Oscar-Nominated ‘When We Were Bullies’ Short Documentary Set For HBO Debut

Oscar-Nominated ‘When We Were Bullies’ Short Documentary Set For HBO Debut

The only Oscar-nominated documentary without a distributor has finally found a home.


HBO Documentary Films has acquired the Academy Award-nominated documentary short, When We Were Bullies, from longtime HBO collaborator Jay Rosenblatt (HBO’s Phantom Limb, Human Remains). The documentary debuts Wednesday, March 30 at 9 ET/PT on HBO, and will be available to stream on HBO Max.


The short begins with a mind boggling coincidence from 25 years ago. That ultimately leads filmmaker Rosenblatt to track down his fifth grade class to see what they remember from a bullying incident that occurred 50 years ago. Weaving together a collage of archival material, found footage, stop-motion animation and interviews with classmates and a teacher from the time, the film is a highly personal look back at a Brooklyn schoolyard incident that resonated for decades.

When We Were Bullies has found the perfect home. I am honored to have another one of my films air on HBO, where creativity, originality and innovative storytelling are honored,” said Rosenblatt.

Rosenblatt has completed over thirty films. His work has received more than 100 awards and have been screened throughout the world. He is a recipient of a Guggenheim, USA Artists and a Rockefeller Fellowship. He is currently the program director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.

HBO Documentary Films in association with Locomotion Films present a film by Jay Rosenblatt; animation, Jeremy Rourke; music by Erik Ian Walker; cinematography, Kirsten Johnson, Ellie McCutcheon, Jay Rosenblatt.