Travel & Documentary — Harris Newman

I was on a trip in Mexico, spending a few weeks in this little town, and I kept meeting the most interesting people. I found their stories so magical and compelling, I had to house them on a website. I started Tales from the Whale, a logbook of the people I meet on my journeys, and it’s since expanded beyond Mexico to now cover stories from Denmark, Finland, Portugal, Italy and more. It’s one of my true joys to work on and I hope you enjoy it.

Also, in late 2023, I picked up the fabulous hobby of making documentaries. It’s been a true joy. That said, I’m a one-man crew on a limited budget, so give some grace in the production quality. And that said - if you’re someone wanting to collaborate or help out, please reach out! Otherwise, enjoy the movies.

Chizu Yamaguchi: Every morning at 5am, Chizu Ito goes to the garden at Verdi Square to pick up trash and beautify this public space. She’s done it every day now for over four years, impressive for an 80-year-old woman. Recently, she was honored by New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal for her contributions. I made a short movie as I simply wanted to know: What compels her to keep going, especially when it just gets trashed, every single day? Why does she love this garden so much?

The Congealing of Two Egg Whites: My uncle and grandpa live together, and they’re quite the dynamic duo. This is a short story about their relationship, the challenges of getting older, and what it looks like to care for an aging loved one.