1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:13,834 --> 00:00:16,751 -♪ (WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ -(METALLIC CLANGING) 4 00:00:16,834 --> 00:00:20,918 (CHILDREN CHATTER IN DISTANCE) 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:27,167 (GRUNTS) Not as easy as I... remember. (GRUNTS) 6 00:00:27,250 --> 00:00:28,542 JAY ROSENBLATT: You remember doing this? 7 00:00:28,626 --> 00:00:31,125 I don't, but I was younger once. 8 00:00:31,209 --> 00:00:36,167 JAY: This is my elementary school in Brooklyn, P.S. 194. 9 00:00:36,250 --> 00:00:37,500 -It's a Saturday... -(LAUGHS) 10 00:00:37,584 --> 00:00:39,042 -...and the gates are locked. -♪ (MUSIC STOPS) ♪ 11 00:00:39,125 --> 00:00:41,042 -Shit. -RICHARD J. SILBERG: Yeah, that's a good idea. 12 00:00:41,125 --> 00:00:43,375 -JAY: And this is me. -(PAPER RIPPING) 13 00:00:45,709 --> 00:00:47,250 And this is me in fifth grade. 14 00:00:49,334 --> 00:00:51,292 But let's start this story in the middle. 15 00:00:51,375 --> 00:00:54,834 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 16 00:00:54,918 --> 00:01:00,459 This is me in 1992, and I'm living in San Francisco. 17 00:01:00,542 --> 00:01:03,918 I'm making a film called The Smell of Burning Ants, 18 00:01:05,083 --> 00:01:07,709 which is about boys and growing up male. 19 00:01:07,792 --> 00:01:10,375 (INAUDIBLE) 20 00:01:12,125 --> 00:01:15,584 JAY: The spark for the film came when I saw this scene 21 00:01:15,667 --> 00:01:18,375 from a 1960s educational film. 22 00:01:18,459 --> 00:01:21,042 (INAUDIBLE) 23 00:01:21,125 --> 00:01:23,167 JAY: But the moment that really got me 24 00:01:23,250 --> 00:01:26,626 was when a third boy throws a quick punch. 25 00:01:26,709 --> 00:01:27,667 ♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ 26 00:01:27,751 --> 00:01:29,626 When I saw this collaborator, 27 00:01:29,709 --> 00:01:33,542 I saw myself, and a memory jolted me, 28 00:01:33,626 --> 00:01:37,000 a memory that I hadn't thought about since fifth grade. 29 00:01:37,083 --> 00:01:38,667 ♪ (GENTLE HARP MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 30 00:01:38,751 --> 00:01:41,083 It was just three frames of film. 31 00:01:41,167 --> 00:01:42,918 -(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS) -A split second. 32 00:01:43,918 --> 00:01:45,834 If I would have blinked, 33 00:01:45,918 --> 00:01:47,834 I wouldn't be telling you this story. 34 00:01:52,042 --> 00:01:56,125 Fast-forward two years. I'm still working on that film, 35 00:01:56,209 --> 00:01:58,459 and I'm looking for someone to do voice-over 36 00:01:58,542 --> 00:02:01,375 because I really don't like the sound of my own voice. 37 00:02:03,292 --> 00:02:06,375 At the time, I was teaching a film class. 38 00:02:08,959 --> 00:02:11,709 The students were showing their final films, 39 00:02:11,792 --> 00:02:15,334 and I was taken by the voice in one particular film. 40 00:02:15,417 --> 00:02:17,709 RICHARD: This film is about a cat. 41 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,000 The cat fell. 42 00:02:21,083 --> 00:02:23,792 JAY: The narrator's name was Richard. 43 00:02:23,876 --> 00:02:27,834 He lived nearby in Berkeley, so we met at his house. 44 00:02:29,083 --> 00:02:31,167 As he looked over my script, 45 00:02:31,250 --> 00:02:33,542 he took notice of the following line. 46 00:02:34,417 --> 00:02:36,292 "He was raised on concrete, 47 00:02:36,375 --> 00:02:41,375 boxball, stickball, punchball, slap ball." 48 00:02:41,459 --> 00:02:43,959 Richard then turned to me and asked... 49 00:02:44,042 --> 00:02:46,667 "Are you from New York?" And you said, "Yeah." 50 00:02:46,751 --> 00:02:48,542 And we did the New York thing. 51 00:02:48,626 --> 00:02:50,000 "Where are you from?" "Brooklyn." 52 00:02:50,083 --> 00:02:51,918 "Where are you from?" "What part of Brooklyn?" 53 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:53,626 "Sheepshead Bay." "Really? Wow." 54 00:02:53,709 --> 00:02:55,667 Uh... "Where'd you go to school?" 55 00:02:55,751 --> 00:02:58,250 You said, uh... something. 56 00:02:58,334 --> 00:03:01,042 But then I said, "Where did you go to elementary school?" 57 00:03:01,125 --> 00:03:03,626 Which was an odd question in many ways. 58 00:03:03,709 --> 00:03:05,000 But you said P.S. 194, 59 00:03:05,083 --> 00:03:07,751 and I just could feel the electricity, 60 00:03:07,834 --> 00:03:09,209 like, because I went there. 61 00:03:09,292 --> 00:03:12,125 And... (INHALES) ...then I said, "How old are you?" 62 00:03:12,209 --> 00:03:14,459 And you told me. And we were the same age. 63 00:03:16,500 --> 00:03:18,375 And I just said, "Whoa." 64 00:03:18,459 --> 00:03:19,876 Wait, what's your name again?" (LAUGHS) 65 00:03:19,959 --> 00:03:22,167 And you said, "Jay Rosenblatt." And I'm... (INHALES) 66 00:03:22,250 --> 00:03:23,584 "Who was your fifth grade teacher?" 67 00:03:23,667 --> 00:03:26,918 And you said, "Mrs. Bromberg," and it was, like, stunning. 68 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,125 Because we had the same class. I remembered you. 69 00:03:30,918 --> 00:03:32,292 And I was trembling. 70 00:03:32,375 --> 00:03:33,459 And then you-- I don't know what-- 71 00:03:33,542 --> 00:03:34,959 Your reaction was pretty similar. 72 00:03:35,042 --> 00:03:37,834 We were both kinda like that. And then you said something... 73 00:03:37,918 --> 00:03:40,375 You said, "Turn the page." (CHUCKLES) 74 00:03:40,459 --> 00:03:42,334 And I turned the page of the script, 75 00:03:42,417 --> 00:03:44,667 and the first line was "In fifth grade..." 76 00:03:44,751 --> 00:03:49,083 -♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ -And it was like we had-- What? 77 00:03:49,167 --> 00:03:51,334 And it was like this whole flood of memory 78 00:03:51,417 --> 00:03:55,083 of things that I hadn't even thought about for decades. 79 00:03:55,167 --> 00:03:57,709 -Decades were there on the page. -JAY: Mm-hmm. 80 00:03:57,792 --> 00:04:00,500 And then what-- It was just... stunning 81 00:04:00,584 --> 00:04:04,918 to think that somebody else was writing something 82 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:06,834 about something that I was part of 83 00:04:06,918 --> 00:04:10,417 in 1965, 3,000 miles away. 84 00:04:10,500 --> 00:04:15,334 And here we are and... feet apart from each other. 85 00:04:15,417 --> 00:04:18,417 JAY: Richard then honed in on that exact same moment 86 00:04:18,500 --> 00:04:20,500 that triggered the idea for the film. 87 00:04:20,584 --> 00:04:21,584 (PAPER RUSTLES) 88 00:04:21,667 --> 00:04:23,876 That time we bullied this other Richard. 89 00:04:23,959 --> 00:04:27,334 -Richard (BLEEP). -(MUFFLED INDISTINCT CHATTER) 90 00:04:27,417 --> 00:04:28,500 I mean, 91 00:04:28,584 --> 00:04:30,667 he could have written the words he was reading. 92 00:04:32,542 --> 00:04:35,792 (CHILDREN CHEER, CLAMOR) 93 00:04:35,876 --> 00:04:39,209 JAY: For me, the memory was vague. 94 00:04:39,292 --> 00:04:42,292 All I knew for sure is that it happened. 95 00:04:43,751 --> 00:04:45,375 And I participated. 96 00:04:47,125 --> 00:04:49,709 Oh, yeah, one last thing. 97 00:04:50,709 --> 00:04:51,834 We got caught. 98 00:04:51,918 --> 00:04:55,167 -(GLASS SHATTERING) -(CHILDREN CHEERING) 99 00:04:55,250 --> 00:04:59,083 JAY: Richard remembered details I had completely forgotten, 100 00:04:59,167 --> 00:05:01,459 or maybe I just blocked. 101 00:05:01,542 --> 00:05:03,542 Like how Mrs. Bromberg would insist 102 00:05:03,626 --> 00:05:05,375 that we were totally silent 103 00:05:05,459 --> 00:05:08,375 and sit at attention with our hands clasped 104 00:05:08,459 --> 00:05:10,417 before she would let us go home. 105 00:05:11,584 --> 00:05:14,667 But on this particular day, it was different. 106 00:05:14,751 --> 00:05:18,083 Mrs. Bromberg ran a tight ship. 107 00:05:18,167 --> 00:05:19,626 And she wasn't gonna put up with nonsense. 108 00:05:19,709 --> 00:05:22,334 And I-- You know, so when she says, 109 00:05:22,417 --> 00:05:26,667 "No one's leaving. I want it absolutely silent. 110 00:05:26,751 --> 00:05:29,417 And I will decide when you leave." (CHUCKLES) 111 00:05:29,500 --> 00:05:31,459 And we all just kinda go, "Mm." 112 00:05:32,751 --> 00:05:34,375 And it's taking a long time. 113 00:05:34,459 --> 00:05:36,334 You know, usually it lasts about a minute. 114 00:05:36,417 --> 00:05:38,709 You know, as a teacher myself, I know, you just... 115 00:05:38,792 --> 00:05:40,876 you wanna make a minute, and then you go. 116 00:05:41,834 --> 00:05:43,167 It's going on and on and on. 117 00:05:43,250 --> 00:05:44,459 And finally she says, "You can go. 118 00:05:44,542 --> 00:05:49,542 You would've left earlier, but Richard was talking." 119 00:05:49,626 --> 00:05:52,417 And I was outraged. I wasn't talking. 120 00:05:52,500 --> 00:05:56,375 And then, I realized people thought it was me 121 00:05:56,459 --> 00:05:58,542 and I was gonna get shit for it. 122 00:05:58,626 --> 00:06:00,792 I didn't want people being mad at me. 123 00:06:00,876 --> 00:06:06,000 So, we pack up our stuff, and it occurs to me that... 124 00:06:07,292 --> 00:06:10,125 it must have been the other Richard in the class, 125 00:06:10,209 --> 00:06:12,334 who we called Dick. 126 00:06:12,417 --> 00:06:16,167 Uh... that was his name that he was assigned 127 00:06:16,250 --> 00:06:18,709 in fourth grade, when there were four Richards 128 00:06:18,792 --> 00:06:21,626 in the same class, in Mrs. Weidman's class. 129 00:06:21,709 --> 00:06:25,083 There was Richard, I was Richie, there was a Rich, 130 00:06:25,167 --> 00:06:27,500 and then this other guy got Dick. 131 00:06:27,584 --> 00:06:31,459 And, you know, in the hierarchy of fourth and fifth grade, 132 00:06:31,542 --> 00:06:33,500 that's not a good thing. Yeah. 133 00:06:33,584 --> 00:06:37,125 So, as we're packing up our stuff, 134 00:06:37,209 --> 00:06:39,709 I started-- I passed along to Michael Sorrel, 135 00:06:39,792 --> 00:06:41,083 who was right in front of me, 136 00:06:41,167 --> 00:06:44,000 -I said, "It was Dick." -(CHILDREN WHISPERING) 137 00:06:44,083 --> 00:06:46,417 RICHARD: "Get Dick. Pass it down." 138 00:06:46,500 --> 00:06:49,083 -And it started getting passed down. -(CHILDREN WHISPERING) 139 00:06:49,167 --> 00:06:53,292 All the way down the line as we were walking down. 140 00:06:53,375 --> 00:06:55,584 And everybody heard it. 141 00:06:55,667 --> 00:06:58,083 And as we get out of the building, 142 00:06:58,167 --> 00:07:00,709 we s-- he s-- He must've heard it as well, 143 00:07:00,792 --> 00:07:02,000 because he starts running. 144 00:07:02,083 --> 00:07:06,125 But we all, as a mass, kept on running down the stairs 145 00:07:06,209 --> 00:07:09,417 and surrounded him and jumped on him. 146 00:07:09,500 --> 00:07:10,667 I jumped on him, 147 00:07:10,751 --> 00:07:12,500 and Michael Sorrel jumped on him, 148 00:07:12,584 --> 00:07:14,167 that's what I remember the most. 149 00:07:14,250 --> 00:07:18,959 Girls were jumping on him. It was, like, out of control. 150 00:07:19,042 --> 00:07:22,000 But we were all angry at him. 151 00:07:22,083 --> 00:07:24,584 JAY: Now, let's pick up where we left off. 152 00:07:24,667 --> 00:07:27,000 At the locked gate of P.S. 194. 153 00:07:27,083 --> 00:07:28,626 -God. -♪ (WHIMSICAL MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 154 00:07:28,709 --> 00:07:30,834 -I don't like this, Richard. -(RICHARD CHUCKLES) 155 00:07:30,918 --> 00:07:32,125 I don't know where to put my foot. 156 00:07:32,209 --> 00:07:34,959 RICHARD: Uh, if you can get that foot down... 157 00:07:35,042 --> 00:07:37,292 and then just your other foot over. 158 00:07:37,375 --> 00:07:40,042 Then if you can move your hands to the fence at some point. 159 00:07:40,125 --> 00:07:42,500 -(JAY GRUNTS) -RICHARD: Don't come down fast. 160 00:07:47,626 --> 00:07:48,667 (JAY GRUNTS) 161 00:07:48,751 --> 00:07:52,083 -(BREATHES HEAVILY) -♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪ 162 00:07:52,167 --> 00:07:54,876 It's almost as if you can almost see the spot. 163 00:07:54,959 --> 00:07:57,751 You know, it just feels like it was right here. 164 00:07:59,459 --> 00:08:01,918 There's-- There's something right here. 165 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,500 -And this is where we surrounded him. -(CHILDREN CLAMORING) 166 00:08:04,584 --> 00:08:06,375 And some kids spit on him. 167 00:08:06,459 --> 00:08:08,042 Everybody's taunting him 168 00:08:08,125 --> 00:08:11,751 with, uh, whatever everybody wanted to do, it seemed. 169 00:08:11,834 --> 00:08:15,626 It seemed like everybody had free will to, uh... 170 00:08:15,709 --> 00:08:19,000 to do whatever it felt like he deserved. 171 00:08:19,083 --> 00:08:22,751 And this where I remember, at this point, 172 00:08:22,834 --> 00:08:23,959 being a bit of an instigator. 173 00:08:24,042 --> 00:08:27,250 And I remember being on my knees, somehow, 174 00:08:27,334 --> 00:08:29,709 and then seeing, looking back-- 175 00:08:29,792 --> 00:08:31,709 We're here, so perhaps I was punching him, 176 00:08:31,792 --> 00:08:34,083 perhaps just spitting on him, just perhaps yelling, 177 00:08:34,167 --> 00:08:36,918 I don't remember the specifics of what I did. 178 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,667 But I do know Michael Sorrel, another student, was next to me 179 00:08:41,751 --> 00:08:44,042 because everybody stops, and we look up, 180 00:08:44,125 --> 00:08:46,209 and we see coming down the stairs... 181 00:08:46,292 --> 00:08:49,542 Mrs. Bromberg and Dr. Pinkus, the principal. 182 00:08:49,626 --> 00:08:53,500 Everybody gets up as one and starts running and running. 183 00:08:53,584 --> 00:08:55,792 And then I remember the next day, 184 00:08:55,876 --> 00:08:59,000 coming in, and Mrs. Bromberg sent... 185 00:08:59,834 --> 00:09:02,042 Dick out for an errand, 186 00:09:02,125 --> 00:09:03,792 and then just turned to the class 187 00:09:03,876 --> 00:09:05,918 and just said, "You are animals," 188 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:07,751 and really gave us 189 00:09:08,459 --> 00:09:09,792 a going-to, yeah. 190 00:09:09,876 --> 00:09:12,542 -JAY: Wow. -So, it's just-- 191 00:09:12,626 --> 00:09:14,626 So, you know, from my perspective, 192 00:09:14,709 --> 00:09:17,417 it was like... I was trying to keep... 193 00:09:18,459 --> 00:09:21,459 me from getting the wrath of the class, 194 00:09:21,542 --> 00:09:23,000 and pinned it on him. 195 00:09:23,083 --> 00:09:24,250 (CHILDREN CLAMORING) 196 00:09:24,334 --> 00:09:27,083 JAY: This experience had clearly affected us both. 197 00:09:27,167 --> 00:09:29,500 And the more I delve into it, 198 00:09:29,584 --> 00:09:32,000 the more upset I am that I was involved. 199 00:09:32,083 --> 00:09:33,417 (CHILD GIGGLES) 200 00:09:33,500 --> 00:09:35,626 JAY: And as I was soon to learn, 201 00:09:36,584 --> 00:09:38,918 we were not alone in this memory. 202 00:09:42,626 --> 00:09:45,125 ♪ (SOFT MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 203 00:09:45,209 --> 00:09:47,334 So I finally finish my film, 204 00:09:47,417 --> 00:09:49,042 and it seems to hit a nerve. 205 00:09:52,792 --> 00:09:57,125 A local newspaper wants to do a cover story on me and my work. 206 00:09:58,792 --> 00:10:01,584 At some point, I end up telling the writer 207 00:10:01,667 --> 00:10:03,000 about that weird coincidence 208 00:10:03,083 --> 00:10:07,167 -with my narrator, Richard. -(PROJECTOR WHIRRING) 209 00:10:07,250 --> 00:10:09,500 He is clearly taken by this story. 210 00:10:09,584 --> 00:10:10,792 -(CHILDREN CLAMOR) -So much so 211 00:10:10,876 --> 00:10:13,250 that it becomes a big part of his article. 212 00:10:15,459 --> 00:10:17,250 A couple of decades later, 213 00:10:17,334 --> 00:10:19,000 while making this film, 214 00:10:19,083 --> 00:10:20,792 -I asked him why. -♪ (MUSIC ENDS) ♪ 215 00:10:20,876 --> 00:10:22,751 I mean, I'll be honest. I mean, I was-- 216 00:10:22,834 --> 00:10:24,959 I was a kid who... was bullied. 217 00:10:25,042 --> 00:10:29,542 I was the fat kid in grade school. Um... 218 00:10:29,626 --> 00:10:32,375 You know, the idea of being that sort of... 219 00:10:32,459 --> 00:10:36,500 fourth kid called Dick who was the target 220 00:10:36,584 --> 00:10:42,918 of regular abuse, humiliation, you know, it's-- 221 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,626 When you're that kid, it's sort of like 222 00:10:44,709 --> 00:10:46,709 it's death by a thousand cuts, you know? 223 00:10:46,792 --> 00:10:50,500 It's not just one incident, it's sort of just... 224 00:10:50,584 --> 00:10:53,834 being in that state. And you're not sure, 225 00:10:53,918 --> 00:10:56,500 when you're that age and when you're that kid, 226 00:10:56,584 --> 00:10:58,375 when you're gonna get out of it. 227 00:10:58,459 --> 00:11:00,876 JAY: He even researches the incident. 228 00:11:00,959 --> 00:11:04,500 I found a website devoted entirely to P.S. 194. 229 00:11:04,584 --> 00:11:05,876 JAY: And there were class photos 230 00:11:05,959 --> 00:11:07,459 -for every year. -(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS) 231 00:11:07,542 --> 00:11:09,209 -But for some reason... -(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS) 232 00:11:09,292 --> 00:11:11,042 -...my fifth grade photo... -(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS) 233 00:11:11,125 --> 00:11:12,542 ...was missing. 234 00:11:13,334 --> 00:11:17,209 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 235 00:11:17,292 --> 00:11:18,918 -And then... -(KEYBOARD CLACKING) 236 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,751 ...I get this e-mail from a woman named Wendy. 237 00:11:22,959 --> 00:11:25,667 She had gone to elementary school with me. 238 00:11:25,751 --> 00:11:29,000 In fact, we grew up in the same apartment building. 239 00:11:30,584 --> 00:11:33,375 I remember when we were five years old, 240 00:11:33,459 --> 00:11:37,000 we played "you show me yours and I'll show you mine" 241 00:11:37,083 --> 00:11:39,292 in her bedroom closet. 242 00:11:39,375 --> 00:11:42,375 Anyway, she had heard through the website 243 00:11:42,459 --> 00:11:45,375 that I made a film that involved P.S. 194, 244 00:11:45,459 --> 00:11:48,542 -and that I was looking for our fifth grade class photo. -♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ 245 00:11:48,626 --> 00:11:52,083 And I had that photo, so I sent it to you. 246 00:11:52,167 --> 00:11:53,792 JAY: And then, she asked... 247 00:11:53,876 --> 00:11:55,417 If this had anything to do with 248 00:11:55,500 --> 00:11:57,417 that bullying incident that happened 249 00:11:57,500 --> 00:12:00,459 with Richard (BLEEP) on the schoolyard. 250 00:12:00,542 --> 00:12:02,459 JAY: What was it about this event 251 00:12:02,542 --> 00:12:05,000 that we all zeroed in on? 252 00:12:05,083 --> 00:12:08,959 He sat sort of diagonally in front of me. 253 00:12:09,042 --> 00:12:12,792 And he used to sort of sit in an awkward position. 254 00:12:12,876 --> 00:12:14,626 He would always reach his hand out 255 00:12:14,709 --> 00:12:16,417 and put it on my desk. 256 00:12:16,500 --> 00:12:19,292 And I didn't like it that he did that. 257 00:12:19,375 --> 00:12:22,334 He did it repetitively. 258 00:12:22,417 --> 00:12:24,000 Um, it must've been repetitively 259 00:12:24,083 --> 00:12:27,125 because one day, I brought a little pin to class. 260 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:29,250 (CHUCKLES) 261 00:12:29,334 --> 00:12:31,792 He put his hand on my desk, and I just gave him a little, 262 00:12:31,876 --> 00:12:33,834 just a little, tiny little prick. (CHUCKLES) 263 00:12:33,918 --> 00:12:36,876 And I still remember the look on his face. He was just-- 264 00:12:36,959 --> 00:12:39,167 He didn't know that I had done anything. 265 00:12:39,250 --> 00:12:43,000 He was just in shock, and he pulled his hand away. 266 00:12:46,209 --> 00:12:48,459 But I'm kind of feeling guilty to this day 267 00:12:48,542 --> 00:12:50,250 that I did something like that. 268 00:12:53,375 --> 00:12:56,459 ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 269 00:12:57,918 --> 00:13:01,167 JAY: Two years later, I get the e-mail 270 00:13:01,250 --> 00:13:04,584 that in the back of my mind I always feared I might get. 271 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:07,250 It is from Dick. 272 00:13:08,375 --> 00:13:09,709 -He writes... -(KEYBOARD CLACKING) 273 00:13:09,792 --> 00:13:12,500 "I heard you've made a film about me." 274 00:13:12,584 --> 00:13:16,000 I write back that it wasn't exactly about him, 275 00:13:16,083 --> 00:13:20,000 but that, yes, there was a story in it that he was a part of. 276 00:13:21,500 --> 00:13:24,000 I assure him that I changed his name. 277 00:13:25,125 --> 00:13:28,834 He writes back that he'd like to see the film. 278 00:13:28,918 --> 00:13:32,667 I tell him that I would hate to bring up any painful memories 279 00:13:32,751 --> 00:13:34,125 that he may have buried. 280 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,125 He says he's been a television producer 281 00:13:39,209 --> 00:13:42,417 for the past 20 years and has been quite successful. 282 00:13:43,626 --> 00:13:45,959 In other words, he can handle it. 283 00:13:47,792 --> 00:13:49,292 I send him a DVD, 284 00:13:50,250 --> 00:13:51,792 and I never hear back. 285 00:13:57,667 --> 00:13:59,542 ♪ (MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ 286 00:13:59,626 --> 00:14:01,292 Sixteen years go by, 287 00:14:02,417 --> 00:14:04,000 when out of nowhere, 288 00:14:04,083 --> 00:14:07,876 I get an invitation to a 50th anniversary reunion 289 00:14:08,500 --> 00:14:10,083 of P.S. 194. 290 00:14:13,334 --> 00:14:15,500 Is the universe trying to tell me something? 291 00:14:18,959 --> 00:14:21,250 And at that moment, it hit me. 292 00:14:23,042 --> 00:14:25,876 I have to speak to my other classmates 293 00:14:25,959 --> 00:14:29,042 about what happened that Friday in fifth grade. 294 00:14:31,125 --> 00:14:34,709 I decide to track down whomever I can find. 295 00:14:38,626 --> 00:14:41,083 ♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪ 296 00:14:43,334 --> 00:14:44,459 ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 297 00:14:44,542 --> 00:14:46,959 -(TRAFFIC RUMBLES) -Richard and I are here to... 298 00:14:47,709 --> 00:14:50,167 go to the 50th reunion 299 00:14:50,918 --> 00:14:52,542 of P.S. 194, 300 00:14:53,459 --> 00:14:56,626 which, I think you agree is strange, 301 00:14:56,709 --> 00:14:57,918 -that there's a... -Right. 302 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,334 ...a reunion for grade school. 303 00:15:00,417 --> 00:15:02,167 -Yes, it is strange. -I don't know-- 304 00:15:02,250 --> 00:15:05,584 It's morphed into a little more than that, but it is strange. 305 00:15:05,667 --> 00:15:07,751 I know, but I never heard of it. 306 00:15:07,834 --> 00:15:09,876 -That people do this. -Right. 307 00:15:09,959 --> 00:15:11,667 So I'm wondering if this is unique, 308 00:15:11,751 --> 00:15:14,626 -or we're just out of it. -We're out-- 309 00:15:14,709 --> 00:15:16,167 -It just-- -I think it's unique. 310 00:15:16,250 --> 00:15:18,459 -Yeah. Okay. -I can't imagine. 311 00:15:20,834 --> 00:15:22,542 ♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪ 312 00:15:22,626 --> 00:15:25,584 (LOUD, INDISTINCT CHATTER) 313 00:15:33,751 --> 00:15:35,834 JAY: Although I couldn't film at the reunion, 314 00:15:35,918 --> 00:15:38,500 I do meet a schoolmate who flew up from Florida. 315 00:15:38,584 --> 00:15:40,042 -(AIRPLANE ENGINE RUMBLES) -(TIRES SCREECH) 316 00:15:40,125 --> 00:15:42,250 She tells me that a few years ago, 317 00:15:42,334 --> 00:15:46,709 Mrs. Bromberg came into the ophthalmologist's office where she works. 318 00:15:48,292 --> 00:15:49,542 She then tells me 319 00:15:49,626 --> 00:15:52,375 that Mrs. Bromberg moved back to New York 320 00:15:52,459 --> 00:15:54,334 and is still alive. 321 00:15:54,417 --> 00:15:57,542 And she offers to help me find her. 322 00:15:59,709 --> 00:16:03,209 But first, I wanted to speak to my classmates, 323 00:16:03,292 --> 00:16:05,042 to see what they remembered. 324 00:16:05,125 --> 00:16:06,876 (TELEPHONE RINGS) 325 00:16:09,375 --> 00:16:10,918 (TELEPHONE RINGS) 326 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:12,751 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 327 00:16:12,834 --> 00:16:14,709 CLASSMATE 1: I'm searching deep in the bowels 328 00:16:14,792 --> 00:16:16,334 of my memory... (CHUCKLES) 329 00:16:16,417 --> 00:16:21,542 ...for this to jump out at me or come to me, 330 00:16:21,626 --> 00:16:23,167 but I gotta tell ya, I got nothing. 331 00:16:23,250 --> 00:16:25,667 CLASSMATE 2: No, 'cause I don't think I was there. 332 00:16:25,751 --> 00:16:28,918 And I got the idea it was something that happened 333 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:30,459 in the schoolyard. 334 00:16:30,542 --> 00:16:32,500 CLASSMATE 3: Yeah, I don't recall anything 335 00:16:32,584 --> 00:16:34,542 specifically after school, 336 00:16:34,626 --> 00:16:37,125 but I do-- I certainly remember Richard. 337 00:16:37,209 --> 00:16:39,083 CLASSMATE 4: He always struck me as someone 338 00:16:39,167 --> 00:16:41,000 who was on the outside. 339 00:16:41,083 --> 00:16:44,083 CLASSMATE 5: I remember him being awkward. 340 00:16:44,167 --> 00:16:46,667 -Not comfortable in his own skin. -♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ 341 00:16:46,751 --> 00:16:49,083 CLASSMATE 6: I believe it was in the schoolyard. 342 00:16:49,834 --> 00:16:52,542 I remember sort of a circle 343 00:16:52,626 --> 00:16:56,083 -around him. Um... -(CHILDREN CLAMORING) 344 00:16:56,167 --> 00:16:57,417 CLASSMATE 6: And the chanting. 345 00:16:57,500 --> 00:17:00,626 And I remember him breaking away 346 00:17:00,709 --> 00:17:05,542 and pushing out of the circle and running home. 347 00:17:07,417 --> 00:17:10,792 You know, I don't think anybody was friends with him. 348 00:17:10,876 --> 00:17:15,042 Kind of the worst thing you could do is shunning, 349 00:17:15,125 --> 00:17:16,542 which I've learned over the years, 350 00:17:16,626 --> 00:17:18,459 being in education. 351 00:17:18,542 --> 00:17:22,751 Shunning somebody cuts them off from all social ties. 352 00:17:22,834 --> 00:17:25,709 And in many ways, that's what we did with Richard. 353 00:17:25,792 --> 00:17:29,542 -We shunned him, so that... -♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 354 00:17:29,626 --> 00:17:31,542 ...if you befriended him, 355 00:17:32,375 --> 00:17:34,792 you were then shunned as well. 356 00:17:34,876 --> 00:17:37,792 CLASSMATE 7: I remember what an annoying... 357 00:17:37,876 --> 00:17:41,667 (CLICKS TONGUE) That I-- He brought me to a point 358 00:17:41,751 --> 00:17:45,250 where I had to punch him in the face in the schoolyard... 359 00:17:45,334 --> 00:17:48,000 to get him away from me, to just leave me alone. 360 00:17:48,083 --> 00:17:50,959 CLASSMATE 8: I mean, he definitely marched to a different drummer, 361 00:17:51,042 --> 00:17:53,375 but I don't think we were nice to him. 362 00:17:53,459 --> 00:17:55,792 CLASSMATE 9: I just remember he would just explode, 363 00:17:55,876 --> 00:17:59,209 and then burst out crying at the drop of a hat. 364 00:17:59,292 --> 00:18:00,918 CLASSMATE 10: Well, at least I think in our case, 365 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,500 we picked on him just because he seemed... 366 00:18:03,584 --> 00:18:04,751 he seemed vulnerable. 367 00:18:04,834 --> 00:18:07,375 CLASSMATE 11: We were actually kinda friends. 368 00:18:07,459 --> 00:18:10,500 I had been to his house, he had been to mine. 369 00:18:10,584 --> 00:18:13,834 I remember working on projects together with him. 370 00:18:13,918 --> 00:18:15,417 CLASSMATE 12: You know what I remember? 371 00:18:15,500 --> 00:18:17,709 I remember the saddest thing of all... 372 00:18:17,792 --> 00:18:19,292 -JAY: Hmm. -...which was your brother. 373 00:18:19,375 --> 00:18:21,083 -JAY: Yeah. -(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS) 374 00:18:21,167 --> 00:18:23,751 CLASSMATE 12: That's what I remember, and... 375 00:18:23,834 --> 00:18:27,709 and just what a difficult... 376 00:18:27,792 --> 00:18:30,250 childhood that must have made for you. (CHUCKLES) 377 00:18:30,334 --> 00:18:32,542 CLASSMATE 13: I remember him being very intelligent. 378 00:18:33,209 --> 00:18:34,459 When he spoke, 379 00:18:34,542 --> 00:18:38,626 he did not speak like a child. He almost spoke like an adult. 380 00:18:38,709 --> 00:18:41,792 CLASSMATE 14: Beyond his years in one aspect, 381 00:18:41,876 --> 00:18:44,626 and yet very immature in others. 382 00:18:44,709 --> 00:18:47,209 I remember him never using the word "bathroom." 383 00:18:47,292 --> 00:18:49,000 "Lavoratory." 384 00:18:49,083 --> 00:18:50,375 CLASSMATE 15: I remember him 385 00:18:50,459 --> 00:18:55,375 throwing his notebook and pencil at the teacher. 386 00:18:55,459 --> 00:18:56,959 And I remember being really shocked 387 00:18:57,042 --> 00:18:58,209 by that kind of behavior. 388 00:18:58,292 --> 00:19:00,209 You know, like, "Whoa, who does that?" 389 00:19:00,292 --> 00:19:02,417 CLASSMATE 16: I remember you were unfortunate enough 390 00:19:02,500 --> 00:19:04,667 to lose your brother at a very young age. 391 00:19:04,751 --> 00:19:06,125 CLASSMATE 17: I just remember him 392 00:19:06,209 --> 00:19:09,417 as being an off-key kid. 393 00:19:09,500 --> 00:19:12,000 But I was off-key myself. 394 00:19:12,083 --> 00:19:14,542 I remember having the whole class 395 00:19:14,626 --> 00:19:17,334 -being punished for something. -(TEACHER SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) 396 00:19:17,417 --> 00:19:19,250 CLASSMATE 17: Now, I probably was not brave enough 397 00:19:19,334 --> 00:19:21,834 back then to say, "That's not fair." 398 00:19:21,918 --> 00:19:25,209 And I remember that her response was, "That's tough." 399 00:19:25,292 --> 00:19:28,042 Mrs. Bromberg could be a bully... 400 00:19:28,125 --> 00:19:31,751 um, or she could've been just a very strict teacher. 401 00:19:31,834 --> 00:19:34,751 CLASSMATE 18: I just felt drawn to you 402 00:19:34,834 --> 00:19:39,000 because I felt what I thought was your sadness. 403 00:19:39,876 --> 00:19:40,959 And I don't even remember 404 00:19:41,042 --> 00:19:43,042 if your brother was older or younger. 405 00:19:44,667 --> 00:19:46,584 JAY: He was younger. 406 00:19:46,667 --> 00:19:48,250 -Two years younger. -CLASSMATE 18: Okay. 407 00:19:49,500 --> 00:19:53,083 CLASSMATE 1: I recall that I was an obnoxious kid. 408 00:19:54,250 --> 00:19:57,250 So I would have had no problem 409 00:19:57,334 --> 00:19:59,542 taunting somebody else, you know? 410 00:19:59,626 --> 00:20:02,250 Naturally also being that you, in fifth grade, 411 00:20:02,334 --> 00:20:03,459 you know, when you're in fifth grade, 412 00:20:03,542 --> 00:20:05,542 you're very insecure about yourself. 413 00:20:05,626 --> 00:20:07,000 -JAY: Mm-hmm. -CLASSMATE 1: You know, 414 00:20:07,083 --> 00:20:08,459 whenever you're insecure about yourself, 415 00:20:08,542 --> 00:20:10,417 you always try and make yourself better 416 00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:12,334 by putting other people down. 417 00:20:12,417 --> 00:20:14,876 CLASSMATE 19: I know there were times where I would just, like, 418 00:20:14,959 --> 00:20:18,209 you know, sneakily give him a... 419 00:20:18,292 --> 00:20:22,751 kind of a-- some kind of emotional jab or something. 420 00:20:22,834 --> 00:20:27,959 And now, being a bully to me is, like, one of 421 00:20:28,042 --> 00:20:30,500 the most disgusting things anyone could be, so... 422 00:20:30,584 --> 00:20:32,334 It just bothers me, 'cause he... 423 00:20:33,709 --> 00:20:34,792 he was nervous, 424 00:20:34,876 --> 00:20:37,834 and, um, I contributed more to his nervousness, 425 00:20:37,918 --> 00:20:39,834 and that really bugs me. 426 00:20:39,918 --> 00:20:43,584 CLASSMATE 18: So as a class, like, we all witnessed this, 427 00:20:43,667 --> 00:20:46,459 or some of us remember, some of us don't, 428 00:20:46,542 --> 00:20:51,125 and Richard has his own story that he lived too. 429 00:20:51,209 --> 00:20:54,709 And I would be so interested in that. 430 00:20:54,792 --> 00:20:56,500 Like, he might be just fine. 431 00:20:56,584 --> 00:20:59,459 CLASSMATE 7: It was a different time, a different era. 432 00:20:59,542 --> 00:21:01,751 Um-- I'd have-- I'd apologize, 433 00:21:01,834 --> 00:21:04,834 and I have a lot more compassion to him, 434 00:21:04,918 --> 00:21:06,250 because by the grace of God, 435 00:21:06,334 --> 00:21:09,500 he could've been one of my kids or grandchildren. 436 00:21:09,584 --> 00:21:11,500 -JAY: Hmm. -CLASSMATE 7: But at that time, I think 437 00:21:11,584 --> 00:21:13,667 poor Richard was left, uh... 438 00:21:13,751 --> 00:21:15,250 you know, left out on an island. 439 00:21:15,334 --> 00:21:16,542 ♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ 440 00:21:16,626 --> 00:21:19,209 And God knows, you know, how painful it must have been 441 00:21:19,292 --> 00:21:20,709 being inside his head. 442 00:21:23,709 --> 00:21:26,042 JAY: Okay. Aside from Dick, 443 00:21:26,125 --> 00:21:29,000 I interviewed everyone I could find. 444 00:21:29,083 --> 00:21:33,709 Sadly, three of my classmates have passed away. 445 00:21:33,792 --> 00:21:37,209 Eddie, my best friend throughout grade school, 446 00:21:37,292 --> 00:21:40,250 died at age 50 from throat cancer. 447 00:21:41,459 --> 00:21:42,626 And I still miss him. 448 00:21:44,459 --> 00:21:49,250 And Marilyn died at age 60 from ovarian cancer. 449 00:21:51,125 --> 00:21:54,834 And Jerry died a few months after I interviewed him, 450 00:21:54,918 --> 00:21:58,834 at age 64, from a heart attack. 451 00:21:58,918 --> 00:22:01,667 JERRY: Say hi to anybody you do speak to, Jay. Uh... 452 00:22:01,751 --> 00:22:03,626 Tell 'em we-- You just say we spoke 453 00:22:03,709 --> 00:22:06,250 and, uh, send my regards. 454 00:22:11,292 --> 00:22:12,918 JAY: Here's what I've learned so far. 455 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:13,959 ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 456 00:22:14,042 --> 00:22:18,292 One, in a way, I still feel guilty. 457 00:22:18,375 --> 00:22:20,334 And I have to ask myself, 458 00:22:20,417 --> 00:22:23,626 "Am I trying to atone by making this film?" 459 00:22:25,667 --> 00:22:28,125 Two, I never realized 460 00:22:28,209 --> 00:22:32,459 how much Mrs. Bromberg calling us animals affected me, 461 00:22:32,542 --> 00:22:34,876 and I now remember the shame I felt. 462 00:22:36,667 --> 00:22:39,500 Three, I'm starting to wonder 463 00:22:39,584 --> 00:22:42,500 if we are hard-wired to pick up vulnerability. 464 00:22:44,500 --> 00:22:48,751 Four, although I thought I had hidden it from everyone, 465 00:22:48,834 --> 00:22:50,334 my classmates remembered 466 00:22:50,417 --> 00:22:53,250 I had a brother who died when I was in fourth grade 467 00:22:53,334 --> 00:22:56,250 and that I was shut down and unapproachable. 468 00:22:58,209 --> 00:23:02,834 Five, I really need to find Mrs. Bromberg. 469 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,500 ♪ (MUSIC ENDS) ♪ 470 00:23:06,584 --> 00:23:08,792 BOBBE BROMBERG: (OVER VOICEMAIL) Please leave me a message. 471 00:23:11,542 --> 00:23:12,667 (VOICEMAIL BEEPS) 472 00:23:12,751 --> 00:23:16,375 Yeah, hello, Mrs. Bromberg, this is Jay Rosenblatt, 473 00:23:16,459 --> 00:23:22,792 a former student of yours, way back in 1965 and 1966. 474 00:23:23,792 --> 00:23:27,375 And I would love to speak with you. Um... 475 00:23:27,459 --> 00:23:30,083 I will give you a call back in a little while, 476 00:23:30,167 --> 00:23:32,584 and hopefully we can connect. 477 00:23:32,667 --> 00:23:35,542 I hope you are well, and I will speak to you soon. 478 00:23:35,626 --> 00:23:36,959 Thanks. Bye. 479 00:23:37,042 --> 00:23:39,584 BOBBE: (OVER VOICEMAIL) Please leave me a message. 480 00:23:39,667 --> 00:23:40,834 (VOICEMAIL BEEPS) 481 00:23:40,918 --> 00:23:43,125 BOBBE: (OVER VOICEMAIL) Please leave me a message. 482 00:23:43,209 --> 00:23:44,334 (VOICEMAIL BEEPS) 483 00:23:44,417 --> 00:23:47,042 BOBBE: (OVER VOICEMAIL) Please leave me a message. 484 00:23:47,125 --> 00:23:48,209 (VOICEMAIL BEEPS) 485 00:23:49,709 --> 00:23:51,834 (TELEPHONE RINGS) 486 00:23:52,417 --> 00:23:53,876 BOBBE: (OVER PHONE) 487 00:23:53,959 --> 00:23:55,542 Hi, Mrs. Bromberg. 488 00:23:55,626 --> 00:23:57,042 -This is-- -BOBBE: 489 00:23:57,125 --> 00:23:58,542 This is Jay Rosenblatt. 490 00:23:59,500 --> 00:24:01,542 BOBBE: 491 00:24:05,584 --> 00:24:06,876 Is this a good time? 492 00:24:07,751 --> 00:24:08,876 BOBBE: 493 00:24:08,959 --> 00:24:10,250 Okay, perfect. 494 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:12,959 Um... How are you? 495 00:24:13,626 --> 00:24:14,751 BOBBE: 496 00:24:20,250 --> 00:24:23,751 Wow, that's great. That's great. 497 00:24:24,417 --> 00:24:26,000 BOBBE: 498 00:24:26,083 --> 00:24:28,459 I'm really-- I'm really glad to hear that. 499 00:24:29,125 --> 00:24:30,292 (BOBBE CHUCKLES) 500 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,375 -(AIRPLANE ENGINE RUMBLES) -(TIRES SCREECH) 501 00:24:44,167 --> 00:24:46,751 -BOBBE: Hello. -Hi, Mrs. Bromberg. 502 00:24:46,834 --> 00:24:48,584 BOBBE: 503 00:24:49,083 --> 00:24:51,000 (CHUCKLES) Hi. 504 00:24:51,083 --> 00:24:53,334 -Oh! Oh. -We have our-- Hi, Bobby. 505 00:24:54,417 --> 00:24:55,626 Nice to see you. 506 00:24:59,250 --> 00:25:02,042 So, tell me, what brings you here? 507 00:25:02,125 --> 00:25:04,626 -JAY: There's you. -BOBBE: Yeah, I was blonde. 508 00:25:04,709 --> 00:25:06,042 -JAY: You were. -(BOBBE CHUCKLES) 509 00:25:06,959 --> 00:25:08,792 BOBBE: Before that, I was brown. 510 00:25:10,250 --> 00:25:14,918 I don't think I recognize anybody. 511 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:19,584 JAY: Do you remember, um, any bullying episodes? 512 00:25:19,667 --> 00:25:21,417 -Any what? -JAY: Bullying. 513 00:25:21,500 --> 00:25:22,751 -Bullying. -Bullying? 514 00:25:22,834 --> 00:25:23,876 JAY: Yeah. 515 00:25:25,292 --> 00:25:26,375 Not really. 516 00:25:27,918 --> 00:25:28,918 No. 517 00:25:29,792 --> 00:25:30,876 Do you? 518 00:25:30,959 --> 00:25:32,792 JAY: Yeah, I'm gonna tell you about it, that's-- 519 00:25:32,876 --> 00:25:36,459 -I'm gonna get to that. -Girls tend to be catty, 520 00:25:36,542 --> 00:25:38,876 even at an early age. 521 00:25:38,959 --> 00:25:40,334 With boys, 522 00:25:40,417 --> 00:25:43,751 if you can throw a ball and catch one, 523 00:25:43,834 --> 00:25:45,459 that's all you need. 524 00:25:45,542 --> 00:25:48,709 JAY: And what if you were a boy that couldn't throw a ball? 525 00:25:48,792 --> 00:25:50,584 (SIGHS) 526 00:25:50,667 --> 00:25:54,167 Depends on the age. Could be a big problem. 527 00:25:54,250 --> 00:25:56,626 -JAY: Yeah. -Were you able to throw a ball? 528 00:25:56,709 --> 00:25:58,125 JAY: I threw a ball well... 529 00:25:58,209 --> 00:26:00,042 -(CHUCKLES) -...but I knew boys that... 530 00:26:00,125 --> 00:26:02,918 couldn't do that or didn't do that well. 531 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,876 -And, uh, they had big problems. -Yeah. 532 00:26:05,959 --> 00:26:09,417 -JAY: Yeah. -Because boys are... 533 00:26:09,500 --> 00:26:14,250 who they are, what they are. Girls are catty all the time. 534 00:26:14,334 --> 00:26:16,918 JAY: Well, boys can be pretty cruel too. (CHUCKLES) 535 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:18,751 -That's different. -JAY: Uh-huh. 536 00:26:18,834 --> 00:26:20,918 That's different than being catty. 537 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:23,417 -JAY: Uh-huh. -You're talking bullying. 538 00:26:23,500 --> 00:26:26,125 -(CHILDREN CLAMORING) -JAY: I'm just curious. Why do you think 539 00:26:26,209 --> 00:26:28,834 kids pick on weaker kids? 540 00:26:28,918 --> 00:26:33,042 Kids are tuned into that in the oddest way. 541 00:26:34,417 --> 00:26:40,417 The kids'll pick up something that the adults can't see. 542 00:26:40,500 --> 00:26:43,042 -Sixth sense or something. -JAY: Uh-huh. 543 00:26:44,834 --> 00:26:47,209 That happens all the time. 544 00:26:47,292 --> 00:26:50,167 -JAY: Right. -It happened to my daughter. 545 00:26:50,792 --> 00:26:52,000 JAY: She got picked on? 546 00:26:52,834 --> 00:26:58,209 BOBBE: 547 00:27:23,542 --> 00:27:24,709 But... 548 00:27:26,459 --> 00:27:27,751 I didn't. 549 00:27:28,792 --> 00:27:30,834 -JAY: I'm sorry you lost her. -Hey. 550 00:27:30,918 --> 00:27:31,959 JAY: Yeah. 551 00:27:34,584 --> 00:27:37,500 JAY: I recount the entire bullying episode 552 00:27:37,584 --> 00:27:39,667 to see if it jogs her memory. 553 00:27:39,751 --> 00:27:43,334 JAY: Does-- Does any of it sound familiar to you? 554 00:27:44,584 --> 00:27:45,584 Not at all? 555 00:27:45,667 --> 00:27:47,375 There were so many things like this? 556 00:27:47,459 --> 00:27:48,792 That's right. 557 00:27:48,876 --> 00:27:50,959 -JAY: Right. -Through the years. 558 00:27:51,042 --> 00:27:52,417 It happened to you. 559 00:27:52,500 --> 00:27:55,250 -That's why you remember. -JAY: Uh-huh. 560 00:27:55,334 --> 00:27:58,584 So, what do you think of this story I told you, in general? 561 00:27:58,667 --> 00:28:00,834 -I mean, did-- I know it did-- -About? 562 00:28:00,918 --> 00:28:03,250 JAY: About this whole bullying incident 563 00:28:03,334 --> 00:28:06,500 and this film I'm making. Any thoughts? 564 00:28:06,584 --> 00:28:09,250 Or any questions? Do you have any questions? 565 00:28:09,334 --> 00:28:12,876 No, I know what goes on. 566 00:28:12,959 --> 00:28:16,918 My daughter was bullied. I know what happens. 567 00:28:17,292 --> 00:28:19,042 Uh... 568 00:28:19,125 --> 00:28:22,042 ♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 569 00:28:22,125 --> 00:28:25,667 And the film, I'm not sure people want to see it. 570 00:28:28,542 --> 00:28:29,751 I'm really not. 571 00:28:32,751 --> 00:28:36,375 JAY: So you think people won't want to see my film? 572 00:28:36,959 --> 00:28:38,626 I don't think so. 573 00:28:38,709 --> 00:28:40,792 -That's just my opinion. -JAY: Mm-hmm. 574 00:28:41,876 --> 00:28:45,542 Well, you might be right. (LAUGHS) 575 00:28:45,626 --> 00:28:48,292 It depends on how it's presented, also. 576 00:28:48,375 --> 00:28:50,667 -JAY: Right. Yeah. -And, uh... 577 00:28:51,542 --> 00:28:53,667 I don't know. It... 578 00:28:53,751 --> 00:28:57,250 -♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ -It could be tedious. 579 00:28:57,334 --> 00:28:59,792 -JAY: Mm-hmm. -It could be possibly 580 00:28:59,876 --> 00:29:02,709 very tedious to watch. 581 00:29:06,167 --> 00:29:08,250 JAY: Mrs. Bromberg was right. 582 00:29:08,334 --> 00:29:11,209 I remember this because I participated. 583 00:29:12,834 --> 00:29:14,542 Why didn't I say, "Stop"? 584 00:29:21,083 --> 00:29:23,375 If you could... 585 00:29:24,751 --> 00:29:27,751 say something to the other Richard... 586 00:29:27,834 --> 00:29:28,834 Mm-hmm. 587 00:29:29,918 --> 00:29:32,000 -If you had that opportunity... -Right. 588 00:29:32,083 --> 00:29:33,918 -What would it be? -(INHALES) 589 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:38,792 Well, first, I'd have to say, "Do you remember me?" 590 00:29:38,876 --> 00:29:41,125 and "Do you remember us being together 591 00:29:41,209 --> 00:29:43,626 in fourth grade and fifth grade?" 592 00:29:43,709 --> 00:29:48,542 I'd be curious at what his memory is, because... 593 00:29:48,626 --> 00:29:54,792 the concern I'd have is that it's not a big deal to him. 594 00:29:54,876 --> 00:29:56,709 It was just--- It was part and parcel 595 00:29:56,792 --> 00:29:58,250 of his experience growing up. 596 00:29:58,334 --> 00:30:01,709 It's like one more thing, you know? 597 00:30:01,792 --> 00:30:05,626 And that I would make this big deal of... 598 00:30:05,709 --> 00:30:10,042 whether it's an apology or a recognition, uh, 599 00:30:10,125 --> 00:30:11,751 that doesn't need to be made. 600 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:14,292 ♪ (GENTLE MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 601 00:30:14,375 --> 00:30:16,667 JAY: So now, it's the part of the film 602 00:30:16,751 --> 00:30:19,209 where one would expect to meet Dick, 603 00:30:19,292 --> 00:30:20,542 the other Richard. 604 00:30:21,334 --> 00:30:23,250 I mean, it makes sense. 605 00:30:23,334 --> 00:30:26,292 In fact, that was my original plan. 606 00:30:26,375 --> 00:30:30,751 The big climax at the end. We all get to hear from Dick, 607 00:30:30,834 --> 00:30:34,250 and hopefully see for ourselves that he turned out okay, 608 00:30:35,375 --> 00:30:38,417 see how resilient humans can be. 609 00:30:38,500 --> 00:30:41,083 maybe not feel so guilty or ashamed. 610 00:30:42,500 --> 00:30:45,417 After all, we were just kids. 611 00:30:46,834 --> 00:30:48,709 These things happen all the time. 612 00:30:50,167 --> 00:30:51,417 Who knows? 613 00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:54,375 Maybe he doesn't even remember the schoolyard incident. 614 00:30:55,709 --> 00:30:59,250 Anyway, there will be no Dick ending this film. 615 00:31:00,417 --> 00:31:03,500 Instead, I've decided to write him a letter. 616 00:31:06,542 --> 00:31:08,375 "Dear Richard." 617 00:31:08,459 --> 00:31:11,042 I've made a film about the time we bullied you 618 00:31:11,125 --> 00:31:14,209 in the P.S. 194 schoolyard. 619 00:31:14,292 --> 00:31:16,334 I've interviewed everyone I could track down 620 00:31:16,417 --> 00:31:19,918 "from our fifth grade class to see what they remember." 621 00:31:21,292 --> 00:31:22,375 (CHILDREN CLAMOR) 622 00:31:22,459 --> 00:31:24,876 "What I didn't expect was that most people" 623 00:31:24,959 --> 00:31:27,792 only had a vague memory of the actual incident, 624 00:31:27,876 --> 00:31:30,834 "but everyone clearly remembered you." 625 00:31:31,959 --> 00:31:33,459 ♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ 626 00:31:33,542 --> 00:31:36,042 "My intention was to hopefully end the film" 627 00:31:36,125 --> 00:31:38,792 with a face-to-face interview with you, 628 00:31:38,876 --> 00:31:41,792 but the further into the project I got, 629 00:31:41,876 --> 00:31:44,959 "the less sure I was to bring the adult you into it." 630 00:31:46,375 --> 00:31:48,792 (LOW RUMBLING) 631 00:31:48,876 --> 00:31:50,792 "As I was interviewing everyone..." 632 00:31:50,876 --> 00:31:51,918 (CHILDREN CLAMOR) 633 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,959 ...I started to feel like we were reenacting 634 00:31:54,042 --> 00:31:56,834 "the bullying incident from 50 years ago." 635 00:32:00,083 --> 00:32:01,667 ♪ (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 636 00:32:01,751 --> 00:32:03,792 "It might be hard to believe this," 637 00:32:03,876 --> 00:32:05,834 but when I began making this film, 638 00:32:05,918 --> 00:32:08,459 I didn't consider how it might make you feel. 639 00:32:09,751 --> 00:32:12,000 I guess I'm not as sensitive as I thought. 640 00:32:13,959 --> 00:32:16,125 Anyway, on the off chance 641 00:32:16,209 --> 00:32:19,167 you might one day contact me again saying, 642 00:32:19,250 --> 00:32:21,959 'I heard you made a film about me,' 643 00:32:22,042 --> 00:32:25,709 please know that the film is not really about you, 644 00:32:26,209 --> 00:32:27,292 but about us. 645 00:32:30,250 --> 00:32:34,334 What's become clear to me is that everyone carries pain. 646 00:32:36,083 --> 00:32:38,000 If you think about it... 647 00:32:38,083 --> 00:32:42,751 so much of life seems to involve hiding our vulnerabilities. 648 00:32:45,709 --> 00:32:47,000 In my case, 649 00:32:47,083 --> 00:32:50,042 it was losing my brother when I was in fourth grade, 650 00:32:50,125 --> 00:32:52,959 and the intense survivor guilt that I carried 651 00:32:53,042 --> 00:32:54,375 and tried to hide. 652 00:32:55,792 --> 00:32:59,125 Yet through that pain, I can now see yours, 653 00:33:00,667 --> 00:33:02,959 "and therein lies our connection." 654 00:33:08,250 --> 00:33:10,292 ♪ (MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪ 655 00:33:16,375 --> 00:33:20,125 "In closing, Richard, what I can tell you" 656 00:33:20,209 --> 00:33:23,209 is that everyone I spoke to wished you well 657 00:33:23,292 --> 00:33:25,459 and felt bad for the way you were treated. 658 00:33:28,626 --> 00:33:32,125 And finally, I simply want to say... 659 00:33:33,876 --> 00:33:35,042 "I'm sorry." 660 00:33:36,959 --> 00:33:41,000 ♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪ 661 00:33:43,500 --> 00:33:48,542 ♪ (GENTLE MUSIC PLAYS) ♪ 662 00:35:24,500 --> 00:35:26,626 ♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪