News Release

Love Letters for New Bedford

Date: May 31, 2024

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park has announced that a daily screening of the award-winning documentary “Love Letters for New Bedford” will be shown at 3:30 PM Wednesday – Sunday in the park visitor center theater starting June 1, 2024. New Bedford filmmaker Ethan de Aguiar created this documentary to celebrate New Bedford’s artists and champion the city’s growing and vibrant creative economy. The almost 18-minute film contains interviews of 18 local artists, educators, poets, journalists, authors, vocalists, and others, who shared their love for New Bedford and its citizens. Once completed, the film was submitted to 33 film festivals, gaining 15 Official Selections and 4 Awards. The film received International Wins for Best Documentary from the Portugal International Film Festival, 2023 Texas Arthouse Festival, Block Island Film Festival, and Screaming Ostrich International Film Festival.

"We jumped at the opportunity to include Love Letters for New Bedford in the daily rotation at the park visitor center as it support the work we do preserving and interpreting the stories of artists who have always called New Bedford home. Exploring the 19th century whaling industry as well as the contemporary port of New Bedford through the lens of the arts has helped staff broaden the stories we tell and the audiences that we reach. Love Letters is a beautiful celebration of the creative sector in the city and we are proud to be part of and in support of that inspiring work,” remarks park Superintendent Jennifer Smith.

Ethan de Aguiar is an experienced filmmaker and New Bedford native who focuses on the art of storytelling. He brings the essence of the subject matter to life with cinematic visuals that create a unique experience for audiences. He has built long-term working relationships with New Bedford organizations such as Southcoast Community Foundation, YMCA Southcoast, Viva! Fall River, Fabric Festival, NB Creative, and Destination NB, to name a few.