If you have a phone and if you have a car then you have texted on that phone when you have been driving – for the vast majority of people I'd say this is the case. Might just be to read a message or maybe just to type and send a one-word response, but I think a lot of people have done it. It is such a small thing that takes so little time that it is easy to justify and easy to do – in the US I imagine it is even more tempting with long highways, cruise-control and large comfortable vehicles that sometimes feel like they are driving themselves. The consequences of such action is what this film is about and, although some may be put off by the idea of educational programming for schools, let me assure you that this short film is so much more than the standard.
The main thing that drew me to it and one of the reasons it is such a strong film is that it is directed by Werner Herzog and he brings to this film the very high standards that one would associate with his feature-length documentaries. Although we (wisely) never hear his side of the interviews, he has a knack for getting people to talk, reflect and open up – not sure how he does it but it works so often. In the four stories we have presented here, he gets such great testimony. The film opens with "I had my brother in my hand" and we see a teenage girl posing half on a kerb with her hand behind her holding the hand of someone who isn't there anymore. It is a grabbing line and it is the best way to start because it never lets you go. The stories are presented factually and there is no fake music or forced sentimentality here, people just speak. For half the stories the film has access to the texters and their victims, for the other two just the victims, but they are all incredibly moving and it is hard not to feel for these people who, one way or another have had their lives completely changed for the worse. It is 35 minutes long but I found it very hard to make it through without hitting pause.
The content may sound obvious but, like I say, the manner in which it is constructed and delivered is excellent and it is greatly complemented by the direction and cinematography. For all its sadness, it is a very beautiful film to look at. The definition is high, the colors are perfect and the shot selection and framing is great. We don't just get talking heads, we also get characters in-situ in places, against backdrops; it is perhaps hard to describe but while it doesn't use visually flair or trickery, it is plain and simple a beautiful looking film and worth watching on HD even if your internet connection is a bit slow.
It is freely available online and it deserved to be watched. Those that love Herzog's work will find that he is totally present here (this is not some corporate gig for him) but the more important reason for watching is simply how tragic and brutally impacting the film is. Our lives are made up of small, selfish actions where we think of ourselves first and others second – the film makes it incredibly clear that these actions should be put to one side while in control of a 2 tonne block of metal traveling at speed.
The main thing that drew me to it and one of the reasons it is such a strong film is that it is directed by Werner Herzog and he brings to this film the very high standards that one would associate with his feature-length documentaries. Although we (wisely) never hear his side of the interviews, he has a knack for getting people to talk, reflect and open up – not sure how he does it but it works so often. In the four stories we have presented here, he gets such great testimony. The film opens with "I had my brother in my hand" and we see a teenage girl posing half on a kerb with her hand behind her holding the hand of someone who isn't there anymore. It is a grabbing line and it is the best way to start because it never lets you go. The stories are presented factually and there is no fake music or forced sentimentality here, people just speak. For half the stories the film has access to the texters and their victims, for the other two just the victims, but they are all incredibly moving and it is hard not to feel for these people who, one way or another have had their lives completely changed for the worse. It is 35 minutes long but I found it very hard to make it through without hitting pause.
The content may sound obvious but, like I say, the manner in which it is constructed and delivered is excellent and it is greatly complemented by the direction and cinematography. For all its sadness, it is a very beautiful film to look at. The definition is high, the colors are perfect and the shot selection and framing is great. We don't just get talking heads, we also get characters in-situ in places, against backdrops; it is perhaps hard to describe but while it doesn't use visually flair or trickery, it is plain and simple a beautiful looking film and worth watching on HD even if your internet connection is a bit slow.
It is freely available online and it deserved to be watched. Those that love Herzog's work will find that he is totally present here (this is not some corporate gig for him) but the more important reason for watching is simply how tragic and brutally impacting the film is. Our lives are made up of small, selfish actions where we think of ourselves first and others second – the film makes it incredibly clear that these actions should be put to one side while in control of a 2 tonne block of metal traveling at speed.