Thoughts & Prayers on HBO Max debuts 19 November – The HBO Original documentary Thoughts & Prayers, directed by Zackary Canepari and Jessica Dimmock, debuts Wednesday 19 November, only on HBO Max.
This arresting yet sobering feature documentary captures the current landscape of safety rituals in schools and communities across America, where classrooms double as tactical training grounds and bullet-proof backpacks become armour. Thoughts & Prayers also explores the conferences that showcase the latest survival gadgets for a nation where mass shootings have become a part of everyday life.
Equal parts absurd and unsettlingly real, the film traces the US$3 billion active shooter preparedness industry and its effect on students and educators, raising important questions about the unintended consequences of these intense preparations.
In the absence of meaningful prevention efforts and gun reform, how far will Americans go to prepare for active shooters?
Thoughts & Prayers shows schools and communities actively engaged in training sessions designed to respond to a mass shooting, from day care centres to high schools to the wider world. Caregivers block doors with cribs, educators practice shooting at armed intruders in elaborate mock battles and VR simulations, and children learn how to fight back against attackers with everyday school objects or hide behind bullet-proof equipment disguised as ordinary classroom furniture.
Some students play the role of victims in mock battles and test the first aid skills of responders, who may be their own classmates. Candid, revealing interviews with teachers, administrators, students, and parents speak to this new “normal” and how communities are taking the situation into their own hands, even if the effectiveness of such training is difficult to determine.
Featured participants include students, staff members, and administrators from school districts in Utah, Oregon, and New York; expert personnel in weapons, military, and video simulation training.
HBO Documentary Films presents Thoughts & Prayers, A Tony Tina Production. Directed and executive produced by Zackary Canepari and Jessica Dimmock; producers, Gary Kout and Claire Read. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Tina Nguyen; senior producer, Anna Klein.
The HBO Original documentary Thoughts & Prayers debuts Wednesday 19 November, only on HBO Max.
Media Release – HBO Max
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Thoughts & Prayers on HBO Max debuts 19 November
