I know very little about Baltimore. Maybe that’s why this project felt so enlightening. Maybe it is because these short documentaries are just fantastic, regardless of the city they’re attached to. “Baltimore Stories” is a series of mini documentaries that Red Bull created in collaboration with local film makers to celebrate citizens who are changing things for the better.
Red Bull is creating these documentaries to promote the Red Bull Amaphiko Academy which will be taking place in August. This is an initiative to help elevate those who make positive change in their community. Participants will have 10 days of inspiration, instruction, and mentorship with the goal of helping them grow their activities for positive change.
Take a few moments to watch these three “Baltimore Stories,” and learn about some fantastic people.
Baltimore DIY
Baltimore DIY gives us a peek into the underground music scene by meeting writers, singers, producers, poets, and DJs in various venues and clubs. Over all, the sense of community shines through as a core theme.
Director’s bio:
Emily Eaglin is an artist, writer, and filmmaker currently living in Baltimore County. In addition to acting and filmmaking, she is passionate about race relations, gender equality, and LGBT+ rights. She was awarded the Princeton Prize in Race Relations Certificate of Accomplishment by Princeton University and is committed to speaking out for the underheard and under-represented through her artistic projects and daily life. This past summer she worked on the new FOX series, “Shots Fired,” that deals with some of the hot button issues facing many young people that live in today’s cities like Baltimore.
In December 2016 Emily created a Bell Foundry GoFundMe campaign on behalf of her artistic friends that were evicted by Baltimore City. Initially aiming for a goal of $5000, the campaign ended up raising over $21k.
Boots on the Ground
Boots on the Ground educates us on the methods of Bryant “Spoon” Smith as he works to provide innovative ways of helping the homeless and displaced. Spoon eloquently explains that we should consider environmental disasters to include both headlining items (like floods) and urban issues (like backed up drainage systems).
Director’s bio:
Charles Cohen is a Baltimore-based filmmaker and currently working on a documentary that follows some BMX riders who have made a secret trail in the woods to escape the perils of the streets. His feature documentaries include: The Last Season, The Life and Death of Memorial Stadium, Going All Pro:The Story of Fancy Clancy, the Beer Man, as well as The Crooked Tune, anOld Time Fiddler in a Modern World. His shorts range from a mechanic who turns old VW bugs into race cars, to a 74 year old man who accomplished his life dream of covering his entire body in one tattoo, to following homeless when they move into stable housing.
Beauty in the Broken
Beauty in the Broken focuses on artist Loring Cornish. Love just pours out of this artist. It manifests in music and art in many mediums. It is hard to not feel warm and fuzzy listening to his passion, even if it isn’t perfectly congruent with your own.
Director bio:
Malaika Aminata Clements is a freelance life experiencer whose ultimate purpose is to promote self-acceptance and understanding through creative expression. In 2013, she graduated from Morgan State University with a degree in Print Journalism, and has since worked on a number of different projects that use the mediums of writing, videography, photography, music, dance, and theatre to share stories that are often ignored.
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