Trauma triggering or preparedness? JUST A DRILL asks this question in the aftermath of school shootings, as schools across the country are conducting Active Shooter Drills.
If you have ever worked in an office, the opening scene of Just A Drill will immediately bring a smirk of recognition to your face as the etiquette of refilling the coffee pot in the break room is re-enacted. We see this propelled to the top of the list of magic rituals a new team member is expected to follow. It is one rite of passage in order to become a true team member. One might wonder amusingly if it is a coincidence that an experienced female teacher introduces a young male to this universal cultural norm. You too might note that this film was produced by an all-female crew. In this writer’s view, Just a Drill efficiently grabs the attention of the all-inclusive audience in barely a minute, effectively provoking us to want more.
Slowly unwinding a typical school conflict, we have the opportunity to viscerally share the experience with a seasoned educator. We are invited to assume the feelings of troubled student, overloaded parent, looming administrator and beleaguered teacher all at once. Weaving and clashing the needs of each party challenges the viewer to consider the best solution, as present, past and future implications loom in abeyance. We wearily relate to each stakeholder in the equation, while grasping the eternal experience of teachers who possess a heartfelt mission for offering human kindness in contrast to being tasked to remain within unrealistic institutional limitations, they find themselves trapped in.
In less than ten minutes, the theme of an impossible decision inflates beyond all bounds as the observer shares the teacher’s realistic terror attempting to grasp the inconceivable responsibility facing apocalyptic consequences.
Trauma triggering or preparedness? In the aftermath of school shootings, schools across the country are conducting Active Shooter Drills. The result of these are terrifying students of all ages and fueling controversy regarding the cost vs. benefit factor.
As an expert in treating trauma, this writer recommends that you watch this short with your children! Watch this with your children’s teachers! Then watch it again alone. Ten minutes of Just a Drill promises to inspire countless hours of provocative conversation.
Highly Recommended
Editor’s Note: Dr. Renae Lapin currently serves as a member of the mental health team providing support towards healing communal trauma following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. In addition, Dr. Lapin was employed as a Family Therapist by the School Board of Broward County Florida for 28 years. Selected for her expertise in addressing this topic, Dr. Lapin shared: “Having worked side by side with thousands of heroic teachers, I possess the highest degree of admiration and respect for the millions of educators who hold the future generation in every fiber of their hearts and souls 24/7.”
Here is a list of upcoming film festivals where it will be showing--
Female Voices Rock Film Fest - October 24th Cinema Village East NYC.
Female Filmmakers Fuse Film Festival - Nov14 - 16 Old Town Pasadena
African International Film Fest - Nov 10- 16
Photos courtesy of JUST A DRILL Film
About the Author:
Dr. Renae Lapin, LMFT shares her expertise with readers of Picture this Post from the lens of a trauma specialist, drawing from her forty-year career as a Family Therapist. She has helped thousands of individuals and families achieve their goals towards a more satisfying life with greater fulfillment in relationships and less stress in navigating day to day life. Taking her expertise out of the therapy room and into her written reviews for Picture This Post, Dr. Renae aims to challenge you to think differently, inspire you to feel differently and support you in taking new actions as you move forward in your life.
Traveling is one of Dr. Renae’s greatest passions, having visited almost all of the fifty states in the US and several dozen countries. She also enjoys hiking in National Parks as well as exploring city and rural culture, history, architecture and art.
Dr. Renae Lapin, LMFT currently maintains a private therapy practice in Boca Raton, Florida. See her teen
advice column: “ASK DR RENAE” published monthly in The Parklander Magazine. For more information
about Dr. Renae, view her business facebook @ASKDRRENAE and website Askdrrenae
