Random Patrol

It’s early in the morning, and police officer Matt Hoffer gets into his SUV to start his daily patrol in Yukon, an Oklahoma City suburb made up of rows of all-but-identical homes with front lawns and garages. Every time he puts on his uniform, he wonders whether this is the day he’ll get shot. Not much of note seems to be happening in Yukon, but the signs of constant fear and tension are clear on his face. Suspicion is the tool he uses to do his work.

Random Patrol is filmed entirely from the passenger seat. All sorts of things occur out of sight of the camera, which maintains its focus on this friendly cop, his work, and how it affects his private life. This simple but multifaceted account won the award for Best Short Documentary at this year’s Cinéma du Réel in Paris.