THE PREMIERE OF "COMFORT", DIRECTED BY THOMAS BRAZZLE

On the evening of June 30th, Out of Hand Theater held its first screening of the short film COMFORT, directed by Operations Manager Thomas Brazzle at the Plaza Theater in Edgewood.

COMFORT follows the story of the Comfort family coping with familial losses in the wake of COVID-19 striking their community. The film was an intricate look into how the pandemic affected African-American communities in rural South Georgia, with a strong focus on the importance of familial connections and communal unity in the midst of tragedy. The film also showed that the pandemic is more than a political matter; it is a public health issue that affects everyone on an intense personal level. 

In attendance were supporters of Out of Hand such as Marcel Foster from Performance Hypothesis, the families of the cast and crew, as well as public health officials from the CDC Foundation, Emory, and the Department of Public Health. Press were also invited to cover the event, either at the Plaza Theater or to private screenings to be held at a later date. The diverse crowd led to a widespread positive impact, with Brazzle in a follow-up interview mentioning that one of the doctors in attendance appreciated how the film focused on the personal aspect of COVID victims as well as the consequences of personal decisions made during the pandemic. 

Concerning the future of this film, Brazzle went on to say that he hopes COMFORT encourages a more nuanced conversation around the decision of receiving vaccinations as well as having audiences understand that family and community should be the most important thing in times of crisis.