Eleanor Larimer is a finalist at the MY HERO 20th International Film Festival

CONTACT:                                                                                       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JEANNE MEYERS
Co-founder/Director
The MY HERO Project
[email protected] 

Heavy in The Hand is a documentary film directed by DCTV Youth Media and produced by Eleanor Larimer and is a finalist at the MY HERO 20th International Film Festival

The documentary is a familial self-portrait piece that explores the significance of everyday objects, revealing the memories they hold and the stories they tell. 

MY HERO interviewed high school senior Eleanor about the process of making the film.

EleanorDCTV

Why were you drawn to making this film?

My film focuses on the significance of objects and how they can mean so much more than the material they’re made out of. During the production of this film, I was in the process of applying to college and I was navigating the different trials and hardships that come with becoming a young adult. I found myself holding onto certain objects that meant so much to me because of the memories they hold and how those memories made me feel. The idea that these objects were a part of everyone's life in their own way was what inspired me and drove me to make this film. 

What in your opinion is the importance of the film, and what are its strengths?

What mainly interested me about the importance of objects in our everyday lives and the memories they hold is how incredibly unifying this experience is. Focusing on this small detail of the beauty that ordinary objects have the potential to hold for everyday people seemed like a way to find the silver lining in the grand scheme of things. I think it's incredibly important when you're struggling to have the hope of a silver lining at least. 

What are the issues that are most important to you (in general), and why?

As a person and as an artist, I think emotion is very important. Emotion is the reason I’m here; it's what makes me who I am, and I feel like in general, in society we have trouble talking about and articulating emotion. We have a need to define, label, and compartmentalize so much of our emotional human experience instead of recognizing our feelings as a fluid thing and embracing all aspects of them. 

Could you tell us about the process of making the film?

I worked on this film with the help of DCTVNY, a nonprofit organization in New York City. They provided me with mentors to help me through the process of developing my idea and producing it, a camera that I could check out as well as Premiere Pro, which I used to edit. I came up with the idea in the first month of the process and would take a camera home each week to film and edit on my own over the course of about five months. 

What was it like for you to make this film? What were some of the challenges, successes, and high points?

I made this film during my senior year of high school, and while I found it hard at times to juggle filming and editing with schoolwork and college applications, working on this piece became really cathartic. I was able to process a lot of the intense emotions that I was feeling in response to the notion of leaving for college for the first time and becoming an adult. I’m a really sensitive person, so I feel things very deeply, and the production of "Heavy in the Hand" helped me pour those emotions I was feeling into something meaningful, helping me create a love letter to those around me.

What was it like working with DCTVNY?

Working with DCTVNY was truly amazing; they provided me with so many helpful resources and so much support. This was the first film I ever made and served as my introduction into the film world. I was always met with helpful advice that was never sugar-coated, which strengthened my skills and my intuition with film. Through DCTV's guidance, I was truly pushed to become a better filmmaker. Without the help of DCTVNY I wouldn’t be the artist I am today. 

Do you have a personal hero?

I believe my personal hero is a combination of the people who surround me. I am lucky enough to know the people I showcased in my film, and over the course of my freshman year at college I have had the privilege to grow close with more incredibly strong people. My mother, my father, my nana, and my cousin; the friends who have been with me through it all — they all have contributed to who I am today. Part of what makes us who we are is the emotions and the experiences we have, and we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the strength inside all of us that gets us up in the morning and carries us throughout our day. In that sense, I think we are all our own personal heroes, with credit due to those who continue to love and support us throughout our lives. 

Watch the film here:

About the MY HERO International Film Festival:

The My Hero Film Festival is an annual event dedicated to showcasing films that celebrate the power of the human spirit. The festival provides a platform for filmmakers to share inspirational stories of everyday heroes. Thanks to generous sponsors, prizes are awarded to elementary, middle school, high school, college and professionals in a variety of categories including documentary, narrative, music video, animation, experimental, and more. The festival aims to inspire audiences to recognize the heroism in their own lives and encourage positive actions in their communities. Learn more.

Join us in celebrating 20 years of The MY HERO International Film Festival on November 16, 6pm @ the Ann and Jerry Moss Theater at New Roads School in Santa Monica, California. Find out more HERE.

About DCTVNY

Since its founding in 1972, DCTVNY (Downtown Community Television Center, New York) has been New York City’s preeminent community of and for documentary storytellers. DCTV has grown from humble beginnings into a leading documentary production and film education center with a mission to catalyze, inform, and empower communities through filmmaking.

DCTV aims to provide professional training and tools, access to critical equipment, and public exhibition space in Manhattan. By doing so, it empowers youth, aspiring and emerging filmmakers, and communities of all backgrounds, giving them greater voice and platforms through documentary film.

DCTV Youth Media is a program that teaches New York City teenagers and young adults (ages 13 - 24) how to use media to tell important personal stories and help ignite social change. These programs are free and we encourage diverse students from all five boroughs, regardless of experience or background, to join and participate. In addition to learning about filmmaking and creating original films, students receive mentorship, college counseling and opportunities for professional development in the media industry.

Student films have been broadcast on HBO and WNET, and students have won numerous awards for their films, including 4 local Emmy Awards, a Sundance Grand Jury Prize, Best Animation from the Tribeca Film Institute's Our City, My Story and an RFK Prize for Excellence in Journalism. In 2021, DCTV Youth Media premiered Covid Diaries NYC on HBO. 

Find out More: https://www.dctvny.org/