Hoboken COVID Documentary To Be Screened Before Elton John Film

HOBOKEN, NJ — Those attending the free "Movie Under The Stars" in Hoboken Wednesday night — the Elton John biopic "Rocket Man" — will be treated to a 16-minute documentary first about how the mile-square city in New Jersey handled coronavirus. The film will include scenes with TV "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro, medical professionals, and more.

Producer Tony Parente announced Tuesday that his creative agency's short documentary, "The Mile In The Eye," will be shown at 8:45 p.m., before the biopic. He described it as the "story of how Hoboken, the fourth most densely populated city in the country, less than a mile from NYC, the ground zero of the pandemic outbreak, overcame the incredible challenge and was called a 'model' for the rest of the country."

The short film includes Mayor Ravi Bhalla, Chief of Police Ken Ferrante, residents, well-known business owners, and others.

The film will be screened outdoors at Pier A, the waterfront park a block north of the Hoboken train terminal.

The film was made by Branding Shorts, a Hoboken-based creative agency.

"The documentary was produced entirely during lockdown," Parente said.

Hoboken's Early Response

Hoboken was one of the first cities to begin shutting facilities at the start of the pandemic in March 2020, and set curfews on bars. READ MORE ON PATCH: Hoboken Closes Playgrounds, Day Cares Amid Coronavirus

Ultimately, Hoboken lost 50 residents during the pandemic, the last person in April. The city also had an outbreak of the virus at the former YMCA in February, but has managed to get more than 90 percent of its seniors vaccinated, some of whom are homebound.

“When you think the world is ending and everything just slows down, it really teaches us what’s most important in life,” said Blaire Perrin, professional singer and mom of two who also appears in the documentary.

“Hoboken is an amazing community that overcame some of histories most challenging moments, like Hurricane Sandy, by sticking together.” said Micki Pagano-Parente, co-founder/creative director at Branding Shorts.

'A Work Of Love'

“Producing this was a work of love because we’re passionate about our city,” said Parente, a co-founder and producer at Branding Shorts.

“The documentary made me cry and smile and laugh all at the same time! It really showed how strong the city has been despite so many catastrophes. It’s so nice to see such a diverse community come together," said Dr. Sheeba Ben at Riverside Medical, the practice that ran a Hoboken covid testing facility that administered more than 60,000 tests before it closed last month.

Here’s the 60-second trailer for the documentary: https://vimeo.com/559197991

Branding Shorts was founded by Micki Pagano-Parente and Tony Parente in 2008. It creates branded content for national and local organizations.

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