Documentary filmmaker and Cincinnati resident Andrea Torrice has been a visual storyteller for 20 years. Her last series of films,
The New Metropolis, documents the challenges of urban sprawl.
How did you become a filmmaker?
I’ve always loved telling stories, and I always loved reading stories. And I found, when I was older, that nonfiction was actually more interesting and bizarre than fiction.
I actually started out writing. But I also had a strong interest in visual materials, photography, films. I had an opportunity to do an internship with a PBS station, and that’s where my career started--at KQED in San Francisco when I was in graduate school, studying broadcast journalism and film.
What are the focal points of your work?
Quality of life, health, environment, beauty. I think those are all things that are very important, and they’re hard to define. I like to think globally and act as well as I can where I am.
What inspires you to make films?
I want to help make the world a better place for the next generation.
What surprised you most about Cincinnati, when you moved here?
How green the city is. It has beautiful parks and neighborhoods.
What is Cincinnati’s greatest strength?
The people here really care about their communities. Their passion for the history and the condition of the city are quite impressive.
What are its drawbacks?
One of the things I was struck with, when I first moved here 10 years ago, was how segregated the city is. I also think that the lack of transportation choices is really a setback for the city.
People here don’t get how wonderful it is to have working, viable mass transit. I’ve lived in DC, New York, San Francisco. It’s really liberating to be able to decide whether you want to take your car or not. My New Metropolis series is about the way you revitalize a city and suburbs through connecting places and people through mass transit and building vibrant integrated communities.
Besides improved transit, what could help Cincinnati?
The city has to make it easier for people to invest in the city. Fix it first. Instead of building new suburbs, let’s revitalize the city.
Since you made your last film series, what have you learned?
I’m just finishing up a national tour of The New Metropolis, which uses the lens of first suburbs to look at our land use and transportation policies. What has struck me the most on my tour--we’ve done 25-30 cities across the country--is how similar the problems are from one city to the next.
It usually takes a lot of courage and cooperation and vision to make change. But it can happen. Ordinary people around the country are doing extraordinary things. It takes time, and a lot of hard work.
I love what I do. What I love about being a documentary filmmaker is helping people connect through the human story. Everyone has a story. Telling each other our stories is one way we can feel really connected, and get beyond our fears and prejudices.
This interview was edited and condensed.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.