Shortlist 2020: How Failure of the Health-Care System Inspired Elivia Shaw to Make 'The Clinic' (Video)

Filmmaker Elivia Shaw is often inspired by spaces that act as a microcosm for our larger cultural issues. In the case of “The Clinic,” a finalist in this year’s ShortList Film Festival, she found inspiration from a doctor who works on Saturdays aboard a dingy bus in Fresno, California, and provides clean needles and free medical care to IV drugs users. She used this setting to shoot the film as an allegory on the failure of the health-care system.

“I wanted to make a film about the way our health-care system has failed most of us, especially those who are most vulnerable,” Shaw told TheWrap. “The Clinic” centers on the work of Dr. Marc Lasher and his volunteers inside a mobile clinic who try to help drug addicts without passing judgment.

“I read about Dr. Lasher in a local paper and saw him as someone taking this issue into his own hands and providing a different kind of treatment because he knew the system wasn’t working for his community,” Shaw said. “The observational shooting in the film is literally me uncovering and learning how he treats patients, how he’s training others to see addiction and what harm reduction really means.”

Also Read: TheWrap Announces Jury for The ShortList Film Festival 2020

Although “The Clinic” plays like it takes place over a single day, the film was shot on Saturdays over two months, with Shaw’s goal to get about 20 full patient stories that were “unique and different from each other, knowing that I probably needed about five or six to make the film work.”

Shooting inside a confined school bus-sized space came with challenges, while also dealing with the grim reality of the conditions in which the patients in the film were living. “For me, the biggest challenge was marrying the camera set-up and shooting style I wanted to the physical and emotional situation I was in,” Shaw said. “On a more theoretical level, the biggest challenge was making a film that wasn’t voyeuristic but had very real access to people’s suffering,” she concluded. “I saw that as my biggest challenge as a filmmaker and part of the reason I wanted to make the film.”

The Scene at ShortList 2019: TheWrap's 8th Annual Short Film Festival (Photos)

In the top row, ShortList 2019 filmmakers, from left to right: "Hula Girl" directors Amy Hill and Chris Reiss, "Cat Days" director Jon Frickey, "Green" director Suzanne Andrews Correa, "Sister" director Siqi Song, "How Does It Start" director Amber Sealey and "Enforcement Hours" director Paloma Martinez.

In the lower row, TheWrap CEO Sharon Waxman, ShortList host Harvey Guillen, "One Cambodian Family Please for My Pleasure" director A.M. Lukas, "No Sanctuary" producer Moriah Hall, "Departing Gestures" co-directors Brian Bolster and Jonathan Napolitano and TheWrap writer Steve Pond.
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ShortList filmmakers attended the ShortList opening night dinner, presented by Amazon Alexa, on Wednesday, August 21 at Eveleigh West Hollywood.
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TheWrap awards editor Steve Pond, "One Cambodian Family Please for My Pleasure" director A.M. Lukas and TheWrap head of operations Claude Memmi at the ShortList opening night dinner.
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Guests enjoyed an intimate evening of dinner and conversation at the ShortList opening night dinner.
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We're Magnetic global director of consumer research and insights Rachel Krautkremer, "How Does it Start" director Amber Sealey, Amazon head of entertainment & culture, XCM Andrew Saunders and Endeavor (WME-IMG) senior global marketing manager Alexandra Stabler at the ShortList opening night dinner.
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"Enforcement Hours" director Paloma Martinez, "Green" director Suzanne Andrews Correa and "Cat Days" director Jon Frickey at the ShortList opening night dinner.
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"One Cambodian Family Please for My Pleasure" director A.M. Lukas speaks at the ShortList opening night dinner.
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TheWrap CEO Sharon Waxman speaks with ShortList filmmakers and jurors at the ShortList opening night dinner.
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"What We Do in the Shadows" star and ShortList host Harvey Guillen poses with TheWrap CEO Sharon Waxman.
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"Departing Gesture" producers Thomas Harrington, Brian Bolster, Jonathan Napolitano and Kayleigh Napolitano.
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ShortList jurors Landon Zakheim, Todd Berger, Wendy Guerrero, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Steve Pond, Gena Konstantinakos, Orlando von Einsiedel, Sharon Waxman and Tristen Tuckfield.
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Host Harvey Guillen and jury member and actress Marsha Stephanie Blake.
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"Cat Days" director Jon Frickey, "How Does it Start" director Amber Sealey and "Departing Gesture" co-director Brian Bolster.
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"One Cambodian Family Please for My Pleasure" composer Britta Phillips, director A.M. Lukas, and cinematographer Meena Singh.
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"Sister" director Siqi Song.
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"What We Do in the Shadows" star Harvey Guillen, while hosting at the ShortList ceremony.
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The ShortList 2019 jury panel.
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Jurors Tristen Tuckfield, Gena Konstantinakos and Todd Berger.
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Director & co-founder of Grain Media Orlando von Einsiedel speaks during the jury panel.
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Jurors Wendy Guerrero, executive vice president of 30West Tristen Tuckfield, and Gena Konstantinakos.
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Gena Konstantinakos, vice president of Development & Video Programing of Topic.
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Jurors Gena Konstantinakos, Marsha Stephanie Blake, and Wendy Guerrero.
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Guests mingle with food and drinks at the W Hotel Hollywood.
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ShortList film curator Landon Zakheim.
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Guests chat with wine in hand at the W Hotel Hollywood.
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Steve Pond introduces ShortList finalists during the filmmakers panel
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"Sister" director Siqi Sing, "Cat Days" director Jon Frickey, and "How Does It Start" director Amber Sealey
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(L-R), "Departing Gesture" co-directors Jonathan Napolitano and Brian Bolster, Siqi Song
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"Green" director Suzanne Andrews Correa
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"One Cambodian Family Please for My Pleasure" director A.M. Lukas
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Senior Vice President Original Programming of Starz Karen Bailey announces the finalists for Telling Our Stories, a new film competition by Starz and WrapWomen
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"No Sanctuary" takes the student prize, accepted by producer Moriah Hall
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"Departing Gesture" takes the audience prize, accepted by the co-directors Jonathan Napolitano and Brian Bolster
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"Enforcement Hours" takes the industry prize, accepted by director Paloma Martinez
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Guests mingle at the W Hotel Hollywood
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Guests pose for pictures after the awards ceremony
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(L-R) Senior Vice President Original Programming of Starz Karen Bailey, "No Sanctuary" producer Moriah Hall and Sharon Waxman
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Sharon Waxman and "Enforcement Hours" director Paloma Martinez
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"Departing Gesture" directors Brian Bolster and Jonathan Napolitano
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Finalists and jurors come together to celebrate this year’s finalists

In the top row, ShortList 2019 filmmakers, from left to right: "Hula Girl" directors Amy Hill and Chris Reiss, "Cat Days" director Jon Frickey, "Green" director Suzanne Andrews Correa, "Sister" director Siqi Song, "How Does It Start" director Amber Sealey and "Enforcement Hours" director Paloma Martinez.

In the lower row, TheWrap CEO Sharon Waxman, ShortList host Harvey Guillen, "One Cambodian Family Please for My Pleasure" director A.M. Lukas, "No Sanctuary" producer Moriah Hall, "Departing Gestures" co-directors Brian Bolster and Jonathan Napolitano and TheWrap writer Steve Pond.

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The Scene at ShortList 2019: TheWrap's 8th Annual Short Film Festival (Photos)

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