The Sound of Belonging - Documentary Film
About Us
Strength in Diversity
Strength in Diversity
Miami Sound Choir is a community choir led by local artist Laurah Merisier, dedicated to making music accessible, inclusive, and transformative. Through multilingual performances and cross-disciplinary collaborations, the choir brings global sounds into local spaces.
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Strength in Diversity
Strength in Diversity
Strength in Diversity
The choir values radical inclusion and care, and full self expression.
The choir is comprised of roughly 110 people representing over 26 countries and speaking over 15 languages. Members range in age from 23-80 and represent the maximum diversity across race, gender, neurodivergence, ethnicity, religion, education level, economic status, and physical ability, among other factors.
A Miami Success Story
Strength in Diversity
A Miami Success Story
The choir operationalizes the values of radical inclusion, community care, full self expression. The film, "The Sound of Belonging" demonstrates how this unwieldy group comes together, under the leadership of Laurah Merisier, to make much more than music--but also a model of consistent community care. In this time of political polariza
The choir operationalizes the values of radical inclusion, community care, full self expression. The film, "The Sound of Belonging" demonstrates how this unwieldy group comes together, under the leadership of Laurah Merisier, to make much more than music--but also a model of consistent community care. In this time of political polarization and social isolation, Miami Sound Choir is a beacon of possibility. We need gritty stories of collective action to remind us that that we can create the connection we seek.
Film Synopsis
- The film follows a five--month choir season, from first rehearsal in August 2025 to a final performance in December 2025. Set at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, weekly rehearsals unfold in vibrant chaos—physical warm-ups, lyric discussions, language lessons, solo auditions, and history lessons.
- As members work to master a multilingual repertoire spanning genres, we come to know five members whose seemingly insurmountable struggles with mental and physical health, homelessness, immigration, grief and religious barriers, serve as undercurrents of tension as well. Interviews and conversations interwoven into the musical fabric of the film, provide a view into how the choir, in community, serves as their salve.
- A second central tension emerges: the choir is dangerously underfunded. The group mobilizes—forming committees, fundraising, and sharing resources—to confront this barrier together.
- Early rehearsals unfold in a blur of confusion, laughter, multilingual chatter, and joyful chaos as the choir comes together. We begin to understand the leadership of choir director Laurah Merisier. As the season builds, harmonies strengthen alongside deepening relationships, even as personal struggles and the choir’s financial challenges surface. Care in action becomes visible when the members join forces to raise money for the choir as well as for each other in times of crisis, personal breakthroughs, and extracurricular gatherings. As the choir strives for creative refinement, a demanding multilingual set slowly coheres, carrying moments of tension and release. All of this leads to the final performance, a culminating event that weaves music, movement, and poetry into an exuberant celebration embraced by the surrounding community.
Where the Action Takes Place
Little Haiti, Miami, USA
At the center of all the action is the Little Haiti Cultural Complex. Anchored by the Caribbean Marketplace where the Miami Sound Space rehearses and performs, it is a replica of Port Au Prince's famed Iron Market.
Artistic Vision
Artisitically the film mirrors the choir itself—layered, rhythmic, and polyphonic—interlacing voices to create a collective portrait that shows rather than tells. Intimate close-ups and textured handheld footage are balanced with wide rehearsal shots that capture the full ensemble. Lesser seen Miami landscapes, Little Haiti street corners, buses, storefronts, murals, and palm, ground the story in place.
The color palette for the film, drawn from the choir’s identity, including blue and violet, gold and yellow, silver and white, and rose and pink, reinforces the emotional tone.
The sound design deepens the emotion through isolated four-part harmonies for resonance, ambient Miami soundscapes that evoke daily life, strategic uses of silence, and multilingual spoken and sung textures.
The musical selections span geographies and histories, featuring “Beware” by Miriam Makeba of South Africa, “La Vida es un Carnaval” by Celia Cruz of Cuba, “Freedom Is a Constant Struggle” by the Chamber Brothers from the United States, the Haitian folk song “Peze Cafe,” and Afro-Colombian music “La Paz y Flora,” together underscoring the film’s global, diasporic spirit.
The Team
Kareem Tabsch: Advising Producer
Ed Talavera: Director of Photography
Kareem Tabsch: Advising Producer
Kareem Tabsch is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker whose work focuses on documenting that which exists on the fringes of mainstream society. His feature films include Naked Ambition (2024),Mucho Mucho Amor (2020) and The Last Resort (2018) and Dolphin Lover (2015). Tabsch's work has been included at prestigious festivals like Sundance, SXSW, Ho
Kareem Tabsch is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker whose work focuses on documenting that which exists on the fringes of mainstream society. His feature films include Naked Ambition (2024),Mucho Mucho Amor (2020) and The Last Resort (2018) and Dolphin Lover (2015). Tabsch's work has been included at prestigious festivals like Sundance, SXSW, HotDocs and has been featured in outlets like The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and NPR among others. In 2020, Tabsch's film Mucho Mucho Amor was named one of the 20 essential Latino Films by The New York Times. It was nominated for Emmy, GLADD, Imagen Awards and named Best Latinx Film by the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. He was named a '40 under 40' Documentary filmmaker by DocNYC, America's largest documentary film festival.
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Gina Margillo: Director/Producer
Ed Talavera: Director of Photography
Kareem Tabsch: Advising Producer
Gina Margillo is an award-winning filmmaker, activist-artist, and communication professor who uses storytelling to advance social justice and social change. Grounded in Social and Behavioral Change Communication and Education-Entertainment, she creates films and multiplatform projects that center community voices. Her work has been produ
Gina Margillo is an award-winning filmmaker, activist-artist, and communication professor who uses storytelling to advance social justice and social change. Grounded in Social and Behavioral Change Communication and Education-Entertainment, she creates films and multiplatform projects that center community voices. Her work has been produced in collaboration with community-based organizations, international nonprofits, the United Nations, and governments, addressing issues including sexual and reproductive justice, environmental harm, HIV prevention, and immigration.
Her films include The Sound of Belonging (in production, 2026), Night Train Last Stop (2025), Catelus Ascending (2023), Overtown’s Living Legacy (2022), Dolores, a Triptych (2021), Ya Habibi, The Story of a Song (2020), and Stolen Lives (2019).
Ed Talavera: Director of Photography
Ed Talavera: Director of Photography
Ed Talavera: Director of Photography
Ed Talavera is an award-winning cinematographer of narrative, documentary, and immersive films. Talavera’s numerous film credits include work aired on HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, ESPN, PBS and theaters worldwide. His theatrical film credits include ROPE TIED, SUE, PERFECT PREY, and BRIDGET. Feature documentaries include ONE WATER, FINDING GA
Ed Talavera is an award-winning cinematographer of narrative, documentary, and immersive films. Talavera’s numerous film credits include work aired on HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, ESPN, PBS and theaters worldwide. His theatrical film credits include ROPE TIED, SUE, PERFECT PREY, and BRIDGET. Feature documentaries include ONE WATER, FINDING GASTON, and NAKED AMBITION: BUNNY YEAGER. His latest films Are You Down? and JEN CLAY: THE TEXTURE OF ANXIETY, have recently won Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards.
Gragham Viegut: Sound Design
Vasily Shalashov: Sound Design
Ed Talavera: Director of Photography
As one-third of the sound design and mix team, Gragham is also a talented, Miami local musician who plays percussion with Miami Bloco.
Vasily Shalashov: Sound Design
Vasily Shalashov: Sound Design
Vasily Shalashov: Sound Design
As the Director of Kosmos Recordings
Vas leads the team, consisting of Graham Viegut and India Hooi. Together they bring a wealth of sound design and mixing experience including working with luminary ensembles such as New World Symphony, The Colombian National Ballet, and Nu Deco Ensemble, t With experience recording a plethora of ensembles and soloists across 5 continents.
India Hooi: Sound Design
Vasily Shalashov: Sound Design
Vasily Shalashov: Sound Design
Not only only does India form an essential part of the Kosmos Recordings team, but, as a member of a choir, herself, she has a deep appreciation understanding of how the act of singing together creates community.
Ricardo Luis Trevino: Editor
Ricardo Luis Trevino: Editor
Ricardo Luis Trevino: Editor
Ricardo Luis Trevino is an accomplished cinematographer and editor with deep talent in timing and visual communication. He has worked with networks such as Nickelodeon, A&E, Univision, Canal Sony, Fox Sports, People en Español and as an independent freelancer with clients such as Xoom.com, Dish Latino, BlackBerry. Involved from Pre-produ
Ricardo Luis Trevino is an accomplished cinematographer and editor with deep talent in timing and visual communication. He has worked with networks such as Nickelodeon, A&E, Univision, Canal Sony, Fox Sports, People en Español and as an independent freelancer with clients such as Xoom.com, Dish Latino, BlackBerry. Involved from Pre-production through Mastering, he directed and edited eight episodes of “Uncharted Adventure” a 45 minute long travel show that is currently airing on the Weather Channel. He edited the first episode and a couple of VFX shots. was nominated for an Emmy nominated Viacom (Nickelodeon, MTV) // 2018 - 2019