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Melting Point

A collage of interviews analyzing the internet, political polarization, incel culture, the far-right, and the process by which young people evolve towards extremism.

  • Justice Menzel
    Director
  • Elijah Margolis
    Key Cast
  • Ethan Guerra
    Key Cast
  • Catherine Anderson Smith
    Key Cast
  • Nick O'Hanlon
    Key Cast
  • Aaron Pratt
    Key Cast
  • Justice Menzel
    Editor
  • Charles Hunter Berry
    Cinematographer
  • Sophia Melendez
    Artistic Director
  • Blake Jones
    Music
  • Justice Menzel
    Music
  • Charles Hunter Berry
    Co-Director
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature, Student
  • Genres:
    Political, Documentary, Interview
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 37 minutes 22 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 22, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    Changing
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Justice Menzel

I was born in Norfolk, Virginia, but was raised in Virginia Beach. I'm a recent Graduate of First Colonial High School's Legal Studies Academy. I currently attend Old Dominion University's Perry Honors College studying Journalism.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As a forward, I apologize for the quality of the YouTube file. I was unable to compress the far larger, high resolution copy down to uploadable size, and the film looks worse than it should. I assure you that will not be the case if it is screened!

The production of "Melting Point" began halfway through my senior year as a concept that I had come up with, but was unable to accomplish it on my own. Starting out I approached my friend Hunter Berry to help with cinematography- but he eventually became a very important part of the production.

Following our graduation we decided that we wanted to actually figure out a way to grow the scope of our film- and this feature-length cut emblemizes our passion, hard work, and dedication to releasing a beginner feature.

The film is on a topic Hunter and I are all too familiar with: political polarization, a plague that is oft-spoken of, but never fully treated. "Melting Point" is a dissection of America, of the internet, and of the people who grew up in the land of the free and the age of information.

To differentiate the film from other works on the topic, the structure of the film is in an atypical, Lanzmann-esque, interview-heavy style. We hope you see that the quirks work to its benefit.

This product was a labor of passion, fun, and ambition- and from everyone involved in the production of "Melting Point", we hope you enjoy.