Confessions of a Good Samaritan

Synopsis

Director: Penny Lane

Producer: Gabriel Sedgwick

U.S., 105 min

What does it mean to be a “good” person? And what do we owe to our friends, neighbors, and fellow humans? After a decade of making award-winning and iconoclastic documentaries, such as Our Nixon, Hail Satan? and Listening to Kenny G, director Penny Lane turns the camera on herself for this engrossing, humorous, and surprising journey as she sets out to donate her kidney to a stranger. Mixing elements of soul-bearing personal documentary and mesmerizing scientific exploration, Lane speaks with neuroscientists, surgeons, advocates, and other kidney donors to dig deep into the nature of altruism, empathy, connectedness, selflessness, and self-fulfillment. “Fascinating” (RogerEbert.com), “funny, intimate, and provocative” (Variety), with a whimsical soundtrack, a witty visual style, and a plethora of moral quandaries, Confessions of a Good Samaritan offers up a lighthearted and convincing case for more compassion and generosity in our divisive times.