Look, when it comes to the tragedies happening around the world right now, it seems like there's a constant stream of headlines and breaking news coming straight to our phones. But sometimes, what we really need to address a complex issue is a calm and thoughtful approach. On December 1, Netflix is releasing "All the Empty Rooms," a 33-minute short documentary that takes viewers into the bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. It's not easy to watch, but it looks like one of those works of art that could truly make a difference.
On November 14, Netflix released the trailer for "All the Empty Rooms," which premiered at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival earlier this year. The documentary follows CBS News' Steve Hartman, a career television journalist who has spent the last seven years traveling across the country to visit families who have lost children to gun violence in America. Alongside photographer Lou Bopp, he interviews the families who let him into their children's bedrooms and shares what those spaces mean to them now.
Director: Joshua Seftel
Stars: Steve Hartman, Lou Bopp, Frank Blackwell
The poignant short film is directed by Joshua Seftel, who was nominated for an Oscar for "Stranger at the Door" in 2023. In his statement as director, Seftel said the film seeks to shake Americans out of their apathy and "rekindle the urgency to act."
"After Sandy Hook, Parkland, and so many other school shootings, I began to feel paralyzed. As a father of two young girls, I struggled to even think about the possibilities. Then, last year, my phone rang. It was veteran CBS News reporter Steve Hartman. In the late '90s, I was Steve's producer, and he became known nationally for telling inspiring and positive stories. But it had been 25 years since we last spoke."
The pair traveled to three cities where school shootings occurred: Uvalde, Texas; Santa Clarita, California; and Nashville, Tennessee; in an attempt to capture the true depth of loss when a child dies.
“We know children through the rooms they left behind,” Seftel writes. “They resurfaced for us, and the weight of their absence was devastating. Upon returning home, I left with a new perspective on family and life in America. It’s impossible not to feel a greater gratitude toward my children and a burning desire to change the course of this crisis.”
HBO also just premiered Thoughts & Prayers, a documentary that examines the entire industry that has sprung up around school shooting prevention, tracing “the $3 billion active shooter preparedness industry and its effect on students and educators.”
“As a mother and advocate for child safety, I hope these films will invite more parents and viewers into the conversation about how we can prevent gun violence,” Nicole Hockley, executive director and co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise, said in an email to Scary Mommy. “We shouldn’t prepare for school shootings from the perspective of inevitability; these acts of violence can be prevented when we learn to recognize and report the warning signs.”
The trailer for “All the Empty Rooms” is absolutely heartbreaking. Seeing the hair ties on the doorknob, the collection of sneakers, the posters, and the empty beds makes the loss each family has suffered all too real. It’s not a lighthearted movie to watch at Christmas, but it feels like one of those films everyone in America should see. The poignant short film is directed by Joshua Seftel, who was nominated for an Oscar for “Stranger at the Door” in 2023. In his directorial statement, Seftel said the film seeks to awaken Americans from their numbness and “rekindle the urgency to do something.” After Sandy Hook, Parkland, and so many other school shootings, I began to feel numb. As a father of two young girls, I struggled to even think about the possibilities. Then, last year, my phone rang. It was veteran CBS News reporter Steve Hartman. In the late 1990s, I was Steve's producer, and he became known nationally for telling inspiring stories and good news. But it had been 25 years since we last spoke.
The pair traveled to three cities where school shootings had occurred: Uvalde, Texas; Santa Clarita, California; and Nashville, Tennessee, in an attempt to capture the true depth of loss when a child dies.
"We get to know the children through the rooms they left behind," Seftel writes. "They came back to life for us, and the weight of their absence was devastating. After returning home, I left with a new perspective on family and life in America. It's impossible."
« En tant que mère et militante pour la sécurité des enfants, j'espère que ces films inciteront davantage de parents et de spectateurs à s'engager dans la discussion sur la prévention de la violence armée », a déclaré Nicole Hockley, directrice générale et cofondatrice de Sandy Hook Promise, à Scary Mommy par courriel. « Nous ne devons pas nous préparer aux fusillades scolaires en les considérant comme inévitables ; ces actes de violence peuvent être évités si nous apprenons à reconnaître et à signaler les signes avant-coureurs. »
La bande-annonce de « All the Empty Rooms » est absolument bouleversante. Voir les élastiques à cheveux accrochés aux poignées de porte, la collection de baskets, les posters et les lits vides rend la perte vécue par chaque famille terriblement concrète. Ce n'est pas un film de Noël léger, mais c'est un de ces films que tous les Américains devraient voir.
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