A Still Small Voice: A glimpse into the fear, pain, and doubt caused by death.

The documentary follows Margaret “Mati” Engel, as she completes her chaplain residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City during the Covid-19 pandemic, in which she accompanies patients and their families during shattering moments: patients struggling with cancer, young parents facing the loss of a newborn, and a daughter mourning the loss of her  father.

Lorentzen achieves to capture the emotional burnout that comes from working in this environment, a job that has become even harder after the pandemic. Mati’s supervisor, David, is going trough his own struggle and .cannot be the guide that Mati needs. Even chaplains have limited resources. 

Just as in his previous film, “Midnight Family”, Lorentzen tries to find the answer to the question of what drives some people to care or worry more about others than themselves. This documentary reveals the intense work of certain healthcare roles that some people don’t even know exist. “A Still Small Voice”, showcases the day-to-day events as well as the most intimate ones. The people at the center of these stories appear as unexpected heroes that do their best to help others. They face situations that most people aren’t prepared for, such as answering the hard questions that come with mortality.

“A Still Small Voice” is a reminder of the power of listening, captured exceptionally by Lorentzen, the audience can experience moments of raw sincerity, and confessions that reveal the psychological weight that death conveys, without making any judgment the film acts more as an invitation to learn through observation.

“A Still Small Voice” premiered in January 2023 at the Sundance Film Festival winning Best Direction award, and debuted at Hot Docs Festival. Hasan Estudio was in charge of the sound postproduction by César González Cortés and Javier Quesada as Supervising Sound Editors, Jesús Arteaga as Re-Recording Mixer, and several members of the Hasan team involved in the Sound Editing process.