GG Hawkins speaks with directors Jessica Dimmock and Zackary Canepari about their haunting and thought-provoking HBO documentary Thoughts & Prayers. The film offers a chillingly observational look at the normalization of school shootings in America—not by focusing on the tragedies themselves, but by examining the surreal, billion-dollar industry of “school safety” that's risen in their aftermath. Through restrained cinematography and a surprisingly dark sense of humor, Dimmock and Canepari capture how everyday life continues against the backdrop of unimaginable trauma, and how children are often more articulate than adults about the realities they face.

In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests discuss...

How the project evolved from a photo series to a full-length documentary

The cultural and industrial normalization of school shootings in America

Why the film avoids graphic depictions of violence and instead focuses on the systems around it

The use of stillness, humor, and wide shots as storytelling tools

Casting nontraditional “characters” in a documentary format

The emotional challenges of working with children on such a sensitive topic

Co-directing as creative collaborators and partners

The gear and post-production tools that made the film possible

Why the title Thoughts & Prayers was chosen and how satire plays into it

Memorable Quotes:

"In the middle of learning your ABCs, you pause to practice for mass death, and then you go back to learning... that's the chilling part."

"Cut this more like a scene in a Christopher Guest film than in an important documentary.”

"None of the adults ever say anything about guns... it's always the kids."

"We're not going to practice our way out of this."

Guests:

Jessica Dimmock

Zackary Canepari

Resources:

Thoughts & Prayers on HBO

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