FilmSnobReviews

Title: The Panola Project
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Rachael DeCruz, Jeremy S. Levine
Starring: Dorothy Oliver
Runtime: 17 mins

What It Is: Dorothy Oliver lives in the small Alabama town of Panola. She is the driving force behind getting her whole town vaccinated against COVID-19. Through her efforts, she will save the lives of the people around her that she loves. From the lens, we can see that this is a woman on a mission. A mission that will not be easy and one that to her will certainly be worth it.

What We Think: This is a really patiently made and beautifully crafted story. What DeCruz and Levine are doing here is so expertly done that everything flows like water. From scene to scene things get emotional, funny, and even highly poignant. With a clear message, it would have been so easy for DeCruz and Levine to rely solely on thumping their message home. Instead, everything is subtle. It never takes sides but simply observes. Doing the best it can to never tell us how to feel about the situation of the COVID-19 vaccine and whether or not you should get it. If you know me you know and understand my personal beliefs in regards to this issue. I won’t dispel them here because that would be making this review about me instead of being about this vitally important documentary short.

Our Grade: B+, The subject matter is a little dry but with the talent involved behind the camera there was simply no way for this to fail. Expert documentarianism leads to a complete surprise and a great short that is super easy to get a hold of. Check it out above. It’s well worth your time. In this modern age, we’re in seeing people want to help other people simply because it is the right thing to do is such an absolute treat to see.