Confessions of a Good Samaritan

Am I a good person? What does it mean to be a good person anyway? These are questions at the heart of what might be director Penny Lane’s (Nuts!, Festival 2016) most strikingly personal feature to date. What begins with the filmmaker’s decision to give a kidney to a stranger, a so-called “Good Samaritan” donation, becomes a search into the history of surgical medicine, kidney donation, and what drives altruism. At the intersection of these inquiries is Lane’s own vulnerable introspection. As her surgery date approaches, she wavers between steadfastness and trepidation, wondering all the while both why anyone donates a kidney, and why no one donates a kidney. Infused with Lane’s signature humor, Confessions of a Good Samaritan is an inspiring journey into the world of kidney donation.