International Peace and Film Festival

Official Selection: At Arms Length

Official Selection: At Arms Length


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Description: In AT ARM’S LENGTH, two journalists who covered the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, TX, attempt to reconcile their empathetic relationships to the survivors with the distance required to continue reporting.
Director: Dana Reilly
Country: USA
Category: Documentary
Runtime: 00:14:45

View Trailer

This film has no trailer.
Ramiro and Sofia Martinez attend a candle light vigil after a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, U.S., November 5, 2017. REUTERS/Sergio Flores – RC127CDC1180

About the Film

On November 5, 2017, not long after Sunday morning service, a man opened fire in the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. He killed 26 people, including 8 children, before committing suicide. By Monday morning, hundreds of journalists had flooded the tiny town that had just lost 5 percent of its population in one day. Residents holed up in their homes to avoid the barrage of questions and camera crews. Some locals were so overwhelmed by the press horde that they did not attend the vigil held for the victims.

In AT ARM’S LENGTH, two journalists who covered the mass shooting attempt to reconcile their empathetic relationships to the survivors with the distance required to continue reporting.

This short documentary film explores both the impact of the media on a traumatized community and the intense emotional toll that documenting a mass shooting takes on journalists.

This film will compete among a total of 91 films at the International Peace and Film Festival in January 2020, in Orlando, FL. Attendance at the festival is free to the public, look for screening locations and times on PeaceFestival.us #ipff #izuminka #filmfestival #fashionshow #orlando #artifex

After The Festival


Official Selection: At Arms Length