With the intention of sharing something enlightening, empowering, and heartfelt, filmmaker Paul Dang journeyed with his video camera and tripod for the last 10 years to document the changes of Pittsburgh through the lens of over 100 artists and the diverse environments that they live in, ultimately discovering truths about one’s creative process that not only is universal yet distinctly Pittsburgh.
Set into a more culturally rich context and layered with themes that detail the lives of artists and their environments, Still City is the result of documenting people and places from another side of Pittsburgh. The story revolves around two major themes, the artists and the environment. The artists, consisting of mostly musicians and performers of all ages, races, and interests, are the main characters and narrators of the film. The second theme, the environment, interlaces with the story of the artists by allowing the audience to view Pittsburgh’s diverse and changing landscape and how this influences the way artists are creative. Within this theme is the concept of the “cyclic nature” of Pittsburgh. It is represented through the 4 seasons, visually capturing the intense heat of summers, transitions of fall, the barren and hibernation state of winter, and the replenish and healing effect of spring.
