Adorama has just released a stunning cinematic tribute to the city of New York that could not come at a more poignant moment. At a time when the creative flame at the core of the city has been snuffed out by a small piece of genetic code, New York Rhapsody stands as a testament to the fire that is waiting to come roaring back.

The black-and-white short film, set to George Gershwin’s iconic “Rhapsody in Blue,” is a masterpiece of short form filmmaking written, directed, and edited by Adorama senior content producer Salvatore D’Alia to mark his 10th anniversary in the city.

“I wanted to make a love letter to the city, and something that would represent a bit of my journey as a professional, but that would also show the hustle and the passion of every artist in this city,” says D’Alia. “I wanted to show different phases and aspects of a life of a creator […] There are hundreds more stories like this, but I liked how these three represent so many artists today in NYC.”

The film couldn’t come at a more appropriate time. As New York City comes together by staying apart, D’Alia’s film is a reminder of what’s been lost, and what will return once again.

“As New Yorkers continue to stay at home […] ‘New York Rhapsody’ is a beautiful tribute to the city that’s an incubator of creativity and innovation,” Michael Amkreutz, CEO of Adorama, says of the film. “This film is a love letter to our city and the creatives who are hustling, dreaming and creating every day, depicting the daily cycle of life, dreams, and their inevitable intersections.”

If you’ve ever lived and worked as a creative in New York City—or if you live there now, stuck inside, unsure when NYC will get to wake up again—New York Rhapsody is likely to put an ache in your chest and a tear in your eye. D’Alia has achieved something rare here: he’s captured a feeling on film. The feeling of constant movement, of being surrounded but alone, and of those moments in between where—for only a moment, because you don’t have any more to spare—you stop and take stock of the life that you’ve chosen to, that you get to, live in this city.

Watch the full short film up top to catch a glimpse of the half-reality, half-dream that is the creative hustle in New York City. And if you want to learn more about New York Rhapsody, you can find more behind-the-scenes details here.