Hotline

Hotline

Directed by Tony Shaff
Produced by Tony Shaff, lauren belfer & Bryce Renninger
At hotlines, the phones never stop ringing with calls from people looking to connect with strangers.

Overview

Genre
Society, Contemporary Issues, Social Issues, and Human Interest
Synopsis

HOTLINE is a documentary about telephone hotlines, the people who call and the people who answer-- and the ways human conversation and contact can fight isolation and alienation in an increasingly digital world.

From phone sex operators that buck industry norms by advertising their services with their real photos, to New York City's only suicide hotline that doesn't trace its calls, to the iconic spokeswoman of the Psychic Readers Network, Ms. Cleo, HOTLINE takes viewers behind the scenes and lets them eavesdrop on conversations that are intensely personal. At a time when we are told that the telephone is an obsolete technology, many hotlines are experiencing record high numbers of calls. HOTLINE seeks to open up a conversation about how we deal with loneliness and isolation and how sometimes the help and support we need can only come anonymously from a stranger.

Stage
finished
Running time
82 and 52 minutes

Credits

Production Details

Prod. Co.
Hotline, LLC
Country
United States
Years of Production
2011-14

Distribution Details

Release year
2014
Festivals
Hot Docs, Doc NYC, Hot Springs, New Orleans, Rhode Island, Denver, Brooklyn, Chagrin Falls, Portland
Distribution
Gravitas Ventures (North America), TVF International
Language
English

Photos

529e0c2162de7c0e6aff7fbb6e4ce76f

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