On September 15th, the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, the short film La Guagua 47 premiered at the Kimmel Cultural Campus.
‘La Guagua 47’ Short Film Screening was a celebration of Philadelphia’s Latinx experience. Activities included a dance party featuring the 12-piece Ritmo Lab Band and La Guagua 47’s vocalist Leo Gruber.
‘La Guagua 47’ is a one-of-a-kind community cultural production that has engaged over 250 Philadelphia artists, volunteers, and community members in its development and creation. The film tells a universal story of migration, belonging, and finding home in one another: a young Latinx migrant arrives in Philadelphia feeling very alone. One day she discovers the iconic SEPTA 47 bus and embarks on a journey that changes her life.
The film introduces the significance of SEPTA’s 47 bus to the thriving and inspiring culture of Philadelphia’s Latinx community. It reimagines the 47 bus as a central character in helping communities find joy and belonging and demonstrates how public transportation supports society, prosperity, and multiculturalism.
The project’s artists include filmmaker Pedro Escárcega, choreographer Christina Castro-Tauser, songwriter and producer Alba Martínez, dancer and protagonist Ashley Rivera, muralist César Viveros, and lead media/creative partners and associate producers Alaitz Ruiz and Martin Alfaro.
