In Guns We Trust

In a nation where the right to bear arms is sacred, two unarmed Australian mates, Josh and Tommy, travel across America to uncover the stories, contradictions, and convictions behind its love affair with guns — finding that empathy, not arguments, may be the only way to bridge the divide.

  • Josh Janssen
    Director
  • Josh Janssen
    Writer
  • Tommy Jackett
    Writer
  • Breana Phillips
    Producer
  • Jessica Lucas
    Producer
  • Naysan Naraqi
    Producer
  • Collis Ta'eed
    Producer
  • Josh Janssen
    Producer
  • Daniel Wieckmann
    Editor
    Freeman, The Giants, Floodland
  • Ben Blennerhassett
    Director of Photography
    The Speed Cubers, The Test
  • Anthony Salpietro
    B Cam & 1st AC
  • Jarrod Otten
    Sound Recordist
    The Dark Emu Story, Killjoy
  • Cliff Sanderson
    Sound Design
  • Daniel Witt
    Colour Grade
  • Josh Janssen
    Key Cast
  • Tommy Jackett
    Key Cast
  • Adam Winkler
    Key Cast
  • Katherine Schweit
    Key Cast
    Active Shooter - Managing the Mass Casualty Threat
  • Parnell McNamara
    Key Cast
    Hell or High Water
  • Dutch Merrick
    Key Cast
  • Autumn Bignami
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 15 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 31, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    550,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Josh Janssen

Josh Janssen is an Australian-based filmmaker whose love of storytelling began as a teenager, sparked by an obsession with editing. That early focus taught him that every cut, every sound, and every frame matters — and it drew him into exploring every corner of the filmmaking process.

Over his career, he has built a successful practice in branded video production and short form documentary, working across disciplines and honing his craft. But his deeper ambition has always been to tell long-form, human stories.

In Guns We Trust is his first feature documentary — an exploration that combines craft with compassion, and aims to both move and entertain audiences.

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Director Statement

In Guns We Trust, sets out to explore the nuance of gun culture in America; to listen and bridge gaps of understanding, rather than vilify and divide.

In this observational documentary, can my mate Tommy and I (two unarmed Aussies), provide a platform for discourse? Not to lecture, but to listen — and to put a magnifying glass on the United States.

Whilst you will follow us on our month-long journey across America, I hope that we will be a conduit to the diverse stories and characters we encounter; giving the audience a patchwork of experiences to color-in their own understanding of America and guns.

I'm an Aussie filmmaker that loves America. I visit every year for holidays. When I was a kid, one of the first documentaries I ever saw was Bowling For Columbine. It painted a dark picture of the US and the challenge of gun violence.

20+ years on and shootings in America still take over our news in Australia and remain a massive topic of discussion.

Coming from a country where guns were heavily restricted in the mid 90s, the relationship with guns remains one of the biggest separators between America and Australia.

One of the challenges I had making this documentary was I didn't want to project our own perspective — to create an anti gun or pro gun film. I wanted to make something that would empower the audience to reflect on their own values, as individuals and as a country. To listen and to elicit conversations.

I hope we manage to spark ideas and entertain along the way.