Last Call: The Shutdown of NYC Bars

"When dreaming I'm guided to another world
Time and time again
At sunrise I fight to stay asleep
'Cause I don't want to leave the comfort of this place
'Cause there's a hunger, a longing to escape
From the life I live when I'm awake" - Higher from Creed

As part of the Santa Barbara Film Festival we were able to discover the documentary film Last Call: The Shutdown of NYC Bars written and directed by Johnny Sweet. By tackling head-on the direct effects of the global pandemic linked to the spread of covid 19 through the case of two local bars in Queens, New York, we really realize the human distress, the loss of reference points and the impression that the world is plunged into a real science fiction movie in which the heart of society beats in slow motion and leaves many people without work, without resources to continue living.

Through the financial ruin of many restaurants and bars, the disappearance of some loved ones, this film allows us once again to realize the exemplary courage of frontline workers who are fighting to slow down the death toll, of those workers who are trying to find solutions to compensate for the closure of their workplaces

While in March 2020, Queens became the epicenter of the United States of COVID-19. This excellent documentary shows us how two local bars are fighting in their own way against the virus and financial ruin. This film is all the more touching because it shows us with sensitivity and intelligence the real crisis that restaurant owners and bars are going through, which are vital places in our society. Through numerous interviews, Last Call: The Shutdown of NYC Bars deserves to be discovered and stands out as an important documentary to never forget this era that has changed our society forever.

Last Call: The Shutdown of NYC Bars
Written and directed by Johnny Sweet
Produced by Johnny Sweet, Bryan TwZ Brousesau, Pier de Sanctis, Lisa Edward, Jasmine Rao
Executive producers : Bryan TwZ Brousesau, Pier de Sanctis
Cinematography: Bryan TwZ Brousesau
Edited by Bryan TwZ Brousesau, Jasmine Rao
Release date : April 1, 2021 (SBIFF)
Running time : 60 minutes

Seen on April 08, 2021 (SBIFF)

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