Bronx native debuts Netfl ix fi lm
‘The Forty-Year Old Version’ tells the story of a struggling playwright
Bronx native Eric Branco with star Rahda Blank Courtesy of Netfl ix
Montefi ore gets Michael Jordan-inspired art
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,52 OCTOBER 23-29, 2020
BTR
BY JASON COHEN
Bronx native Eric Branco
knew from a young age the glitz
and glamour of Hollywood was
his calling. Though he did not
choose to become an actor in
front of the camera, he found
his purpose making movie
magic behind the scenes.
Branco, who is a cinematographer,
had his fi lm “The Forty-
Year-Old Version” come out on
Netfl ix, on Oct. 9. The fi lm follows
40-year-old single, struggling
playwright Radha.
“I love telling stories and
watching stories,” Branco said.
The fi lm follows Radha’s
story as she faces rejections in
the theater world while teaching
teenagers. Her life changes
when she rediscovers her passion
for rapping while her play
simultaneously gains traction,
leading her to compromise her
voice for career success.
Branco shot “The Forty-
Year-Old Version” almost entirely
on 35mm black and white
fi lm and was inspired by various
New York street photographers.
He collaborated with the
director, writer and star of the
fi lm, Radha Blank and worked
closely with the costume and
production designers regarding
how colors and lighting
would show up on the black and
white fi lm, as they didn’t have a
digital monitor to rely on.
His past cinematography
work includes “Clemency,”
the Sundance 2019 Grand Jury
Prize winner.
Branco, 35, lived in Pelham
Parkway, Riverdale and
Kingsbridge until 2017 when he
moved to Los Angeles. Growing
up in the Boogie Down,
he recalled going to museums,
taking acting classes and
participating in plays.
“I knew I wanted to do
something related to the arts,”
he explained. “I kind of dabbled
in everything.”
He loved Woody Allen and
Spike Lee fl icks, but soon realized
many of his favorites
only took place in New York.
Branco explained to the Bronx
Times that as a kid he didn’t
realize there were other places
besides the Big Apple.
Branco recalled how he
initially wanted to be an actor,
but everything changed
in high school when he began
making short fi lms with
his friends.
“As a kid, acting was the
only job available to me,”
he said
He soon realized his passion
was using the camera to beautify
the actors and make everyone
appealing. He credited a
lot of his success to his Bronx
upbringing and his mom Elizabeth,
a retired history teacher.
“Growing up in the Bronx
gave me a great sense of community,”
he stressed. “I think
people of the Bronx are the
best people in the world.”
Watch the trailer for “The
Forty-Year-Old Version.”
BY JASON COHEN WITH
REPORTING BY JENNA BAGCAL
A health care system in the
Bronx recently received the gift
of art in honor of the men and
women who worked tirelessly
since the start of COVID-19.
Artist in residence at the
Empire State Building Jeremy
Wolff together with Legion Paper
Corp. recently gifted six
pieces of artwork to Montefi ore
Health System.
The work, created during
the height of the pandemic in
New York, is called “Air Frontline”
and depicts front line
workers in famous Michael Jordan
poses with hearts in place
of basketballs.
“I really just wanted to portray
our real heroes which are
the doctors and nurses here at
Montefi ore,” said Wolff in an
interview. “A lot of us think of
Michael Jordan as our hero. Everyone
wants to be ‘like Mike’
so I wanted to portray our front
line heroes, nurses and doctors.”
On Oct. 15, the artwork was
installed at the Children’s Hospital
at Montefi ore (CHAM)
and it will rotate around various
Montefi ore sites to remind
associates that they are health
care heroes.
Wolff is a New York Citybased,
contemporary artist
whose work focuses on pop culture
and current events. He collaborated
with Buddy Smith at
Legion Paper in the creation of
the project.
“This is a great way to give
back to the community, especially
after a tragic pandemic
like this,” Smith said.
Wolff recognized that the
Bronx and the city in general
got hit hard by COVID-19, especially
during the fi rst few
months of the pandemic.
“I really just wanted to
bring positivity and joy to the
area,” he said. Artist in residence Jeremy Wolff (right) with Buddy Smith of Legion Paper Corp. Photos courtesy of Montefi ore