Phantom Limb (Short)

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Director: Jay Rosenblatt
Total Running Time: 28 minutes
Release Date: 2005
Website and Trailer: http://www.jayrosenblattfilms.com/phantom_limb.php

Synopsis
Director’s Note: The death of my seven-year-old brother when I was nine remains a painful and haunting memory. My parents did not know how to cope with the loss of their child and the entire family experienced indescribable pain. Phantom Limb uses this personal story as a point of departure. Whether it is a loss through death or divorce, the stages of grieving are the same. Individuals often go through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, ultimately, some kind of acceptance, in order to heal. The film is loosely structured according to these stages. Interspersed throughout this poetic documentary are interviews with a cemetery owner, a phantom limb patient and an author of a book about evidence for life after death. Phantom Limb reminds viewers that while grief is painful and isolating, it is a reminder to each of us that life is impermanent.

Select Awards
First Prize – Black Maria Film & Video Festival
Best Short Documentary – Florida Film Festival
Best Documentary – Belgrade Documentary Film Festival, Serbia
Onda Curta Short Film Award – IndieLisboa, Portugal
Special Jury Award – Seattle International Film Festival
Juror’s Choice Award – Humboldt International Film Festival
Honorable Mention – Ann Arbor Film Festival
Best International Short – Prends ça court, Montreal
Special Mention Award – Festival dei Popoli, Italy
Special Mention Award – Imago Film Festival, Portugal
Special Mention Award – Biennale de l’Image en Mouvement, Switzerland
Special Mention Award – Punto de Vista Festival, Spain
Distinguished Documentary Award Nomination – International Documentary Association (IDA)