Zed Nelson’s photo album Gun Nation, first published in 2000, became a seminal look at America’s enduring fascination with guns. In the years since, the country’s love for guns is greater than ever, as is the number of gun-related deaths each year. In this documentary short, Nelson returns to many of the themes that emerged in his Turning Point book and revisit a culture that has only become more fanatical and divisive.
Nelson, who was born in London, approaches the question from an outsider’s perspective. He cites startling statistics from the start: Since his book was first published, more than half a million people have been killed by firearms in the United States. The film’s central mission is to explore why — especially in the face of such a staggering death toll — why so many Americans resist even the most modest reforms to gun laws. If there are easy answers to this disturbing dilemma, the film doesn’t find them, but it does allow viewers to see a variety of characters who stand on both sides of the problem.
One shopkeeper boasted of his ability to order 100 machine guns on a whim. A police chief has raised concerns about the country’s expanding open carry laws, which give citizens the right to carry firearms into restaurants, bars, and parks. The coroner illustrated how most of the shooting deaths occurred in a domestic setting and were caused by the actions of other law-abiding people. A father continues to grieve the loss of his 15-year-old son in the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and wonders why nothing has been done to prevent such shootings in the 17 years since.
The filmmakers also caught up with the book’s most controversial subject, a Texas man who was photographed cradling a child in one arm and holding a pistol in the other. He argued the photo showed his determination to protect his family, while his critics protested with child endangerment charges.
Gun Nation also addresses issues related to the wide-ranging scope and impact of the proliferation of assault weapons, the NRA, gun-free zones, and the idea of arming school teachers. The film’s findings may not be profound, but it offers a thoughtful account of the divide that exists in America’s gun laws.
Directed by: Zed Nelson
