Local Filmmaker Captures the Power of Care & Community Through Her Upcoming Documentary
Sonia Soluna is a Noblesville-based journalist, filmmaker, and storyteller originally from Brazil. Her most recent work is a documentary titled “Where Beauty Lives” — a project that centers on Keep Noblesville Beautiful, a nonprofit organization transforming public spaces through gardening, cleaning and revitalization projects.
Soluna’s documentary grew from her desire to inspire others to care for shared spaces and was recently selected as a semifinalist for PitchDox 2025, a national documentary competition.
“Being a semifinalist in PitchDox means so much to me, and it was honestly a big surprise,” Soluna says. “I started this project because I believed in the story and wanted to share it.”
Soluna says her greatest hope for the project is that it will inspire other cities and communities to see the power of small acts of care.
“To know that the selection committee saw value in it too, and felt it deserved to be told, is incredibly meaningful,” Soluna says. “It shows that this story doesn’t just belong to Noblesville — it has the potential to resonate far beyond.”
While on the surface “Where Beauty Lives” may seem like it’s “just about gardening,” Soluna says it’s really about people giving their time and energy to make their community better.
“I realized there was a deeper story about care, connection, and belonging, and I wanted to use my storytelling to show how beauty can truly live in these simple acts,” she says.
Soluna’s decision to center her project on Keep Noblesville Beautiful came naturally.
“It started very unexpectedly,” Soluna says. “I was driving through Noblesville one day when I saw a group of volunteers working together to clean and plant flowers. It caught my attention because it wasn’t just about gardening — it was about people giving their time and energy to make their community better.”
She began speaking with the group about making a video, but the more time she spent with them, the more she realized the story wasn’t just about beauty — it was about belonging and friendship.
“Everything Keep Noblesville Beautiful does makes an impact,” Soluna says. “They take care of the roundabouts that welcome people into the city, pick up trash along the roads, and even look after the landscaping at the cemetery.”
When it comes to her documentary, Soluna hopes audiences will come away with a new way of seeing beauty — not only in nature or perfectly planned spaces, but in the simple, everyday acts of care that people offer to their communities.
“I want them to feel inspired to notice those quiet details around them — and maybe even to get involved, knowing that small actions can make a real difference,” she says.
Soluna credits her past work as a TV anchor and reporter for teaching her how to tell stories that connect deeply with audiences.
“That experience taught me how powerful stories can be when they’re told with authenticity,” she says. “Today, I bring that same perspective to filmmaking, focusing on real people and everyday moments — showing that beauty and meaning exist in places we sometimes overlook.”
The documentary is still in production, but Soluna hopes to finish it by mid-2026.
“Once it’s complete, I plan to share it through festivals, community events and schools,” she says. “I’ve also been talking to people in Brazil to take the film there, so audiences can connect with this story across borders.”
The trailer for Where Beauty Lives can be viewed at bit.ly/TrailerKNBSoniaSoluna.
