Two families in New Jersey and Colorado are transformed by paid family leave, revealing how time to heal and connect changes everything. Against the backdrop of a nation without a national paid leave policy, what would it mean if every family had this lifeline?
LIFELINES follows two families whose lives are transformed overnight when they find themselves needing to care for vulnerable family members. In one of the only countries in the world without any form of national paid leave, these families represent the stories of millions who struggle to get by when a new baby or a sick loved one needs care. We follow two couples, Habibah and Rasheed in New Jersey and Elizabeth and Lee in Colorado, and watch as they are able to access state programs that offer them paid family leave. Through their experiences, we see how having time to heal, care, and connect can change everything—when everything changes.
Hannah Rosenzweig is an award-winning documentary film director and producer. She is founder and president of Intention Media Inc. She directed the critically-acclaimed feature documentary, SURGE that premiered on SHOWTIME and is now streaming on Amazon and Apple TV. Her most recent film, 51st STATE premiered at the D/C Dox Festival in 2024, traveled to festivals nationwide, and won a shorts Jury Award at DOC NYC, the largest documentary festival in the U.S. Hannah produced the award-winning PUPPET film, which premiered at DOC NYC and was distributed on Netflix and Sundance Selects. She has produced and filmed documentaries for the History Channel, Sundance TV, and PBS including the Peabody Award-winning VOICES OF CIVIL RIGHTS. Hannah was awarded a prestigious JustFilms Fellowship from the Ford Foundation for leaders working at the intersection of film, storytelling, and social impact.
Garden State Film Festival
Director - Hannah Rosenzweig
Director - Robin Honan
Cinematographer - Ayana Baraka
Executive Producer - Allyson Felix
