Editor Georgia Dodson reunited with Director Matt Lenski (Arts & Sciences) to edit his new short film “Call of Duty,” which has made the festival rounds this year, including True/False Film Festival, the Nashville Film Festival, and more.
In “Call of Duty,” Manhattan Jury Duty Clerk Walter Schretzman just wants you to remember while you wait: you are the only thing standing between civilization and anarchy.
“Matt originally interviewed several jury clerks, but it quickly became clear that this was Walter’s story. He’s trapped in a waiting room, day after day, with a largely unappreciative audience, yet sees humor and meaning in each person, each interaction,” says Dodson. “He’s a comedian and a philosopher in a place you wouldn’t expect to find either.” She previously collaborated with Lenski on his acclaimed short “The Meaning of Robots,” which premiered at Sundance, screened in MoMA’s New Directors/New Films, and won Best Short Documentary at the Nashville Film Festival in 2012.
While Dodson admits that one of the challenges with “Call of Duty” was honing the wealth of footage down to its final six minutes, another was conveying the experiences of waiting and boredom in a compelling way.
But, none of that was as hard as facing down bad excuses and the poor attitudes of prospective jurors.
