Mexican-American filmmaker Bernardo Ruiz, a resident of the New York City borough of Queens—one of the most affected zones in the city by the coronavirus—has photographed and directed the short film Queens in Quarantine depicting the neighborhoods of Jackson Heights, Corona, Flushing, Elmhurst and East Elmhurst as they cope with the pandemic during the last week of April, 2020.
Ruiz is a two-time Emmy® nominated documentary filmmaker and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was born in Guanajuato, Mexico and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. His directorial feature debut, Reportero about attacks on the press in Mexico premiered at Full Frame, IDFA and Ambulante. New York Magazine called it “a powerful reminder of how journalism often requires immense amounts of physical and psychological bravery.”
His second feature documentary, Kingdom of Shadows premiered at SXSW in the U.S. and IDFA in Europe, and his most recent film Harvest Season, a timely and moving portrait of the Mexican-American influence and legacy on California’s premium wine industry played in numerous film festivals including Doc NYC and Full Frame.
Watch the short film:
