CENTRAL CITY MALL
Coming to live in the Inland Empire, I had no real grasp of what the culture of each city. I live in Riverside and explored
bits and pieces during my time here, but I always felt as though there are places or people I’m missing out on. Before I
could explore any further, the pandemic struck and I quarantined from home. During the pandemic, I began editing video again and picked up how to shoot 35mm film. I thought the best way to overlap these passions was through documenting and archiving people’s stories. I continue to do that through my own hometown of Salinas, California, and experimented more with other cities in the desert. However, I haven’t done that with my new home within the IE. So as California began opening up and I was vaccinated, I took the time to venture out. Through this process, I took the opportunity to begin my journey of exploration in San Bernardino. I started with the question of: If a city was gone tomorrow, what are some iconic or memorable places/people/etc. that need to remembered. I’ve asked people and they’re taken aback because to them, home has always been there and they’ve never stopped to reflect on the memories they have attached to it. I posted the question to local artist, Willis the
Gorilla and mentioned some places to explore. I decided to start in the center of the city, the Carousel Mall. I started
taking photos on 35mm film: Kodak Portra 400 & 800 on a Canon Elan 7 & Canon T50.
The photo series was a way of exploring a space, but it felt it needed more dimensions. One aspect I felt was missing is
the idea of movement and atmosphere. I believe a documentary short film exploring the life of a person, place, or artifact would be beneficial is not only preserving its existence, but also recounted the story through the individuals who were there when history was happening. This can work as a stand alone piece on one subject or be offered as a series of videos exploring more subjects.
SAN BERNARDINO ARTIST HIGHLIGHTS
A series of video portraits highlighting artists. Artists have a knack for absorbing and interpreting issues in a way that shares a message or voices a concern. We're delving into their connection to the city and the personal experiences that shaped them as individuals and artists. I want to know the moments that impacted them and their own perception of the city in relation to themselves. I will be asking about their early upbringing, their adulthood and how that has brought them to the work they're doing now. So I want to give a different perspective from people who have settled and cultivated a strong community. I hope the impact of their voices help inform neighboring communities that San Bernardino also has a community strongly committed to developing change and growth.
Stay connected with us to watch artists stories as they come out. In the meantime, watch the beautiful intro video Adan created for us on our home page.
ADAN MIGUEL
Adan Miguel is a filmmaker and film photographer originally from Salinas, Ca, now based out of Riverside, Ca. Adan received his Bachelors of Arts in Cinematic Arts and Technology from California State University, Monterey Bay. His approach to art is rooted in documentary and cinema verite. His most recent editing project, Vamos Alisal, documents Alisal High School football players and their recollection of their 2010-2011 season. They strive to represent a predominately migrant farmworker community with pride and resilience and show their community they're capable of excellence. Recently, he's developed a passion for documenting and archiving people and places in the Inland Empire through film photography.
