The passage of time is a peculiar thing in a 24-hour diner

An American institution, the 24-hour diner contains multitudes. Depending on the time of day, it can be: a hub where decades-long regulars grab their morning coffee; a comfy spot for families to gather over an affordable, hearty meal; and a post-closing-time oasis where the young and buzzed find post-bar grub. In her short documentary Regulars, the US filmmaker Emma Kopkowski spends an entire 24-hour day at Jake’s Diner in Greensboro, North Carolina. There, she encounters a fascinating cast of employees and patrons, each of them with stories to tell and full lives viewers only ever catch a glimpse of. This includes a single father who recently lost his wife and a customer who, entering around 3am, claims he’s been kicked out of the establishment roughly 10 times in the past. It’s the kind of space that, somewhat paradoxically, is constantly changing from hour to hour, yet barely seems to change from year to year. Simple in its premise and narrow in its scope, Kopkowski’s film is a charming ode to the places people go to find food, community and comfort.