As the world battles an invisible entity, Zeigler delivers a health scare of her own…
Noemi Zeigler’s latest short movie, “Mrs. Sanders,” a collaboration with her film students, combines horror and comedy to capture a teacher’s desperate scheme to finance her medical procedure.
“It is ironic that my students and I released this project as the outbreak of COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. The subject matter is even more urgent and timely than ever. Like everyone else, my students are impacted by the lack of universal health care as well as a general lack of social safety net, which are themes we’re touching on in this movie. Increasingly, it’s my hope that we are all seeing that every single person in society must thrive for a society as a whole to thrive,” says Zeigler.
“Mrs. Sanders” is a political horror about a college professor who discovers her insurance has declined to cover her medical procedure. Things go awry when Mrs. Sanders learns that her hero Bernie Sanders’ presidential run is being squashed by the political establishment and her hopes of getting “Medicare for All” are dashed. She kisses Bernie Sanders on her computer screen and apologizes for what she is about to do before getting her medical needs taken care of at her students’ expense.
WATCH THE TRAILER (YES, THE SHORT MOVIE HAS A CREEPY TRAILER):
Zeigler, an adjunct professor of film and media communications in the San Francisco Bay Area, credits Jordan Peele’s breakout movie “Get Out” for inspiring her to play with the horror genre. Peele describes “Get Out” as a “social thriller,” because it asks the viewer to look at the real life horrors and oppression that African Americans face in everyday life. With “Mrs. Sanders,” Zeigler endeavors to make a “political horror” which critiques in sharp terms the poor and working class’ lack of access to universal healthcare in a country with an $800 billion dollar military budget, corporations that pay zero taxes while their minimum wage workers need food stamps to eat, and health care and pharma industries driven by profit while average people resort to rationing their insulin and other meds. And with the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic gripping the globe, the approximately 27 million Americans who live without any form of health insurance will delay getting tested and treated for Coronavirus which many experts say is likely contributing to the virus spreading more rapidly. “Mrs. Sanders” brings to light that in the richest country on the planet, lack of medical care is a travesty, unethical and a real life horror.
“Mrs. Sanders” makes the case for “Medicare for All,” Bernie Sanders’ signature bill which boldly presumes that healthcare is a right and not a privilege. With Zeigler’s real-life students participating in the production of the short film (including writing, acting, cinematography, editing and sound design), she feels this is evidence of a new awakening where young people are increasingly using media as a tool to promote social justice.
Watch and share MRS. SANDERS, a political horror about the horrors of the Health SCARE industry:
MRS. SANDERS / Trailer
MRS. SANDERS / Movie
MRS. SANDERS / Press Release
MRS. SANDERS / Website