Bellingham’s Belief
1954 - Panic erupts when the citizens of Bellingham, Washington notice strange cracks in their car windshields.
Interview with Writer/Director/Editor Tom Salvaggio
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
A few things inspired and motivated me to create this short.
During lockdown, I had no budget, cast, or crew, so I had to consider what I did have - anxiety and uncertainty caused by the influx of conspiratorial thinking. When the spread of misinformation reached a fever pitch, it seemed natural to make something as a way of exploring my anxiety and coping with uncertainty.
Something else I had was a crack in my car's windshield. This led me to discover a little-known incident that occurred in Bellingham, Washington in 1954 when citizens discovered mysterious cracks in their car windshields. The ensuing investigation and widespread panic was an example of mass psychogenic illness or mass hysteria.
After tracing this phenomenon back to the Middle Ages, I began to think about how, throughout history, belief has become so powerful that it has the ability to warp one's sense of reality. I was fascinated as this theme seemed all the more relevant today.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This story is a timely case study on how misinformation spreads, how susceptible we are to believing far-fetched ideas over facts, and how our relationships and culture can reinforce – and even fuel – these narratives.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Scholars and journalists contend that we are living in the golden age of conspiracy theorizing, an era in which disinformation has never spread so swiftly and conspiracy theories have never lodged themselves so deeply in the American psyche. And according to a recent poll, 73% of Americans believe that disinformation is a widespread problem.
My work engages with this issue - which is both deeply personal and universal.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The process was entirely organic and intuitive because of the circumstances - it was made during lockdown with no budget, cast, or crew. The script evolved over the course of several months as misinformation around COVID-19 and the 2020 election spread like wildfire, making the story feel all the more dire.
The script was re-worked countless times because of the unorthodox production - shooting, editing, tweaking, or even writing new sequences all at once was a very intuitive, organic way of working.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive! The film won "Best Editing" at SHORT to the Point, "Best Social Commentary" at The Arthouse Film Festival, and has been included in over 26 film festivals. It is also currently being shown in the Santa Rosa Junior College class "Media in Society" where they learn about disinformation and hysteria. I made this film for myself and to see how much it's resonated with others has been gratifying, to say the least.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
No.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I hope to generate interest in the film and its ideas.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I specifically need buyers, distributors, and journalists to promote this film. I also hope to meet producers for upcoming short film projects. By reaching as wide an audience as possible, I hope to ensure that there's a future for high-concept, low-budget experimental film in today's world. Stories that provoke us to learn from history are more important now than ever. Social commentary that challenges and educates is a crucial tool for encouraging critical thinking.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I'd like to see the film inspire conversations about the role of misinformation in our world today and what we can do to combat it.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How do you determine what is or is not a fact?
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you to everyone who has seen the film and anyone who is interested in seeing the film.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm currently developing a scripted narrative short based on a NextDoor post. I hope to begin shooting in the coming year.
Interview: August 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Bellingham’s Belief
1954 - Panic erupts when the citizens of Bellingham, Washington notice strange cracks in their car windshields.
Length: 9:00
Director: Tom Salvaggio
Producer: Tom Salvaggio
Writer: Tom Salvaggio
About the writer, director and producer:
TOM SALVAGGIO is an American writer, director, and editor based in Los Angeles. Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Tom attended Savannah College of Art and Design (2007-2011) where he won the Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award and The Savannah Silver Screen Society’s Award for his thesis film Bone’yeerd (2011). As an editor, his documentary work has earned him three LA Area Emmys and two Golden Mike Awards for Best TV Video Editing. As a writer/director, his work includes narrative and experimental shorts, branded content, and music videos and his award-winning short films have screened at international film festivals.
Key cast: Bob Bavnani, Megan Hamilton
Looking for: journalists. producers, distributors
Facebook:
Twitter: @
Instagram: @tomsalvaggio
Hashtags used: #bellinghamsbelief
Website: www.tomsalvaggio.com
Other: Vimeo
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Cinequest/San Jose, CA - Aug. 15-30, 2023