Buffalo Documentary Project (BDP) came to life in the summer of 2016 by filmmaker Mani Mehrvarz. It aims to discover untold stories waiting to be told in the city of Buffalo and Western New York. Mehrvarz invited a team of artists, filmmakers, researchers and educators to work together and make documentary films about the communities, art, and culture of Buffalo. Within the nine episodes that have been produced so far, BDP foregrounds a variety of narrators and subjects to capture the oral history and lived experience of the city beyond the mainstream narratives.
Oral history through documentary filmmaking is valued because it can bring to life an account of the city that is not in written books or official records. This project embodies love, life and collaboration as it directly engages human beings and their unheard stories about their own true experiences and life in Buffalo and WNY; it aims to connect to people’s hearts and call on a larger audience by using the power of film to communicate. Buffalo Documentary Project looks at the margins and wants to voice the individuals and communities who have contributed to the growth of the city in different ways with their valuable work, art, care and service.