Luke Lorentzen Explores the Journey of a Hospital Chaplin in His Documentary “A Still Small Voice”

Air Dates: November 4-November 10, 2024 

Shakespeare called death “the undiscovered country.”  Luke Lorentzen documents the work of spiritual guides, also known as hospital chaplains, as they help patients navigate this country and the next.  

Lorentzen is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and a lecturer in Stanford University’s Department of Art and Art History. His latest film, “A Still Small Voice,” follows a chaplain during her year-long hospital residency. Exploring perseverance, spirituality, and the human connection, the film received critical acclaim. It won the U.S. Documentary Best Director Award at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and was listed among the New York Times’ top ten films of the year. Lorentzen is also a co-founder of Hedgehog Films, an independent production company. His previous film, “Midnight Family,” was also shortlisted for the best documentary Oscar after winning over 35 awards from film festivals and organizations around the world including a Special Jury Award for Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival, Best Editing from the International Documentary Association, and the Golden Frog for Best Documentary from Camerimage. 

Lorentzen’s film, “A Still Small Voice,” was inspired by the work of his sister who has served as a hospital chaplain for years and was working out of a hospital in D.C. when the COVID-19 pandemic began. When asked why he thinks people are willing to take on these heart wrenching roles, Lorentzen explains, “I think people come to the work with lots of different reasons for doing it and different life experiences that bring them there. I can tell you what motivated me as somebody interested in the work was just the power of human connection. The feelings and the experiences that become possible when leaning into life’s challenges, walking into the room and connecting with a total stranger but with open enough of a heart that really. It’s not special, it’s not magical, but it’s some combination of this energy that comes from people really trying to understand one another.” 

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