What was it like finishing high school last year during the COVID-19 pandemic?
That’s the subject of a new documentary, "Homeroom," which premieres on Hulu and select Bay Area theaters this weekend. The film followed seniors at Oakland High School during a year for the history books.
Producer and director Peter Nicks told KCBS Radio that, when the lockdown hit last March, the crew had to stop all filming. Eventually, they switched to recording the teens' online activity.
“Walking across that (graduation) stage, going to prom, performing in the school play – all those things were taken away," Nicks said in an interview.
Nicks said, in many ways, students found their voice again in the protests following George Floyd's murder last Memorial Day and a subsequent campaign to remove police officers from school campuses.
"That mission became center stage for them," Nicks said of the students profiled in "Homeroom," which was executive produced by Oakland native Ryan Coogler. "And it, in some ways, I think gave them a sense of purpose and (replaced) what was lost. And that was a really powerful thing to witness."
Just what long-term impact will the pandemic have on the Class of 2020? Nicks said that question remains unanswered.
"The thing is in Oakland, we're still in it," Nicks said. "And we're still experiencing a profound sense of loss and change in our loves, in our routines, in our society (and) in our communities."
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