I haven't written a review in ages on here, but was very moved by this short film to recommend it as strongly as possible. This is a must-see for every person in the legal profession, or those simply interested in the law and exercising their most basic rights. It should be required viewing in high school.
Please Hold tells a story of assembly-line justice where one is essentially presumed guilty until proven innocent. Detractors who say this is unrealistic are seemingly unaware that a sizable chunk of the world today carries a presumption of guilt. Once must prove their innocence when accused of a crime.
That's in the criminal justice system. With respect to civil or administrative matters, there is no such presumption of innocence. The government has a much weaker standard of proof- the balance of probabilities or the preponderance of evidence, as opposed to beyond a reasonable doubt.
This, combined with the near-unlimited resources of the state are usually enough to crush the ill-equipped individual. Property may be taken with little or no recourse. This is called civil asset forfeiture. I believe this concept is captured well in this film.
Please Hold combines these concepts brilliantly in a way that must be seen to be believed. It watches like a combination of an episode of Black Mirror, A Scanner Darkly (or any number of Philip K. Dick novels), and the current China Model of electronic surveillance, which is facilitated by a merger of state and corporate power.
This film is a warning to us all and it must not go unheeded. The accumulation of powers by law enforcement officers, prosecutors, administrative decision-makers, and other individuals or entities that comprise the executive branch of government, makes this future *very* possible.
The long-term concentration of powers in the hands of the executive- and deference to the executive by our lawmakers, courts and tribunals- is a vicious, unbalanced cycle that can only be reversed with awareness. Please Hold accomplishes just that by bringing these issues front and center to every viewer.
Tell everyone about this film. Arrange viewings. Wake people up who are sleepwalking through oblivion and tyranny. Apathy, fear, confusion and demoralization serve as fuel for the same. As George Orwell said near the end of his life, "Don't let it happen."
