Filmmaker Monica Sorelle swirls her iced coffee before taking a sip. Her brown-hazel eyes are piercing, but they soften as she begins to speak about her first feature film, Mountains.
The story follows a demolition worker in Little Haiti who starts to feel his work creeping closer and closer to his doorstep. The 92-minute film tackles themes of gentrification and displacement while weaving a tale that's all too familiar to locals.
The subject matter of Sorelle's film is prevalent. Just within view of where she sits stands an old, derelict building with a flimsy "for rent" sign not far from the shiny new condo buildings that overtaken Edgewater. And just behind Sorelle is a fenced, empty lot draped in banners promoting a soon-to-be-erected residential tower.
Although Sorelle grew up in North Miami, she spent most of her childhood in Little Haiti with her mom, who worked in social services. She has fond memories of what the neighborhood used to be. A sense of sadness washes over her face as she looks away and up the street.
The Haitian-American filmmaker admits she learned about gentrification when she moved back home in 2014 after attending college out of state. She became fascinated with it and felt compelled to do something about it. Wanting to effect some positive change, she joined a nonprofit.
Sorelle cracks a smile as she recounts the experience. Quickly, she discovered a newfound appreciation for nonprofit workers and learned it wasn't her calling. Instead, she thought, Well, I'm a filmmaker, so maybe I can find a way to tell the story about Little Haiti through film.
Mountains follows its characters as they witness the gentrification of Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood.
Miami Film Festival photo
One day in Wynwood, Sorelle, who was working out of the old O Cinema offices before the site was demolished to make way for condos, was struck with inspiration. As she and her writing partner, Robert Colom, were walking around the neighborhood, her eyes landed on a crew of construction workers finishing their shift.
The year was 2018, and Sorelle says she saw buildings being demolished almost daily. As she observed one particular construction worker, the man began to take off his hard hat and vest and then make his way across the street before disappearing. She thought aloud, Wouldn't it be crazy if he lived over there? And he just crosses the street to work and is demolishing the neighborhood where he lives?
"It was a thought said in jest," says Sorelle. Colom, however, took one look at her and said they had found their microbudget film idea. The pair began filling out grant applications and were selected as the recipients of the first Oolite Arts Cinematic Arts Grant in 2019. A few years later — and one pandemic later — the film began production in 2022 and had its world premiere last year at the Tribeca Film Festival.
"When Colom and I first set out to make this, we wanted to create change," Sorelle explains. "We wanted to almost stop this from happening, and now I feel like the focus has shifted to archiving and remembering."
"I love that Mountains exist because you can't erase a film. It's gonna live forever. You'll always remember Little Haiti and the people who lived there, the colors of the buildings, the architecture, and the culture. All of that's in the film, and it's going to live forever."
Mountains premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year and received recognition at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Miami Film Festival photo
Mountains will premiere on Sunday, April 7, at the Adrienne Arsht Center as part of the 41st Miami Film Festival in a room filled with the people the film was made for and by.
"I'm proud of my crew and the film we made," Sorelle says, beaming, adding that the film was not only filmed locally but featured a wholly local crew. They were all local, or from Miami, or used to live in Miami, and they were all either Cuban, Haitian, or people of color. I think we had a crew that really reflected Miami's demographics and Miami's art community."
While the film is hyperlocal in the sense that it's about a neighborhood in Miami, its themes are universal. Mountains has received acclaim from Forbes and Deadline and garnered recognition at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
When asked about the film's success and all the recent recognition, Sorelle gets sheepish and smiles before adjusting in her seat and standing a little taller. "I think it really says something about the state of the country that a film that is so hyperlocal and culturally specific is finding audiences nationwide," she says.
"We were able to make a film with characters that felt really lived-in, and even though they may not look like you, they still have universal issues that they're dealing with when it comes to just surviving in a capitalist country."
Mountains at Miami Film Festival 2024. 7 p.m. Sunday, April 7, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; miamifilmfestival.com. Tickets cost $23 via arshtcenter.org.
