By Nan Price, Content Manager, MetroHartford Alliance
Pedro Bermudez is a filmmaker, an Emmy-winning producer, and co-founder of Hartford-based production company Revisionist Films.
Why Hartford?
PEDRO BERMUDEZ: Hartford is my home. It’s where I was raised. It’s where my family is. Hartford has helped me gain an understanding of all types of people from different backgrounds and cultures. That was a big part of my development growing up.
Hartford is an incredibly diverse place full of people from all over the world. The city has continued to guide my point of view and how I see the world.
What makes Hartford unique?
PEDRO: As a Puerto Rican, Hartford is a really unique place. Hartford has one of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the United States. It’s a place where you can walk down streets and not hear a word of English. Hearing those conversations, as a result of this connection to the Puerto Rican culture, has this way of bringing me back to the island, where my family is from. Being around your culture helps you understand where you’re from and who you are.
How do you tell the story of Hartford?
PEDRO: To tell the story of Hartford authentically it has to be told personally. Hartford is too complex a place to be reduced to one narrative. The truth about the city is that it continues to be a place where immigrant communities and communities of color come to find resources. If we can champion these experiences as being representative of our nation today, we can create a sense of collective belonging.
Hartford has been a city that makes space for diverse communities. My desire to continue to tell stories from Hartford has become much more personal. I want to share these stories in ways that allow our community to participate in them, in ways that are immersive and accessible. Stories are how we communicate and give meaning to our reality.
I think our country is living through a moment of transition, of a renewed push for racial justice. I believe we’re seeing some of that energy at work in Hartford, particularly within the arts. If we can lean into our authentic character, that of a diverse and nationally representative urban center, we can tell more relevant and inclusive stories.