Director Jay Rosenblatt shares some insight on creating his Oscar-Nominated Short Documentary, ‘When We Were Bullies’ with Amon Focus.
Interview with filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt
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Show Notes
The Deep Dive | The Smell of Burning Ants | Looking for a Narrator | 3 Page Voice Over Script | New York Street Games | Brooklyn | Sheepshead Bay | Getting a Little Eerie | Other Coincidences | Queens | PS 140 | Gate Hopping Connoisseur | The Art of Opening a Film | Pull the Audience In | Light Tone for Heavy Subject | Declare War on Insects | How to be a Boy | Approaching a Script | Male Socialization | Using Your Own Voice | Caveh Zahedi | Directed Over 30 Films | The Nomination | No Oscar Campaign | Do It Yourself | Engage the Audience | Keep them Wondering: What happens next? | Don’t be Predictable or Formulaic | The Relatable Aspects | Animation by Jeremy Rourke | Collective Punishment | Made to feel Ashamed | Mob Mentality
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WHEN WE WERE BULLIES begins with a mind boggling coincidence from 25 years ago, which ultimately leads filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt to track down his fifth grade class to see what they remember from a bullying incident that occurred 50 years ago. Weaving together a collage of archival material, found footage, stop-motion animation and interviews with classmates and a teacher from the time, the film is a highly personal look back at a Brooklyn schoolyard incident that had been obscured by the elusive nature of memory but had resonated for decades. In a playful yet poignant reflection, Rosenblatt begins to understand his complicity, his sense of shame and the shared nature of such incidents and their aftermath.
“WHEN WE WERE BULLIES has found the perfect home. I am honored to have another one of my films air on HBO, where creativity, originality and innovative storytelling are honored,” said Director, Jay Rosenblatt.
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.
HBO Documentary Films has acquired the Academy Award®-nominated documentary short, WHEN WE WERE BULLIES, from longtime HBO collaborator Jay Rosenblatt (HBO’s “Phantom Limb,” “Human Remains”). The documentary debuts WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30 (9:00-9:35 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
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