Film Production Underway for "We Hold Your Names Sacred"
On Sunday, June 6, sixteen Resonance singers and a film crew of six met at Cerimon House, a local Portland event space, to film “We Hold Your Names Sacred,” a music video that features the work of award-winning composer Mari Esabel Valverde and author/playwright Dane Figueroa Edidi and reflects on 12 lives lost due to violence against trans women of color.
Produced by Oh! Creative with local filmmaker Kenny Hamlett, the music video shows 16 singers all but invisible behind a shroud of fabric, underneath umbrellas displaying the names of twelve trans women of color who have been lost to systemic violence. At the front of the stage, there is an altar of remembrance for these twelve women who are directly named in the piece. All this as we hear the beautiful music professionally recorded and mixed by Portland sound engineer Matt Greco.
Photo Credit: Sarah Wright Photography
An Altar of Remembrance.
Jaquarrius Holland, 18
Chyna Gibson, 31
Ty Underwood, 24
Penny Proud, 21
Crystal Edmonds, 32
Islan Nettles, 21
Angel Rose, 21
Lexi, 33
Layla Pelaez Sánchez, 21
Muhlaysia Booker, 22
Brianna “BB” Hill, 30
Layleen Polanco, 27
“Mari and Dane told us that their goal with this work is to celebrate and remember the lives of all trans women of color, including the 12 women who are featured in this film,” says cinematographer Kenny Hamlett. “This project is important to me and so many others, and I felt an extra push to get this right. Our focus is to honor the memory of these women and highlight Mari Esabel Valverde’s beautiful music set to Dane Figueroa Edidi’s powerful poetry. We do indeed hold these names sacred, and our film will work to remind others to do the same.”
Cinematographer Kenny Hamlett filming a scene for Resonance Ensemble’s upcoming film, “We Hold Your Names Sacred” Photo Credit: Sarah Wright Photography
Viewers are invited to reserve their virtual seat for the premiere, which happens on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at 5:00 pm (PDT) for the world premiere of “We Hold Your Names Sacred'' which will be broadcast for free to audiences worldwide. The premiere will also include a live panel discussion with Valverde, Edidi, and local leaders in the LGBTQIA+ community.
For more information and to reserve your virtual seat, click here.
ALL OF THIS IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF YOU.
Resonance Ensemble believes that art is essential and must be accessible, now more than ever. The gifts you made in 2020 and your ongoing support in 2021 allow us to bring performing art to our community safely and free of charge. Under the Overpass, Commissions for Now, and all the work we do is made possible because of donors like you.
THANK YOU!
For more information on how you can continue to support our work, head here.
Photo Credit: Sarah Wright Photography