Documentary Explores the Bedrooms of Children Lost to US School Shootings

All the Empty Rooms is an Oscar-nominated short documentary by CBS correspondent Steve Hartman that explores the bedrooms of children killed in US school shootings. The 34-minute film, photographed by Lou Bopp, focuses on four children: Dominic Blackwell (14), Hallie Scruggs (9), Jackie Cazares (9), and Gracie Muehlberger (15). Through intimate details such as friendship bracelets, schoolwork, toys, and personal mementos, the film conveys the individual lives behind the headlines. Hartman and Bopp intended the project to evoke empathy and awareness, rather than politicise the issue, deliberately avoiding the word ‘gun’ to maintain focus on the children and their families. Families participated to preserve their children’s memory and to share their stories with the world, hoping the film might spur action or policy change. Hartman emphasises the importance of feeling the weight of these tragedies, as societal numbness to school shootings has grown in the United States, with over 100 incidents annually. The film is described as gentle and quiet, highlighting the beauty and poignancy of everyday life. It is available to stream on Netflix and has been praised for providing a deeply human perspective on a national crisis that often fades from public attention too quickly.