Monday, March 21, 2022

Movie Minute: When We Were Bullies (Review)

 I recently had a chance to see a screener of When We Were Bullies, an upcoming short documentary set to debut March 30th on HBO. The documentary primarily follows one incident in filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt's 5th grade classroom.

The movie has an interesting blend of historical clips, photos, and modern interviews. It also handles a potentially difficult topic well, in an interesting way. There are moments of brevity, and also tenderness and honesty. The ending is somewhat unexpected, but very fitting. The documentary definitely is well-crafted, and can inspire reflection on bullying for bullies, victims, and bystanders.

About Jay Rosenblatt: Jay Rosenblatt is an internationally recognized artist and has completed over thirty films. His work, personal in content, yet universal in their appeal, explores our emotional and psychological cores. His films have received over 100 awards and have been screened throughout the world. Jay is a recipient of a Guggenheim, USA Artists and a Rockefeller Fellowship. He is currently the Program Director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.

Credits: HBO Documentary Films in association with Locomotion Films present a film by Jay Rosenblatt; animation, Jeremy Rourke; music by Erik Ian Walker (with a nod to Franz Schubert); cinematography, Kirsten Johnson, Ellie McCutcheon, Jay Rosenblatt.

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