Sara Pettinella - Social Documentary Portfolio

I am a commercial photographer and filmmaker with a strong background in social documentary and humanitarian work. My career has taken me to several European countries, India, and the United States, where I have lived and worked, as well as to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. I have collaborated with refugee agencies, migrant organizations, and other humanitarian organizations as a photographer and trainer and have researched ethical guidelines for humanitarian visual documentation. I am currently documenting a music relief project in Japan, initiated after the 2011 tsunami, and have directed a documentary with ethnomusicologist and UMass professor Royal Hartigan, exploring the African roots of the African American tradition of jazz. My diverse professional and life experiences inform my distinctive style, with the aspiration of authentically representing the human experience.

Video work:

Project Impact – Borough of Manhattan Community College
Project Impact links BMCC students who have been impacted directly or indirectly by the criminal legal system with a mentor. Mentors help Project Impact students navigate the challenges of secondary education and facilitate access to support.

The Gotham Yardbird Sanctuary

Gotham Yardbird Sanctuary is a not-for-profit 501 c3 organization that was founded in response to the 2020 pandemic and its impact on NYC’s Jazz musician community and local businesses. GYS will revive NYC with the great unifying power of Jazz and rebuild this city as a sanctuary for Jazz musicians and aspiring artists from all over the world.

We Are One blood drum spirit

An American jazz group travels to Ghana to work with master artists, and discovers the power of music to bring people together.

Photography work:

Assignments and Collaborations: Amnesty International, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), Social Justice Secretariat, Caritas, Valori – Finanza Etica, The Place2Be, Relief International UK, Ascentria Care Alliance, Buddhist Churches of America, Trinity Church, New York City.

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