A new documentary about an Oakland high school is getting a lot of buzz at the Sundance Film Festival.
The film “Homeroom” follows several students in the class of 2020, as they experience their tumultuous final year.
"Homeroom" immerses audiences in the lives of Oakland High School seniors, first as they confront anxiety over test scores and college applications, then unrest over the threat of school closures and, finally, a global pandemic, which closed all campuses.
“Now these are seniors in high school who are looking forward to graduations and proms, and all that was taken away because of COVID,” said Matin Abdel-Qawi, who was principal at Oakland High during filming.
“If this documentary does anything, I hope it gives viewers the opportunity to at least peek behind the curtain and begin to understand just how challenging and difficult these times are,” he told KCBS Radio.
Adding tragedy to an already poignant film, Homeroom's Emmy Award-winning Director Peter Nicks lost his 16-year-old daughter just before filming, but decided to continue with the documentary.
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