HBO Documentary Films Acquires Academy Award-Nominated Documentary Short “When We Were Bullies,” Debuting March 30 [VIDEO]

HBO Documentary Films has acquired the Academy Award®-nominated documentary short, WHEN WE WERE BULLIES, from longtime HBO collaborator Jay Rosenblatt (HBO’s “Phantom Limb,” “Human Remains“). The documentary debuts Wednesday, March 30 @ 9:00PM ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

WHEN WE WERE BULLIES begins with a mind-boggling coincidence from 25 years ago, which ultimately leads filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt to track down his fifth grade class to see what they remember from a bullying incident that occurred 50 years ago. Weaving together a collage of archival material, found footage, stop-motion animation and interviews with classmates and a teacher from the time, the film is a highly personal look back at a Brooklyn schoolyard incident that had been obscured by the elusive nature of memory but had resonated for decades. In a playful yet poignant reflection, Rosenblatt begins to understand his complicity, his sense of shame and the shared nature of such incidents and their aftermath.

Director Jay Rosenblatt quote: “WHEN WE WERE BULLIES has found the perfect home. I am honored to have another one of my films air on HBO, where creativity, originality and innovative storytelling are honored.”

About Jay Rosenblatt: Jay Rosenblatt is an internationally recognized artist and has completed over thirty films. His work, personal in content, yet universal in their appeal, explores our emotional and psychological cores. His films have received over 100 awards and have been screened throughout the world. Jay is a recipient of a Guggenheim, USA Artists and a Rockefeller Fellowship. He is currently the Program Director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.

Credits: HBO Documentary Films in association with Locomotion Films present a film by Jay Rosenblatt; animation, Jeremy Rourke; music by Erik Ian Walker (with a nod to Franz Schubert); cinematography, Kirsten Johnson, Ellie McCutcheon, Jay Rosenblatt.

	When We Were Bullies
	Release: 2021-01-28Genre: DocumentaryDuration: 36 minsBudget: $ 0
	Overview A mind-boggling "coincidence" leads the filmmaker to track down his fifth grade class – and fifth grade teacher – to examine their memory of and complicity in a bullying incident fifty years ago.