As the world and the region grappled with how to live through an ongoing pandemic, 2021 represented a series of highs and lows.
From climate change and extreme weather, to a rise in the number of shootings in the city, the year brought about historic records in Philadelphia. The Inquirer’s team of videomakers set out to go beyond the year’s biggest headlines, bringing you unique angles of the stories you care about:
What it looked like to hand-deliver vaccines before they expired.
What was left behind after remnants of Hurricane Ida swept through our city and towns.
What happened when kids attended a retreat to address the trauma of the city’s shootings.
As visual journalists, we document the world around us in all of its raw reality, displayed in grief, joy, and candor. And in between the news, we introduce you to the people who make Philadelphia what it is — the dancers, the teachers, the healers.
This year, alongside our Year in Pictures, we present The Inquirer’s first Year in Video, featuring a collection of filmmaking selected by The Inquirer’s video team.
— Astrid Rodrigues, Lead Video Editor & Producer
Trump Plaza Implodes February 25
For Atlantic City locals, the implosion of Trump Plaza was the emotional end of an era for a struggling Shore town that once displayed Trump's name in lights.
Against The Clock April 14
Some homebound Philadelphians have found it difficult to secure their COVID vaccine. Thanks to Tarik Khan, vaccines on the verge of expiration are going to the people who need them most.
The Last Run April 15
This year, The Inquirer ceased operations at the facility that had been printing its papers since 1992, moving to a new location. On one of the last days at the Schuylkill Printing Plant, a “family” of employees says their goodbyes.
Fighting For Justice July 20
A Philadelphia woman believes her father was framed by homicide detectives in order to solve a murder case. She is now fighting to overturn her father’s conviction after 38 years in prison.
We Love To Dance July 31
Rita Redfern-Powell and her husband, Tony Powell, both love to dance — and look good doing it.
Cleaning Up Ida September 4
After remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded Philadelphia's historic Boathouse Row, the Fairmount Rowing Association and La Salle University’s rowing coach cleaned up their boathouse.
Teaching 9/11 September 7
A teacher recalls the day United Flight 93 crashed in his small Somerset County town, Shanksville. Twenty years later, he still teaches students the heroic stories of lives lost from the tragedy.
Just Bee Calm October 6
Philly’s Half Mad Honey brings therapy from the office to the apiary, using mindfulness, grounding, and distress tolerance while working with bees.
Othered October 12
This interpretive dance and spoken-word film explored a local artist’s experiences navigating life as a mixed woman of Black, Creole, European, and Native descent. The video ran as part of The Inquirer’s Wildest Dreams series, which explores Black ancestry and inheritance.
The Retreat October 12
Families bore the trauma of violence and loss during a record year of shootings in Philadelphia. This film documents a Poconos retreat organized by a mother whose only daughter was killed, and who wanted to make space for nearly 50 kids to heal from losing their own loved ones to gun violence.
Check out our Playlists
Looking for more videos? Below are additional Youtube playlists including some of our ongoing video series.
Our Let's Eat, Philly! series highlights the intersection of food and culture in Philadelphia.
The Dining Guide videos showcase The Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan’s picks for Top 10 restaurants in Philadelphia in 2021. For more, check out our 2021 Dining Guide.
The Arts, Culture and Lifestyle playlist showcases the vibrancy of life in and around Philly.
Staff Contributors
- PUBLISHER AND CEO Elizabeth H. Hughes
- EDITOR AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Gabriel Escobar
- MANAGING EDITOR Patrick Kerkstra
- MANAGING EDITOR, VISUALS Danese Kenon
- DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF VIDEO & PHOTOGRAPHY Frank Wiese
- DIGITAL PHOTO EDITOR Rachel Molenda
- PHOTO COVERAGE EDITOR David Maialetti
- INTERACTIVE DESIGN Dain Saint, Sam Morris
- LEAD VIDEO EDITOR & PRODUCER Astrid Rodrigues
- VIDEO EDITOR, YEAR IN VIDEOS Raishad Hardnett
- PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO Alejandro A. Alvarez, Charles Fox, Heather Khalifa, Monica Herndon, Yong Kim, Jose F. Moreno, Elizabeth Robertson, Tom Gralish, Tim Tai, Steven M. Falk, Jessica Griffin, Tyger Williams, Thomas Hengge, Kristen Balderas, Lauren Schneiderman
- SALES & MARKETING Pete Doucette, Darya Ushakova, Lauren Amato, Tony Cuffie, Rachel Ciampaglia, Michelle Lopez, Sarah Jarvis, Kim Rossmair, Lyn Klein-Kirlin, Terrance Young, YaYa Horne, Mark Nichols, James Wilkinson, Gia Benedetti
- DIGITAL Ray Boyd, Ross Maghielse, Dan Hirschhorn, Lauren Aguirre, Patricia Madej, Sam Morris, Ashley Hoffman, Caryn Shaffer, Erin Gavle, TJ Furman
- PRODUCT Matt Boggie, Becky Bowers, Julie Westfall, Nadya Tan
- INQStudio Elizabeth Samet, Jen Strauss, Paul Siegell, Jeanine Reilly, Ben Leaman, Patrick Binkley, Sharon MacNair
- PROJECT MANAGEMENT Brittany A. Bailey
- EDITING Evan S. Benn, Brian Leighton
- LEGAL Suzanne Mitchell Parillo