HOTLINE

Once ubiquitous, but surprisingly still in regular use despite our increasingly detached digital world, telephone hotlines connect strangers for a multiplicity of purposes. Some are for profit, others for the public good—from the titillation of phone sex or the spiritual advice of Ms. Cleo, to the lifesaving potential of a suicide prevention line. Tony Shaff’s inquisitive film explores what motivates individuals to reveal personal details of their lives in conversations with faceless strangers.

This film is co-presented by NewFest.