Powerful Documentary Explores Aftermath and Resilience in Community Devastated by Trauma
On December 14, 2012, a disturbed young man committed a horrific mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, that took the lives of 20 elementary school children and six educators.
Kim A. Snyder’s searing documentary “Newtown,” filmed over the course of nearly three years, uses deeply personal, never-before-heard testimonies to relate the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history.
Through raw and heartbreaking interviews with parents, siblings, teachers, doctors and first responders, "Newtown" documents a traumatized community still reeling from the senseless tragedy, fractured by grief but driven toward a sense of purpose. “Newtown” premiered on INDEPENDENT LENS in April 2017 on PBS.
There are no words of compassion or reassurance that can bring back those who lost their lives during the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Instead, Snyder delves into the lives and homes of those who remain, all of whom have been indelibly changed by the events.
They speak candidly about their grief, anger and disbelief over what occurred and their disappointment that nothing has truly changed with regard to the country’s legal response to gun violence.
We Are All Newtown - Part 2
"Dr. Bill Begg
“Newtown” bears witness to their profound grief and allows it to reverberate within our collective conscience, exploring what happens to a community after it becomes the epicenter of a national discussion and what it must cope with after the cameras leave.
“Working with Kim on this film has been a deeply rewarding experience,” said Lois Vossen, INDEPENDENT LENS executive producer. “The team was committed to making a film that was ncisive without being exploitative. Newtown shows the impact of trauma on a community, the grief gun violence causes and how we begin to heal and move forward.”
We Are All Newtown - Part 3
"In Tallahassee
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CREDITS:
Directed and Produced by Kim A. Snyder. Produced by Maria Cuomo Cole. Edited by Gabriel Rhodes. Director of Photography: Derek Wiesehahn. Cinematography: Jake Clennell and Naiti Gámez. Supervising Composer and Main Theme by Fil Eisler. Executive Producers are Nick Stuart, CarolAnne Dolan and Regina K. Scully. Meet the filmmakers
