Suzanne, Suzanne is a 1982 documentary short film (26 minutes) directed by Camille Billops and James Hatch.
It focuses on Billops's niece, Suzanne Browning. As the documentary reveals, Suzanne had a serious heroin problem that eventually required her to go to rehab. The film then examines why Suzanne got hooked on drugs. Suzanne explains that her late father, "Brownie" Browning, physically abused her, beating her on a regular basis. Her mother Billie Browning (Billops's sister), then reveals that Brownie beat her as well.
Tropes:
- Documentary: A documentary short in which Camille Billops examines past traumas in her sister's family.
- Deliberately Monochrome: Shot in black-and-white for that arty, independent film look.
- The Ken Burns Effect: Zooms Ken Burns-style, like with an opening family photo of Suzanne and Billie, or a zoom into the photo of Brownie's open-casket funeral, or zooms into photos that seem to depict domestic contentment of Brownie and his family.
- Leave the Camera Running: Some long takes in the interviews, most notably in the long and uncomfortable scene where Suzanne asks her mother why she didn't stop the beatings, and Billie starts to cry as she talks about how her husband beat her as well.
- Talking Heads: Suzanne and Billie do most of the talking, but the film also includes interviews with Suzanne's brother and grandparents.
- Tropaholics Anonymous: When Suzanne recalls how she had to go to rehab for her heroin addiction, there's a photo of a rehab center called "Tuum Est".
