Penny Lane has marked her place in the world of contemporary documentaries, crafting engaging narratives about a variety of topics, from ex-presidents to charlatans. However, her recent leap into a confessional format of filmmaking has been stimulating, with Lane allowing herself to appear in front of the camera. She first gave us a taste of this in "Hail Satan?" and "Listening to Kenny G", but it's in "Confessions of a Good Samaritan" where she truly lets her guard down.
In 2019, Lane made the bold, unexpected decision to gift her kidney to an unknown recipient. This act of unexpected generosity leads her to dig deeper into the world of 'Good Samaritan' donors, individuals who selflessly donate their organs to strangers. She unwraps the motivations behind such actions. She also confronts her own fears about her decision, questioning why more people don't do the same, and battling her mind about such a noble, yet fearsome act.
In this self-reflection-filled expose, Lane investigates with an ideal blend of intense questioning, casual humor, and inherent wonderment, all while battling an internal dialog fraught with skepticism. She steps in front of the camera, grappling with her reasons for both donating her kidney and documenting the process.
In her quest for understanding, Lane converses with a variety of individuals, from neuroscientists to bioethicists, building an enlightening and lighthearted narrative about organ donation and altruism. Yet, the journey is not without its fears which she openly conveys through her discomfort.
In the end, "Confessions of a Good Samaritan" poses important questions about altruism, our responsibilities towards one another, and struggle for understanding personal motivations. For Lane, it becomes a chance to introspect on her own actions and question their worth: Was her donation the right move? As she states, "We make decisions every day on who to be nice to."
