This was an incredible documentary, especially considering the runtime. I thought it really captured how complicated these end-of-life situations are, regardless of the specifics, and thought it was excellent storytelling how they managed to include a variety of both caretakers and patients but also keenly focus on one head physician and the family of Donna. I was really shocked by what the main family was willing to say and do in front of their mother/wife/sister in the ICU and by Donna’s daughter’s faith and obstinance. I was also shocked by the level of access the filmmakers were allowed, in all situations. It was a very compelling story with a clear narrative that managed to pack a lot of weight, information, and character building into only 22 minutes.
Regarding the interview with Dan Krauss, I found what he said about sensitivity interesting. He said he wanted to walk the line between “intimacy and intrusiveness,” which many journalists and filmmakers must do, and I was intrigued by how went about it, like how he used long lenses to create more physical distance from his subjects. He referred to the hospital rooms as “sacred space(s),” and I believe this reverence showed in the final product. I also like that Krauss went in wanting to show all sides of the conversation surrounding ICU patients. It’s not a film just about doctors, nor is it a film just about patients or about family. As the article says, it is a really small-scale, intimate film that speaks to a much larger concept, which, in my opinion, is the mark of a fantastic piece of media.