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The Darkness of Day 2009

★ 6.79 votes26 min📅 2009-11-19

Directed by Jay Rosenblatt, *The Darkness of Day (2009)* is a stark and haunting documentary that weaves together discarded 16mm footage to explore the raw, unfiltered essence of suicide.

Director: Jay Rosenblatt

Cast

Beverly Berning
Voice
Richard J. Silberg
Voice

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Darkness of Day (2009) about?

*The Darkness of Day* is a documentary that uses discarded 16mm footage to examine the themes of suicide, isolation, and despair. It blends archival film fragments with poetic voice-over readings from a journal kept by a filmmaker's friend's brother, who died by suicide in 1990, creating a deeply personal yet universal reflection on loss.

Who directed The Darkness of Day?

Jay Rosenblatt directed *The Darkness of Day (2009)*. His experimental approach to found footage gives the film a raw, unfiltered emotional power.

Who stars in The Darkness of Day?

The cast of *The Darkness of Day* includes Beverly Berning and Richard J. Silberg, though the film's focus is more on the found footage and narrative voices than traditional performances.

Is The Darkness of Day (2009) worth watching?

*The Darkness of Day* is a brief but impactful documentary that tackles a heavy subject with honesty and sensitivity. While it may not be an easy watch, its unique approach and emotional depth make it a compelling choice for those interested in experimental documentaries or the psychology behind suicide.

How long is The Darkness of Day?

The runtime for *The Darkness of Day (2009)* is 26 minutes.

About The Darkness of Day (2009) — A Powerful Documentary on Suicide and Isolation

Directed by Jay Rosenblatt, *The Darkness of Day (2009)* is a stark and haunting documentary that weaves together discarded 16mm footage to explore the raw, unfiltered essence of suicide. Through fragments of forgotten film—each carrying its own weight of sorrow and isolation—the documentary paints a chilling portrait of despair, loss, and the human struggle to escape unbearable pain. Rosenblatt's found-footage approach transforms archival fragments into a deeply personal meditation, blending poetic voice-over readings from a journal kept by a filmmaker's friend's brother, who took his life in 1990. The film juxtaposes intimate grief with broader, harrowing examples—from the double suicide of an elderly couple to a Japanese teenager's tragic leap into a volcano—creating a mosaic of sorrow that lingers long after the final frame.

With a runtime of just 26 minutes, *The Darkness of Day (2009)* is a compact yet devastating exploration of a subject often shrouded in silence. Its unflinching honesty invites viewers into a world where moments of despair are preserved, not as spectacles, but as fragments of truth. The atmosphere is heavy with quiet sorrow, offering no easy answers, only the stark reality of pain and the lingering question of why some choose to leave it behind.