Stoop Chat with Aleathea & Ariam

As a lifelong Brooklynite still living in my childhood brownstone, I’m deeply committed to celebrating stoop culture as a way to connect neighbors across Brooklyn and beyond. I founded the Stoop Stories 6community documentary series during the pandemic and launched our intergenerational film and workshop series in 2023.

Stoop Chat with Aleathea & Ariam is the fourth in our award-winning series of short documentaries exploring social connection through authentic intergenerational conversation. The film follows Brooklyn artist Aleathea Sapp-Jimenez and young fashion designer Ariam Sium as they build a genuine friendship through collage, storytelling, and shared artistic expression.

Aleathea had long been part of the Stoop Stories community, and this collaboration invited us not only onto her stoop, but into her home and studio. Rather than simply documenting conversation, we encouraged true collaboration throughout the filmmaking process. It was Aleathea’s idea for the pair to create a collage together on camera, which sparked a beautiful and organic connection. During filming, she gifted Ariam a handmade paper flower pin, while Ariam selected Ethiopian music that resonated with her Eritrean roots.

The impact extended beyond the two participants to Aleathea’s entire block, where neighbors watched filming from their windows and later asked when they could see the final film. Aleathea’s words continue to guide our work: “Find every single stoop. Even the ones with cracks. Because they have a lot of stories to tell.”