Trace the Line

Visual Artist, Brooke Leland plays the role of Painter, Eva Sorenson in her first feature length film debut.

Synopsis

‍Trace the Line — part verité, part direct cinema — depicts the lives of two American artists during the tumultuous year of 2020.

Asa, an African American poet, wrestles with the purpose of his life as a young Black man in a divided nation. Eva, a White painter, is confronted with her privilege in a society she no longer understands.

Both artists struggle with the onset of the political upheaval, and social unrest — living in a state that has been ground zero for both. While the nation seeks to understand the events of 2020, Asa and Eva independently confront who they are.

As the tension increases across the country, their art deepens in the midst of uncertainty. Trace the Line draws attention to our common connections and how these connections can forge a new path for us all.

transform the narrative

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

Trace the Line Director, Alejandro Miranda Cruz led a virtual conversation with five leaders from four cities (Minneapolis, Madison, Kenosha, and Chicago) significantly impacted by appalling violence against Black Americans in their communities. The discussions focused on topics that inform viewers how to grapple with the nationwide struggle to overcome and move forward. These conversations were rooted in the the themes of our upcoming film, Trace the Line, which addresses the critical human and societal issues we face.

WATCH THE VIRTUAL EVENT

Our community

LEADERS

DIEM VAN GROTH

Founder of GV Back and The Urban Impact

ANGELA ROSE MYERS

NAACP Minneapolis President

JOSELYNNE JOY GARDNER

Assistant Deputy General Counsel, Board of Education of the City of Chicago — Law Department

S.R. MILLS

CEO of Bear Development

PORCHE BENNETT-BEY

Founder of United as One and The Moorish Outreach Coalition

BEHIND THE SCENES

CAST & CREW

Alejandro Miranda Cruz

Producer | Screenwriter | Director

Alejandro began his work in the industry as a child actor, first appearing in national commercials before making his film debut in Clubhouse Detectives. He later Co-Starred in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and Walker Texas Ranger. In 1997, Alejandro won an ALMA Award for his performance in the PBS TV Mini-Series, Foto-Novelas. After this, Alejandro decided to pursue transformative work behind the camera. Since 2013, Alejandro has been developing a style of filmmaking focused on depicting dignity. For his advertising work, Alejandro has received critical acclaim the Telly Awards, the American Advertising Awards, and the internationally recognized, Creativepool Award. Alejandro's first short film, Fantasy in D Minor (2018), premiered at the 24th Annual San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, won Best International Short Film at Oxford, and was selected in the Short Film Corner at the 71st Annual Cannes Film Festival.

Noel Miranda

Producer | Story | Script Supervisor

Noel is the Co-Founder of Bravebird, a woman and minority-owned video production agency that brings dignity through visuals. Noel produces and writes for Bravebird and is also developing a Cinema Dignite mentorship program for new voices in film. Noel comes from a community relations and non-profit background, working with Coca-Cola, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Centro Hispano, a Latino advocacy organization. Her passion is to bring dignity and diversity to the entertainment industry.

Greg Hatton

Story | Cinematographer

Based in Los Angeles and Kaneohe, Hawaii, Greg is a self-taught cinematographer and photographer. He followed these passions into Hollywood where he continues to work with and learn from some of the industry's great cinematographers such as Johnny Simmons, ASC, Gill Hubbs, ASC, and renowned photographers Frank Jackson and Douglas Kirkland. With experience on film sets spanning the last seven years, Greg is a Local 600 member and has been a part of camera crews for live events, network episodic, feature films, short films, commercials and music videos.

Matthew Charles Bogart

Lead Actor

Matthew is a transracially adopted Black man. His artwork is devoted to the exploration of the nuances of Revolution. This concept finds its home at the intersection of Blackness and Christian mysticism - both aimed at dismantling power structures and longing to cultivate love within and without. Matthew is an experienced teacher, working internationally in countries like South Africa, Tanzania, and Germany. When Matthew isn’t teaching, you can find him competing in poetry slams or promoting his debut poetry collection.

Brooke Leland

Lead Actress

Brooke is a graduate of Fine Arts from University of Wisconsin-Madison with an emphasis on printmaking. Brooke’s drawings, paintings, and prints use natural forms and the practice of scientific study to describe environmental, emotional, social and spiritual issues. Her artwork is born from the love of the natural world, paying special attention to the way organisms interact and impact each other. Brooke’s artwork investigates connections between our loved ones, the earth, and ourselves.

How YOu Can Help

SUPPORT THE FILM

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We are raising funds for post-production costs to compensate the diverse community of independent filmmakers, actors and crew who lent their time to work on Trace the Line, a film with a transformational narrative of dignity, unity and hope.

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