Paula Wallace Executive Producer
Leslie Merlin Director
Dane Reiley Producer
Keri Brooks Producer
Eric Breen Producer
Sabrina Spanta Key Cast
Our world today is saturated with documentaries. They can be found on television and online platforms, across social media, in educational settings like schools and universities, and even in public transportation—documentaries are everywhere. From wildlife documentaries to educational features, from narrative documentaries to an array of works produced for various purposes, the presence of documentary filmmaking has become an inescapable part of modern life. In such an environment, where people are accustomed to watching documentaries and are at least familiar with the conventions and structures of the form, making a documentary has become an increasingly challenging task. It is difficult—if not impossible—to embark on a documentary project without meticulous planning, without a script or a well-thought-out concept, and still manage to capture the attention of today’s documentary-aware audience. A documentary produced today must be ten times more creative than ones made a decade ago. Yet creativity alone is not enough—it must also be bold, technically superb, emotionally resonant, and engaging, all without becoming boring for the viewers.
One Step Away begins with a striking opening scene which demonstrates its director, Leslie Merlin, fully understands how the beginning of a documentary is often its most crucial moment. If a filmmaker fails to hook the viewer from the very start, they risk losing half their audience. The opening sets the film’s rhythm. It is in these initial moments that the viewer understands the subject matter, determines whether they are interested in following the story, and, most importantly, perceives the filmmaker’s perspective, point of view, and tone.
It is important to remember that a documentary, unlike a fictional narrative film, has limited room for expressive maneuvering—it is bound, to some extent, by realism. However, like any artistic work, a documentary has a distinct tone which may resonate with some viewers while alienating others. The opening sequence is where this tone is established and conveyed to the audience. A filmmaker who fails to present, from the outset, a glimpse of the documentary’s core subject, their own stance on it, and the intended tone of their storytelling, risks losing the viewer’s interest and attention.
The opening of One Step Away achieves all of these goals masterfully. Within the first few minutes, the film introduces its main character and establishes the context of their journey. It makes clear that the crisis in Afghanistan is the central issue, likely shaping the lives of the film’s subjects. At the same time, through its portrayal of the protagonist, the documentary signals that the filmmaker stands beside their subject rather than opposite them. This is not a film that seeks to interrogate or challenge its protagonist; rather, it aims to bring the viewer inside their world, offering an intimate perspective on their experience.
Another key aspect that immediately draws our attention is the filmmaker’s storytelling approach. Rather than relying on static, stationary interviews with the protagonist, the film remains in constant motion, avoiding monotony and stillness. As a result, whenever the protagonist refers to the situation in Afghanistan, we are shown vivid, and tangible images of the people’s conditions. Whenever a document or piece of evidence is mentioned, the filmmaker immediately presents it to us. Whenever it is necessary to see the childhood photographs of the protagonist, the film does not hesitate to provide it. From the very beginning, the film’s dynamic and fluid nature is evident. At the same time, an interesting element that stands out early on is the use of the ‘hero’s journey’ narrative structure. From the outset, we know we are following a traveler—a protagonist who has come from the Middle East and is now recounting their story. But for the filmmaker, this is not enough. They wish to take things further, to lead us on an extended journey into the past. We follow the protagonist’s life, which unfolds like a journey itself, while also keeping in mind their migration from their homeland to a foreign land. The film skillfully intertwines the cinematic and abstract concept of the hero’s journey, with the protagonist’s real-life immigration.
The filmmaker fully understands that in narrating this arduous journey, human emotions must not be overlooked. Thus, even as the film presents a harsh environment and distressing events, it still allows glimpses of light in the protagonist’s life. Despite fleeing Afghanistan under dire circumstances, the protagonist also endured the devastating loss of her mother at a young age. Even when, as an adult, she reflects on the inevitability of human fate, we can still feel the profound pain of carrying such grief. Sabrina Spanta’s journey from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to the path she took to reach the United States also reminds us of her internal journey—striving for independence, courage, and self-reliance. Leslie Merlin successfully crafts a compact yet cohesive film by employing varied imagery, which centers the narrative on a conversation, and greatly utilizes editing.
One of the film’s greatest strengths is its conciseness. Many documentaries suffer from the filmmaker’s deep attachment to their subject, leading them to mistakenly assume that the topic’s appeal alone is enough to sustain the film’s engagement. Consequently, they pay attention to unnecessary details, resulting in and redundancy. However, Leslie Merlin is well aware that in today’s era, documentaries must be as concise as possible, and ensures that the film remains engaging by managing its runtime wisely and maintaining a great sense of pacing.
One Step Away is a documentary that, through cinematic tools and carefully selected filmmaking techniques, creates an engaging, compelling, and visually striking portrait of its central character’s life. Achieving such a feat in a short documentary is particularly challenging, and requires precision and meticulous effort. Anyone who has ever engaged in filmmaking understands how difficult it is to discard footage that has been painstakingly captured. But filmmaking, at its core, is about making sacrifices—even of visually stunning scenes—in favor of narrative cohesion and artistic integrity.
Comments