New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

Michael Dominic’s incredible documentary Clean Hands NJ Premieres at the New Jersey Film Festival on Friday, October 4, 2019!


By Al Nigrin

originally published: 10/01/2019


Michael Dominic’s incredible documentary Clean Hands NJ Premieres at the New Jersey Film Festival on Friday, October 4, 2019!

Here is my interview with Clean Hands Director Michael:

Nigrin:  Your incredibly moving and poignant documentary Clean Hands chronicles the story of the Lopez family as they try to overcome extreme poverty and deprivation in Nicaragua.  Please tell us more about your film and how you came to make it? 

Dominic: I was a photojournalist and I was on assignment in Nicaragua for European newspaper and I visited the garbage dump, La Chureca. I knew immediately that I wanted to tell the story about the people that lived and worked in this place, even though I didn’t know exactly what the story would be at the time. By the end of that trip I made the decision to return a few weeks later and start shooting.

 

Nigrin:  Your film took 7 years to make. Was it difficult to stick with the film for so long? How did you secure the funding for it?

Dominic: It actually took eight years to complete. I shot over the course of seven years. It was difficult to stick with it. There were times that I thought I wouldn’t be able to get it finished. That’s partly because I never secured funding. I funded it myself. I had savings and some family heirlooms to sell. That’s how I got it done.

Nigrin:  Were there many obstacles shooting in Nicaragua?

Dominic: I found Nicaragua to be warm and welcoming for the most part. Of course in any place where there is extreme poverty there is always danger.

Nigrin:  Your film is amazingly shot. The cinematography is so beautiful. Tell us more about the look of the film and how it came about. 

Dominic: That’s a good question. It’s not one that I can really explain. I don’t like when filmmakers or photographers talk about “trying to make art” in situations like these. I shoot things as I see them. 

 

Nigrin:  Your film has won a ton of awards at other Festivals? What has been the reaction to your film by Festival audiences so far?

Dominic: Yeah, we’ve won awards at seven out of thirteen competitive festivals so far. I was just happy that people didn’t throw popcorn at the screen. The audience reaction has been great. People really seem to love and understand the film. I can’t ask for more than that.

Clean Hands trailer: https://vimeo.com/284962411 

Here is more information on this screening:

Rebuilding History: Three Miles Across The Hudson Adam J. Boyer and Eric Keneifel (New Brunswick, New Jersey)  Sixty years ago the historic Tappan Zee Bridge was built across the Hudson River to connect New York City to Westchester County.  As the bridge began to deteriorate, the highly skilled craftsmen of the Carpenters Union gave their all to ensure that the new bridge they were constructing would stand for generations for come. This documentary celebrates the work of these proud union members. We learn about their determination to get the bridge completed, and the pride that they took in building a colossal and glorious structure. 2019; 40 min Q+A Session with Producer/Directors Adam J. Boyer and Eric Keneifel!




New Jersey Stage provides affordable advertising for the arts, click here for info



Clean Hands Michael Dominic (Queens, New York)  Shot over the course of seven years (2011-2018) in Nicaragua, Clean Hands is a poignant, feature-length documentary  which chronicles the story of the Lopez family, and the difficult path this family takes to overcome extreme poverty and deprivation.  The film begins in the shadow of Central America’s largest garbage dump. This is the only life, and only world, this family has ever known. Through fortuitous circumstances, a foundation hears of their plight and comes to their aid.  As the family adjusts to the opportunity of a new home, more complications arise, making their promising new future uncertain. 2019; 98 min. Q+A Session with Director Michael Dominic!

Friday, October 4, 2019 at 7:00 PM
 in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey



$14= Advance; $12=General; $10=Students+Seniors

Information: (848) 932-8482;
www.njfilmfest.com

 



Albert Gabriel Nigrin is an award-winning experimental media artist whose work has been screened throughout the world. He is also a Cinema Studies Lecturer at Rutgers University, and the Executive Director/Curator of the Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center, Inc.



New Jersey Stage provides affordable advertising for the arts, click here for info




FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


How

How to Train Your Dragon in Concert

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: film

Click here for full event listing

 

How

How to Train Your Dragon in Concert

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: film


Click here for full event listing

 

How

How to Train Your Dragon in Concert

Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 2:00pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: film


Click here for full event listing

 

FREE

FREE SUMMER MOVIE: Moana 2

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 @ 7:00pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: film


Click here for full event listing

 

FREE

FREE SUMMER MOVIE: Moana 2

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 @ 10:30am
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: film


Click here for full event listing

 

More events

Event Listings are available for $10 and included with our banner ad packages




 

EVENT PREVIEWS

The

The Levoy Theatre hosts the CUT International Short Film Festival

(MILLVILLE, NJ) -- The Levoy Theatre hosts the CUT International Short Film Festival September 19-20, 2025. The festival's motto is 'Short Films for Quick Minds'. Its aim is to become the premier festival in New Jersey for short form films.



Count

Count Basie Center for the Arts presents An Evening With Francis Ford Coppola and screening of "Megalopolis"

(RED BANK, NJ) -- Legendary director, Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, The Outsiders) is bringing his monumental 2024 film, Megalopolis, to select cities across the country. The tour kicks off at the Count Basie Center for the Arts on Sunday, July 20, 2025 at 7:00pm.



The

The Williams Center to Screen "Wayward Kin" by David Joseph Volino

(RUTHERFORD, NJ) -- After a four-year-long production process, filmmaker and New Jersey native, David Joseph Volino, is sharing the full-length feature, Wayward Kin, with local audiences. See the film for one night only at The Williams Center in Rutherford on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The screening begins at 7:00pm with the cast and crew in attendance.



The

The ShowRoom presents ENCORE: Rock Cinema Returns! A Summer Series of Legendary Sound and Vision

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- The ShowRoom Cinema is turning up the volume this summer with ENCORE: Rock Cinema Returns!, a series of must-see music films that combine incredible sound with captivating visuals. Screenings include The Who's Tommy; Pink Floyd: The Wall; Ladies & Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains; and Streets of Fire.



Winners

Winners of the 2025 New Jersey International Film Festival Announced!

The Competition component of the 2025 New Jersey International Film Festival has just concluded! Overall, we had a very good festival this year and I want to thank the hundreds of people who viewed the terrific films we screened in-person and online. I also want to thank all of the filmmakers, cast and crew who came to the in-person screenings to talk about their films with our audiences.