3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets

3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets, also known as 3 1/2 Minutes, is a 2015 documentary film that was written and directed by Marc Silver. The film is based on the events surrounding the 2012 shooting of Jordan Russell Davis and examines the incident itself, as well as the subsequent trial, media coverage and protests that resulted from the shooting.

The film premiered under its original title 3 1/2 Minutes at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2015, later winning the Special Jury Prize for Social Impact.^[2] The film was then bought by HBO Documentary Films, and premiered on HBO on November 23, 2015. On December 1, it was one of 15 films shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for the 2016 89th Academy Awards.

Synopsis

The film takes a look at the shooting of Jordan Davis, an African-American teenager that was shot by Michael Dunn on November 23, 2012 at a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida. The shooting was sparked by an argument between Dunn and Davis over loud rap music and Dunn would later claim in court that he believed that Davis possessed a shotgun and was going to harm him. In the film Silver examines the shooting as well as the subsequent trial, media coverage and protests that resulted from the shooting, especially those stemming from the Black Lives Matter movement.

The film's title refers to the time between when Dunn pulled into the parking spot next to the vehicle Davis was in (seen as 7:30-7:33 PM), and how many bullets were fired (Approximately 10, from Dunn's Taurus PT 99 AF).^[3]

Production

Plans to create the documentary began when producer Minette Nelson read a 2013 Rolling Stone article about the case and Florida's stand-your-ground laws.^[3] She contacted Silver and asked him to serve as the film's director. He became interested in the documentary after noting the short amount of time between Dunn's arrival and the shooting, as he felt that the three and a half minutes could be understood in two different ways: "On the one level, through the court system, you would understand what happened during those three-and-a-half minutes in a very pragmatic way. Then [you have] what really happened in those moments on a bigger, more conceptual level."^[3]

Filming took place in Jacksonville, Florida during 2013 over a nine-month period, mainly using a Canon C100.^[3] Silver and his crew gained permission to film the Dunn trial, but only if they did not film the jury, as this could have resulted in a mistrial. They agreed, and filmed the trial from the back of the courtroom.^[3]

Release

The film premiered in the US Documentary Competition at Sundance in 2015.^[4] After screenings, the film was bought by HBO, to be aired in the late fall 2015.^[5] The official trailer for the film was released on YouTube on August 25, 2015,^[6] and the film aired on HBO on November 23, 2015 at 9 PM.

Reception

Critical response

The film received generally positive reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes giving the film a 100% rating based on 34 reviews,^[7] and Metacritic giving the film a 76% Metascore based on 19 reviews.^[8] Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, saying "The movie's meditative quality makes you feel for everyone involved in this tragedy—even Dunn, who seems very much a prisoner of fear and anger. Where a lot of documentaries would try to stir outrage, this one just leaves you shaking your head."^[9] Variety film critic Dennis Harvey also gave the film a positive review, noting "Though there are a few odd gaps in the gripping pic, and/or perhaps in the trial itself... the assembly is tight and accomplished on all levels."^[10]

Awards and nominations

On December 1, the film was selected as one of 15 shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.^[11]

References

External links

• Official website
• 3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets at the Internet Movie Database