Set in an isolated mining town on the outskirts of Death Valley, Song of Salt is an immersive glimpse into the struggles and celebrations within a tight-knit community as its residents, suspended between the past and the future, face the present realities of an eroding economy.
A microcosm of contemporary American rurality, Trona, California demonstrates the complexities, hardships, and small beauties that are revealed when we look beyond prevailing stereotypes. Oscillating between dramatic stillness and wild freedom, patient observation and intimate immersion, the film goes on an engaging and dignified exploration of what it means to be both forgotten and free.
Emma Baiada - co-director, producer, co-cinematographer, co-editor
Emma Baiada makes films from life. Inspired by the traditions of observational documentary, her work relies on simple uses of video and audio to witness deep ways of being. Her work has been supported by California Humanities and DOC NYC, and screened at the Slamdance Film Festival, Mimesis Documentary Festival, San Francisco Documentary Festival, Buffalo International Film Festival, Sun Valley Film Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival, Emergence LA, and more. She worked for many years as a producer at Academy Award-winning Tremolo productions on projects including “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (Focus Features), Grammy-Nominated “Shangri-La”(Showtime), and “The 12th victim” (Showtime). She currently lives and works in the Hudson Valley, New York.
Nicolas Snyder - co-director, co-cinematographer, composer
nicolas is a film composer, filmmaker, and sound artist. he has composed music for netflix's “ugly delicious,” showtime’s “shangri-la,” fx’s “cake,” kristofski’s “skin,” michel gondry's fed-ex spot “dreams,” an upcoming animated series for hbo, and more. his most recent work as a cinematographer, “old young,” premiered at the slamdance film festival in january 2020 and had its online premiere on nobudge. he hails from rural western pennsylvania and lives in los angeles.
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