Though it occurred 50 years ago, the shooting feels devastatingly familiar today.
That was my first knowledge of it: the moment, the realization, what does that feel like?
You studied at the University of Texas.
I expected to learn about it pretty much on day one since its an important history.
Thats the reason I decided to make the film.
The documentary is also inspired by Pamela Colloffs oral history of that day,96 Minutes.
How did that shape the narrative of the film?
It was during the 40th anniversary, 10 years ago, that that really incredible oral history was published.
I imagine that must have been a very delicate and difficult process?
I think theres been such a vacuum.
She felt disconnected from that for 50 years.
The film is mostly animated through rotoscoping.
What was your reasoning behind using that technique?
I knew that was what I wanted to capture.
I also knew that I wanted to present it to younger audiences.
I didnt want to give them an excuse to look past the story of a 67-year-old woman.
Toward the end of the film, you introduce present-day talking head interviews.
Did you intentionally withhold that footage until near the end?
Yes, that was always the original concept.
I always knew that we would honor the real people by revealing them and ending with them.
We decided to hold off on that as long as we possibly could.
It just felt like the further we could hold it off, the stronger the connections would be.
You also incorporate archival footage throughout.
How do you hope this film further the conversation on gun laws?
What we can do is recontextualize the conversation.
The thing is, thats an incredibly long amount of time for anything to last.
Its really up to the audience out there to do what they will with those feelings.
Towerwill be released on Wednesday in select cities.
