NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 06/04/13 -- The documentary short Beach 119 premieres today online and can be viewed in its entirety HERE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghZ3e_hLmgc). The poignant story follows a tribe of survivors from the Rockaway Peninsula in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. When the tides intruded and stripped this neighborhood of earthly possessions, its residents held tightly to their faith in humanity.
The documentary short includes the music of Foo Fighters "Home," Gaslight Anthem "National Anthem," Cary Brothers "Take Your Time" and original music by Mike Mushok of Staind. All artists licensed their music for no charge in support of the cause.
Beach 119 chronicles one street's recovery while elsewhere everything is back to normal. Just 23.8 miles away from Manhattan, on Beach 119th Street in The Rockaways, neighbors joined together to deal with the trauma associated with cherished possessions lost. The residents were cut off from help with no power, water, gasoline or heat, for weeks after the storm. The documentary explores the story of the residents of Beach 119th Street coming together as a tribe of real life survivors, thankful to those who answered their pleas for help.
"I spotted desperate pleas on social media from dying cell phones in the hours after the storm made landfall. People were cut off from help. No gas, transportation, electricity, food and, in some cases, clothes and imperative medical needs," said Marcie Allen. "This documentary is to give these survivors a voice to tell their story. Beach 119 is a story of humanity. Strangers came together in a time of need."
The Beach 119th Street Angels group was founded Marcie Allen and Jessica Beutler of the NYC-based music industry agency MAC Presents. Allen and Beutler directed the documentary to give these families a voice during the aftermath of the storm. Since Superstorm Sandy, Allen and her team have raised over $100,000 in the form of Home Depot gift certificates that were used to purchase generators, heaters, kitchen appliances, and cleaning supplies for families in need, Boston Market gift certificates that provided Thanksgiving meals for 560 people, and other donations including a truck of Gatorade and Propel product from Pepsico.
In April 2013, Allen was recognized by The White House Office of Public Engagement as one of seventeen Champions of Change. The ceremony took place at The White House on April 24th and honored various people and organizations directly involved in response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy.
Beach 119 was produced by Nate Parienti/Live Alliance and written by Shannon Simpson Bevins. The official Beach 119 trailer has almost 100k views on YouTube. Articles in the NY Daily News, NY Times and BuzzFeed have brought attention to Beach 119 and the community.
"I really like the idea of telling the story," said local resident Cynthia. "Everyone it touched experienced so many levels of emotion. We were in shock, denial, bewildered, sad, cold, wet, hungry, lost."
For more information on Beach 119, visit: www.beach119.com. Follow us @beach119th and www.facebook.com/beach119.
About Live Alliance:
Live Alliance is a leader in video production, concert films, and online and terrestrial live broadcast events. Working in the broadcast and concert film space for over 7 years the founders of Live Alliance were the team behind one of the very first companies to stream large scale events over the internet. Live Alliance is a pioneer in the industry and has grown to provide broadcast and technology for hundreds of clients -- working with some of the biggest artists and platforms throughout the world. www.livealliance.tv
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