“Empathy is love. And the same kind of love I want to receive is the same kind of love I want my sunshines to receive.”
— roz pichardo
There is no woman like Roz Pichardo. Roz is so much more than a domestic violence and gun violence survivor, she’s a warrior. Despite - or because of - being thrown off a bridge by an abusive ex-boyfriend, the unsolved murder of her brother, and the suicide of her identical twin sister, Roz is able to channel her trauma into service by helping the often-forgotten people of North Philadelphia.
From giving comfort to families of murder victims to saving the lives of over 600 men and women in active opioid addiction - and training hundreds to do the same - Roz knows that her healing and her survival depends upon healing others.
Hello Sunshine is completely different from any other documentary about the Kensington section of Philadelphia. Rather than focus on the everyday horrors and sadness that exist, the film shines a light on the men and women who live there - many of whom are trapped as a result of their addiction - with dignity, respect, humanity, good intention, and love.
“In the same way that Joe (Quint) acknowledges the importance of people-first language, Roz affectionately refers to the people she serves as “my sunshines.” Roz mentions people call them “junkies and addicts and all these negative things,” but they all have a light in them.
Documentary Spotlights Outreach Worker's Efforts in Kensington. (NBC, Philadelphia)
The short takes a respectful and engaged approach to covering the heroin and opioid epidemic in Kensington, one that (Joe) Quint believes is missing from a lot of the media coverage of both the neighborhood and those living with addiction.
New documentary profiles Philadelphia outreach worker making a difference in community. (ABC, Philadelphia)
“But not long after meeting Roz Pichardo about two years ago, (Joe) Quint realized something many of us in Philadelphia have long known about her: No one photo or story (including this one) can capture the work of a woman who in many ways embodies the city’s unrelenting trauma.”
Plasman en documental la labor de líder comunitaria. (Telemundo 62)
Upcoming screenings.
Deep in the Heart Film Festival (Waco, TX)
July 21st - 24th
Tickets on sale now
Summer in the South Film Festival (Atlanta, GA)
September 4th
Tickets on sale now
Select past screenings and awards.
Off the Reel Film Festival (Winner: Best Documentary)
Thomas Edison Film Festival (Jury’s Stellar Award)
Lift-Off Global Film Festival (Season Winner: Best Short Documentary)
NY Shorts International Film Festival
DocuWest Documentary Film Festival
Fargo Film Festival
Overcome Film Festival (Winner: Best International Short Documentary)
FirstGlance Film Festival (Winner: Best Philadelphia Documentary)
Chagrin Film Festival
Bushwick Film Festival
Brighton Rocks Film Festival (Winner: Best Short Documentary)
Philadelphia Latino Film Festival
New York Lift-Off Festival (Winner: Best Short Documentary)
Beyond the Curve International Film Festival (Finalist)
The Romford Film Festival (Finalist)
Oxford International Short Film Festival
Santa Fe Film Festival (Winner: Best First-time Filmmaker)
The MyHero Film Festival (Runner-up: Best Short Documentary)
Ignite Film Festival (Runner-up: Best Documentary)
Joe Quint is a documentary filmmaker and photographer from Brooklyn, NY. Widely exhibited, Joe’s work consists largely of telling well-intentioned and respectful stories about people on journeys - people who either are experiencing great challenges or who have overcome such challenges. His most recent film project, "Hello Sunshine”, profiles a woman who has survived decades of gun violence and domestic violence trauma and has channeled these traumas into service - saving the lives of those in active opioid addiction and supporting the families of murder victims.
In addition, Joe has an on-going project about the impact of gun violence on a diverse group of Americans. Young, old, rich, poor, in big cities and in rural communities - It Takes Us shows how gun violence cuts through the heart of the country. “It Takes Us” has been published globally and presented at colleges, universities, medical centers, and more.
