Hollyshorts Film Festival – Documentary

A documentary is a form of storytelling that is informative and engaging in the realm of non-fiction narrative. And when placed into a short format, what is included in the documentary becomes a vital necessity. For the directors in this documentary program, their stories touch your heart, make you cry (sometimes), and make you question your own beliefs. Each story illustrates a message that grips at your very core. 

They Came From All Over 

For Tom Mulholland, being the fourth generation to run his family-founded grocery store Mulholland Grocery was a no-brainer. And the service that his store provided to a community gave a community a place to shop for their groceries without having to travel more than a few minutes from their front door. But when tragedy struck and a fire destroyed Mulholland Grocery, Tom was faced with a big decision: tear down the market and sell the land….or try to rebuild for the sake of his community?  

Directed by Rayka Zehtabchi, documentary film They Came From All Over shows how such a profound loss of a community staple brings a community together. Because rather than become a food desert, Mulholland found an outpouring of love and support not only from the town but across the country. When our country finds itself shuttering the smaller businesses in favor of online shopping and big-box stores for our needs, They Came From All Over showcases the need for small-town retailers and grocers. Without them, smaller communities cease to thrive and are lost for good. But Tom’s own generosity and kindness is being repaid to him tenfold. Because as Tom’s father Gordon Mulholland told him, “You take care of your friends, neighbors, and people in your community. That’s the Mulholland way.” 

Breaking Silence 

In the home of Walker Estes, sound is something that him and his wife Betha have never experienced. Being deaf had a profound impact on their life, especially when their children were gifted with the ability to hear. Yet when their daughter Leslie begins a path in and out of the system, Walker finds himself questioning how those that are like him fare with incarceration and getting back up on their feet. With a new mission, Walker uses the experience to help other present and former incarcerated individuals in having their needs met.  

Directed by Amy Bench and Annie Silverstein, documentary Breaking Silence gets under your skin and touches your soul. In Walker’s life, he is able to help those around him who need it…except believes he has failed in helping his own daughter in picking up her life. But Leslie is no shrinking flower, especially when she now makes it her mission to carry out her father’s work and continue helping the deaf community have a voice. Walker’s story of how his first visit with Leslie in prison had him question the treatment of those like him, especially when the guard ordered that they continue the conversation over the phone instead of in sign language. Because if you cannot hear and sign language is still not a requirement of learning, how does one use their voice to make their needs met?  

Every Day After 

After being neglected and rejected by his parents for a cleft palate, Jon-Jon Jary is cared for by his sister Jessa…who then leaves her family at eighteen years old and takes Jary with her so that he can be raised in a loving home. Living in the Philippines, Jessa moves them to outside of Manila where she finds her partner Robert and together they raise two kids along with Jary. But thanks to Jessa’s friend May Ann, Jessa is alerted years later to a free surgery courtesy of Operation Smile. The mission: to repair Jary’s cleft palate and give him a chance at a normal life.  

Every Day After is a story of love and perseverance. Directed by Elisa Gambino, the rejection of Jary from those around him is sadly common. But to not even have the love of those who brough you into the world is even more heartbreaking. Yet Jessa’s love for her little brother was more important than any physical appearance. And even after Jary’s surgery that love does not waver. In a world where looks mean everything, Jessa’s love for her little brother  conquers all.  

The Blake 

Courtney Sposato (nee Nielsen) recalls the first time her brother Matthew’s heart stopped…and how it coincided with the arrival of The Blake in Schnecksville. Built by teacher Robert Boehmer, The Blake was a school bus turned into a simulated space shuttle…providing students a place to learn more about space and engage them to dream big in the pursuit of their goals and passions. However, for Courtney, The Blake brought forth not only a beautiful memory of space exploration, but the beginning of the end for her brother Matthew. 

Director Courtney Sposato’s introduction to The Blake coincided with her brother Matthew’s diagnosis of cardiomyopathy and prompted a reflection how that year in question has left her conflicted. In The Blake, we see Sposato reflect a lot on the way that her experience of simulated space exploration gave her at least one moment of beauty before her life fell apart. While she still questions to this day how she handled saying goodbye to Matthew, The Blake allowed Courtney an outlet to process her grief and release it into the universe.  

To Be Frank 

Frank Paine is no stranger to the water. Surfing for almost 60 years now, his love of the water and riding the waves holds no bounds. Neither does his impact to those who know him best. In To Be Frank, Paine describes surfing in words fitting for the greatest love story. And for many who know him best, Paine’s love of the waves and encouragement of others learning to surf has resonated within his community.  

Directed by Anna Wilder Burns, To Be Frank gives us not only a glimpse into the life of life-long surfer Frank Paine….but also how surfing has transformed his own perspective. Paine’s description on riding the waves and the way it makes you live in that moment is a message that can resonate with many of us. And in sharing his experience with those eager to learn how to surf, his legacy and teachings create new traditions within the surfing community. 

Creating Things 

After the death of their father Roger, siblings Bryan and Taylor Simpson found an interview that he had done with their friend Peter Lyngso in 2014. Using that interview coupled with their father’s artwork, Bryan and Taylor pay homage to their father’s memory in Creating Things. For Roger, art was a lifelong passion that he parlayed into a career as an Art/Creative Director. Every moment was a chance to be creative. Even as Roger became a father, the creative experience took on new meaning for him. However, Roger’s cancer diagnosis made him realize that the legacy he wanted to leave behind needed to be more prolific to him, which ultimately, led him to encouring others to create something of which you can be proud.  

Creating Things is a reminder of how fleeting life can be and what we do with that life. For Roger, it became less about mindless creating and more about leaving something behind for his children. However, to Bryan and Taylor it is clear that everything their father did is something that they are proud to share. As each piece of artwork is displayed across the screen while Roger’s interview narrates the documentary, you get the most honest glimpse into the life of a creator.  

D**** That I Love 

In the aftermath of a traumatic experience, artist Daniela Torres has found a way to turn her art into humor. After meeting a man while in university who posed for her, she was sent a d*** pic. As a way to release the anger and have a laugh at the expense of absurdity of men who have shared the same moniker as their appendage, Torres turned to creating d**** out of clay. In turn, she also opened up her art studio as a place for other women to do just the same.  

Directed by Johanna Gustin, the documentary D**** That I Love sheds light onto men or those who present such toxicity towards women. It’s also a touch humorous in its tone. Torres continues to create and encourage other women to design phallic appendages while sharing stories, frustrations and sometimes a laugh at the expense of men.