SOBRE LA PELÍCULA
ABOUT THE FILM
Barriga Llena, Corazón Contento se centra en el Refrigerador Comunitario Fenix, una despensa de alimentos comunitaria que surgió tras la pandemia de COVID-19 en Ridgewood, Queens. Lo que comenzó como una respuesta de emergencia se ha convertido en un centro vital de ayuda mutua que ahora alimenta a miles de familias en toda la ciudad de Nueva York cada semana.
A través de momentos íntimos con organizadores y miembros de la comunidad, la película revela la labor diaria, a menudo invisible, de quienes nutren al vecindario no solo con comida, sino también con conocimiento, solidaridad y amor.
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Creada por los cineastas y organizadores Jordana Rubenstein-Edberg, Marshall Hanig y Natalia Fuentes Amaya a través de la Beca de Estudio Colaborativo UnionDocs, la película documenta el cuidado, la resiliencia y el esfuerzo colectivo que sustentan la ayuda mutua comunitaria. Nuestra colaboración surgió de un interés compartido en la vibrante red de grupos comunitarios de Ridgewood que surgió durante la pandemia, y del tiempo compartido con los organizadores del Refrigerador Comunitario Fenix, donde la distribución de alimentos se convierte en algo más profundo: un espacio moldeado por experiencias compartidas de migración, pérdida, resiliencia y amor por la comunidad.
Nuestro tiempo en Fenix se guió por la presencia, la escucha y la construcción de relaciones. A medida que los organizadores comparten historias—desde pérdidas personales hasta preciosas recetas familiares—la comida se convierte en ancla y metáfora, abriendo espacio para reflexiones sobre la migración, la identidad y la pertenencia. Como nos dijo un organizador, a veces hay que "mantenerse firme". Barriga Llena, Corazón Contento es una meditación sobre esa firmeza: el ritmo del cuidado colectivo y la nutrición que surge al alimentar y ser alimentado en comunidad.
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Dirigido por: Jordana Rubenstein-Edberg y Marshall Hanig
Director de fotografía, sonido de producción, edición: Jordana Rubenstein-Edberg
Cinematografía, sonido de producción, edición: Marshall Hanig
Productxr, escritxr, traductxr, sonido de producción adicional: Natalia Fuentes Amaya
Soporte de cámara adicional: Pacho Velez
Soporte de producción adicional: Antonio Vaca y Beatriz Perez
Soporte para sesiones de fotos Polaroid: Camilla y Naomi
Diseño de títulos: Natalia Fuentes Amaya
Mezclador de posproducción: Jonathan Sterling Herrera
Color: Stiven Maldonado
Diseño de créditos: Abby Lee
Con la participación de:
Antonio
Brenda
Betty
Isabel
Camilla
Richie
Danny
Draga
Reina
Vera
Jelissa
JJ
Ana
Naomi
Juan Andres
Urmilla
Anita
Barriga Llena, Corazón Contento centers on the Fenix Community Fridge, a grassroots food pantry born out of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ridgewood, Queens. What began as an emergency response has grown into a vital mutual aid hub that now feeds thousands of families across New York City each week.
Through intimate moments with organizers and community members, the film reveals the daily, often unseen labor of those who nourish the neighborhood not only with food, but with knowledge, solidarity, and love.
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Created by filmmakers and organizers Jordana Rubenstein-Edberg, Marshall Hanig, and Natalia Fuentes Amaya through the UnionDocs Collaborative Studio Fellowship, the film documents the care, resilience, and collective effort that sustain grassroots mutual aid. Our collaboration grew from a shared interest in Ridgewood’s vibrant network of community groups that emerged during the pandemic, and from time spent with organizers at the Fenix Community Fridge, where food distribution becomes something deeper: a space shaped by shared experiences of migration, loss, resilience, and love for community.
Our time at Fenix was guided by presence, listening, and relationship-building. As organizers share stories—from personal loss to treasured family recipes—food becomes both anchor and metaphor, opening space for reflections on migration, identity, and belonging. As one organizer told us, sometimes you have to “hold the line.” Barriga Llena, Corazón Contento is a meditation on that holding—the rhythm of collective care and the nourishment that comes from feeding and being fed in community.
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Directed by: Jordana Rubenstein-Edberg and Marshall Hanig
Director of photography, production sound, editor: Jordana Rubenstein-Edberg
Cinematography, production sound, editor: Marshall Hanig
Producer, writer, translator, additional production sound: Natalia Fuentes Amaya
Additional camera support: Pacho Velez
Additional camera support: Antonio Vaca y Beatriz Perez
Polaroid photoshoot support: Camilla y Naomi
Titles design: Natalia Fuentes Amaya
Post production mixer: Jonathan Sterling Herrera
Color grading: Stiven Maldonado
Credits design: Abby Lee
Featuring:
Antonio
Brenda
Betty
Isabel
Camilla
Richie
Danny
Draga
Reina
Vera
Jelissa
JJ
Ana
Naomi
Juan Andres
Urmilla
Anita
SOBRE LOS CINEASTAS
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Natalia Fuentes Amaya (they/them) is a filmmaker currently creative-developing and producing for the narrative non-fiction production company Signpost Pictures. A screenwriter originally, Natalia seeks to create experimental cinema that blends the boundaries between reality and fiction to challenge meaning and discover unexpected solutions on an ailing planet.
Marshall Hanig (he/him) is a socially engaged mediamaker and journalist based in Ridgewood, Queens. He is interested in producing stories where the larger structures shaping our world intersect with the emotional experiences of individual beings and communities. His path to documentary filmmaking was forged through involvement in grassroots organizing and community radio. Most recently, Marshall co-produced the feature documentary film Homegrown, which had its 2024 world premiere at Venice Critics’ Week. He also served as an Impact Producer for the award-winning short film Water Warriors (POV).
Jordana Rubenstein-Edberg (she/her) is a documentary filmmaker and community-engaged artist committed to collaborating with grassroots organizers. Through her company Understory Docs, her work blends journalism, organizing, and visual art focusing on nuanced stories of immigration, diaspora, and displacement. She is the host/co-producer of Philly Unpacked, a monthly news show at PhillyCAM, the impact producer for Severed (2025), a documentary from Donkeysaddle Projects that shares the story of Mohamad Saleh, a teenager from Gaza. She has worked on several media projects through Just Vision, the Transformer Gallery Emerging Artist Fellowship, Docs-in-Progress, among others.
