A Walk Through Grymes Hill

First thing you hear walking through Grymes Hill in Staten Island is the wind. The wind is always there, always swirling and whooshing, reminding you of its existence. It gives life to this place, and reminds you that the neighborhood is a living, breathing, thing. That’s just the background noise, like the sound of your own breath.

As I walked down the hill onto the always-busy Richmond Road, first thing I heard were the cars. Cars beeping, pushing one another to move forward at a green light. Cars zooming by, one after another, creating a blur of traffic. Besides car horns, other sound signals can be heard around the neighborhood, like the sound of people talking. Richmond Road in the afternoon is filled with students, on bus stops and street corners, shouting to one another about “going this way” or “seeing each other tomorrow.” Conversations fill the streets constantly. A barbershop on the corner always has people on its stoop, laughing or talking or playing music from their double-parked cars. You can always hear the birds as well, tweeting and chirping from their high perches all along the neighborhood.

In Grymes hill, there are soundmarks that you will always hear. One of these is the honking of boats. Although the neighborhood is not close to the water, the sound of the boats is so loud that it can be heard from here. Another soundmark you will almost always hear every few minutes is a siren. Whether from a police car or a fire truck, sirens are always blazing. There is a firehouse close by, so these sirens have become soundmarks in this neighborhood. All of these sounds come together perfectly, creating a unique harmony of serenity and intensity that is Grymes Hill.

Define A Space Project

Nour Film 1 from nour saudi on Vimeo.

Artist Statement

I am starting to see the benefit in finding something compelling in everything I study and observe. So long as something invokes awe and inspiration within me, I am ready to explore it. My favorite way to channel this inspiration is through writing. Writing offers an endless world of possibilities. I am influenced by those who can create their own universe within that world. In film and television, complex stories that are driven by layered characters are masterpieces. A brilliant artist is one who can take you on a journey through their entire world and make you feel like you’re a part of it. At my core, I am a writer. Good stories are what inspire me most. Art always tells a story, whether it's a painting, a film, or a spy novel. I hope to create an great story through my art. 

I love exploring the creative process behind amazing works. Whenever I am moved by a film, I find myself researching and learning everything I can about it. I want to create something that will invoke the same inspiration and love in other people. I believe words have an extraordinary way of speaking to us. As a huge fan of film, I find that whenever a movie affects me deeply, it always has to do with the writing behind it. I can recite my favorite movies line by line, because I fell in love with the words. I hope to one day be the one who chose the words behind a great film.