Rockaway Beach Needs You

Everyone and Company describes its film with these three lines: “Our friend Michelle lives in Rockaway Beach, New York. We didn't hear from her until three days after Hurricane Sandy, when she left us the following voicemail. The Rockaways need our help.” Apart from that, Poppy de Villeneuve and Alex Braverman direct their short documentary to be completely observational. The narrative consists of a series of tableaus and the story, as well as its duration, is dictated by the voicemail they received.

This understated and honest portrayal of the damaged Rockaway community proves humanising and informative. Because of this, the short has gone viral on Twitter and Facebook with over 180,000 views in a few days.  Social media has also been utilised in taking this powerful message and creating a support structure for giving aid. In the wake of the film’s emotionally charging presence, it encourages viewers to visit here to volunteer and here to send aid. This is a testament to the incredible power effective storytelling can have on a social cause.