The Last Bread

After 17 years in business, La Villita Bakery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn was forced to close its doors. A victim of rising rents and rapid gentrification, this family owned business was a staple of the working class community that once could afford to live in the area. Chronicling the final days of this beloved bakery, The Last Bread (2013) captures the death of yet another small business in an increasingly homogeneous New York City.

La Villita was located on the corner of Grand street and Bedford Ave, the division between the North and the Southside of Williamsburg.

Director’s Statement

In Los Sures, long time family businesses have been replaced by fancy bars, restaurants and shops. The Last Bread is a micro story revealing the larger reality of this rapidly changing neighborhood, which has been a home for Puerto Rican and Dominican immigrants since the 50s. For the UnionDocs Collaborative, beginning in Fall 2012 we had dived into the area for months researching possible issues, stories and characters to follow.

In the last days of February 2013 we came across the news that La Villita Bakery had an unaffordable rent increase and were closing their doors. We immediately went there with Christopher and the UnionDocs staff. The filmmaking process was absolutely organic and we found an open hearted family willing to say goodbye to their customers and speak up at an incredibly emotional time for them. Alfonso Sosa and his family had worked at La Villita Bakery every day for the last 17 years.

We remember the aroma of coffee mixed with the pastries, Latin music in the background and Maribel, Alfonso’s sister in law, behind the counter welcoming clients with a smile. Dozens of Latin, white, older and young clients came to say goodbye, to memorize the flavors, take pictures and show support to the Sosa’s. They believe in community and always felt their contribution to Los Sures was allowing everyone to enjoy good food at affordable prices, but the complex processes of an ever changing city seem unstoppable.”

— Maria Rosa Badia

Screenings

Living Los Sures Shorts on the Lawn, Southside Connex Street Festival, Brooklyn, NY 2014
Brooklyn Film Festival, Brooklyn, NY, 2014
Northside Film Festival, Brooklyn, NY, 2014
InTe Cinema Festival, Rome, Italy, 2014
Living Los Sures: Preview in the Park, Brooklyn, NY, 2013

Team

Maria Rosa Badia

Maria Rosa Badia is a storyteller and filmmaker from Barcelona, where she graduated in Journalism with a minor in international politics and cultural communication. She has been based in New York City since 2008, where she freelances as an editor and multimedia producer. She was a 2012-13 UnionDocs Collaborative Fellow. She is a member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective, a community of professional filmmakers in Brooklyn who are dedicated to innovative approaches to filmmaking.

Federica Sasso

Federica Sasso is an Italian journalist and radio producer based in New York City. She writes for Italian outlets and is a contributor to the Swiss national broadcasting company for which she produces audio documentaries. Sasso was a 2012-13 UnionDocs Collaborative Fellow and studied documentary film at the Scuola di Cinema, Televisione e Nuovi Media of Milan.

Maria Rosa Badia

Maria Rosa Badia is a storyteller and filmmaker from Barcelona, where she graduated in Journalism with a minor in international politics and cultural communication. She has been based in New York City since 2008, where she freelances as an editor and multimedia producer. She was a 2012-13 UnionDocs Collaborative Fellow. She is a member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective, a community of professional filmmakers in Brooklyn who are dedicated to innovative approaches to filmmaking.

Federica Sasso

Federica Sasso is an Italian journalist and radio producer based in New York City. She writes for Italian outlets and is a contributor to the Swiss national broadcasting company for which she produces audio documentaries. Sasso was a 2012-13 UnionDocs Collaborative Fellow and studied documentary film at the Scuola di Cinema, Televisione e Nuovi Media of Milan.

Credits

Directed by Maria Rosa Badia

Producer: Federica Sasso
Cinematography: Maria Badia, Christopher Allen
Sound: Federica Sasso, Eli Chen
Interview Translator: Melissa Saucedo
Cast: Maribel Meza & family, Alfonso Sosa & family

UnionDocs Collaborative Studio Director: Toby Lee

UnionDocs Artistic Director: Christopher Allen

2012-2013 Collaborative Fellows: Andrew Hinton, Anthony Simon, Beyza Boyacioglu, Constanza Mirré, Emilia Bilińska, Federica Sasso, Jen Epstein, Maria Rosa Badia, Michael Vass, Parul Wadhwa, Sebastian Diaz Aguirre, Shannon Carroll, Tamer Hassan