, New York via Guatemala. His work explores separation, distance and the immigrant experience.
He has received support from E4FCs Fuse fund, Tribeca Film Institutes New Media Prototype Fund, Culturestrike and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. He is one of the OSFs Photo Documentary Fellows and a current Artist in Residence at the Hemispheric Institute (HEMI).
Frisly's work has shown at during encuentro @Centro de Cultura Digital (CCDMX) in Mexico City, during Moving Walls 25, the Hilversum Museum, Tribeca Family Day and Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.
Frisly is interested in how 360 video/ virtual reality / media and technology can challenge borders and reshape the way we think of memories and messages. They grew up filming quinceañeras and bodas, and hope to create more stories of healing and reconnection.