David Farnor | On 10, Sep 2016

Netflix is turning to short documentaries this September – and a new trailer gives us a taste of why.

The streaming giant has made a name for itself as a platform for non-fiction filmmakers, earning Oscar nominations for Virunga, The Square and What Happened, Miss Simone? along the way. This month, though, Extremis and The White Helmets see the site shift from feature-length to short documentaries. The latter, from the makers of Virunga, lands on Friday 16th September, three days after Extremis.

Directed by Academy Award and Emmy Award-nominated filmmaker Dan Krauss, the verité documentary explores the harrowing decisions that doctors, families and patients face in urgent end-of-life cases. With extraordinary access to the intensive care unit of a public hospital (Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA), the film offers a “uniquely intimate look at the intersection of science, faith, and humanity”.

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year and also screened at the San Francisco International Film Festival. It premieres on Tuesday 13th September. Here’s the trailer:

 

 

Netflix’s first short documentary set for September release

19th April 2016
Netflix will release its first original short documentary in September.

Extremis, directed by Academy Award and Emmy Award-nominated filmmaker Dan Krauss, is a verité documentary exploring the harrowing decisions that doctors, families and patients face in urgent end-of-life cases. With extraordinary access to the intensive care unit of a public hospital (Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA), the film offers a “uniquely intimate look at the intersection of science, faith, and humanity”.

The film draws from stories of ordinary people grappling with intensely profound questions across diverse backgrounds and beliefs.

“I strive to explore weighty ethical and moral questions through my films,” said Director Dan Krauss in a statement. “Doctors today can sustain life in ways once thought impossible, ushering in new and extremely complex questions about what it means for critically ill people to be kept alive. I hope audiences will take courage from the incredible dignity and compassion that the film’s subjects displayed amidst the most challenging circumstances.”

Extremis premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday 17th April and will also screen at the San Francisco International Film Festival on Saturday 23rd April. Netflix is no stranger to festival acquisitions, as this year’s Sundance shopping spree proves, but this is the first short-form documentary the streaming giant has acquired.

Dan Krauss’ previous documentary, The Death of Kevin Carter, was nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, and won prizes from Tribeca and the International Documentary Association, among others. His 2014 feature documentary, The Kill Team, won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Tribeca, an Independent Spirit Award, a nomination from the Director’s Guild of America, and was shortlisted for an Academy Award. As Director of Photography, Krauss has filmed numerous feature documentaries, including: Inequality for All, Broadway Idiot, We Are Legion, The Most Dangerous Man in America and Life 2.0.

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