Healing Through Storytelling After Surviving a Mass Shooting with Ashley Hoff

Today, I’m joined by Ashley Hoff, an executive producer of the new Paramount+ documentary "11 Minutes." The four-part series offers an insider’s look into the mass shooting that took place at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 1st, 2017. In our conversation, Ashley opens up about her experience being a survivor of this tragedy and details why she felt called to highlight other survivor’s stories. 

 

Through first-hand accounts from eventgoers and first responders, as well as real body cam and cell phone footage, “11 Minutes'' is a truly immersive, effective approach to storytelling. The documentary illustrates the light that came from such a harrowing event and the power of healing in community. 

 

Fifty-eight people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and two survivors later died of their gunshot wounds. Hundreds more were injured. Even though it’s the largest mass shooting in the US to date, it cycled out of the news in about a week. With “11 Minutes,” Ashley hopes to portray the lasting impact of this event and facilitate healing in a safe way. 

 

Ashley shares how she and her team crafted the series in a way that respects the various narrators while providing powerful, necessary visuals. She describes the public feedback and praise that the film has garnered and highlights how it’s touched people from all walks of life. Ashley also dives into the turning point when she decided that she would tell this story and celebrate the resiliency of this survivor community. 

 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

●      How to tell a story in a way that honors the victims of a tragedy 

●      The thought process behind the decision to use real-life footage instead of reenactments

●      How Ashley and her team chose the narrators who are featured in the documentary 

●      The prolific moment that made it clear to Ashley that she was meant to make “11 Minutes” 

●      The simple, yet impactful message that Ashley hopes viewers will take away from the documentary 

Guest Info:

●      Watch "11 Minutes" on Paramount+

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