CLEVELAND, Ohio — Perk Plaza is an important part of Mike Berry's new film. The downtown Cleveland location is featured in "Grace and Mercy," a film about a woman named Grace who works herself to death and ends up in purgatory before finding out where she will go in the afterlife.
What You Need To Know
- The Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival kicked off Sept. 15
- One film was shot entirely in northeast Ohio
- The film's director wanted the film to connect with local viewers
“In this location, we shot the scene where Grace, she doesn’t realize she’s dead and she thinks she's going to work," Berry said.
Cleveland is the backdrop to most of the movie and all of it takes place in northeast Ohio. Berry said "Grace and Mercy" is a religious romantic comedy about free will and it will be featured this month at the Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival.
“Free will is important to everybody, and I just wanted to tell the story as I felt it," Berry said.
Another key location in the film is the lagoon behind the Cleveland Museum of Art, where a potential love triangle emerges between the characters.
“We just thought that with the water, the beauty, it just played into that theme of love and romance," Berry said.
He said the film festival gives filmmakers a chance to showcase their talents. He also said shooting most of the film in Cleveland will help it connect with a local audience.
“Everyone in Cleveland knows this landmark. This is the art museum. And so in the movie this is the art museum. So you know, when people see this, they always, they like to see familiar places," Berry said.
Berry said being a filmmaker is not a job, it’s a calling. He said the festival also shows the grind it takes to shoot an independent film.
“That’s a rollover ride. So if you're not good on that ride, that emotional ride, then it’s gonna be hard to be a filmmaker," Berry said.