Uvalde mother speaks at Oscars after ‘All the Empty Rooms’ wins Best Documentary Short

From Texas Public Radio:

A mother from Uvalde took the stage at the Academy Awards Sunday night after the documentary “All the Empty Rooms” won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short.

The film was created by CBS journalist Steve Hartman, whose reporting often focuses on personal stories of resilience and community.

“All the Empty Rooms” reflects on the lasting impact of gun violence by showing the preserved bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. The bedroom of Uvalde victim Jackie Cazares is among those featured.

Jackie’s mother, Gloria Cazares, spoke to the audience as the filmmakers accepted the award.

“My daughter, Jackie, was nine years old when she was killed in Uvalde. Since that day, her bedroom has been frozen in time,” Cazares said during the ceremony.

Through quiet images of rooms filled with toys, books and school projects, the film shows how families often leave these spaces unchanged after their loss.

“Jackie is more than just a headline. She is our light and our life,” Cazares said. “Gun violence is now the number one cause of death in kids and teens. We believe that if the world could see their empty bedrooms, it would be a different America.”

The May 2022 attack at Robb Elementary School left 19 children and two teachers dead and deeply affected the Uvalde community.

With its Oscar win, “All the Empty Rooms” brought that story — and the memory of the children whose lives were lost — to one of the world’s largest stages.

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