my goodness this is so good. so raw and charming. feels rare to get something as honest and unfiltered as this that still manages to hold your attention. i see some people bashing it for not having the typical documentary tropes like voiceovers or talking heads but honestly that's probably my favorite part about it.

The most interesting things in film right now are happening in indie documentaries and this movie is a great example.

They are the future, and today is the past. Join us in our virtual theater for life in the Florida Everglades.

A charming little pseudo-documentary that takes place over a school year at a high school in Pahokee, Florida. Although there is no overarching narrative or “main characters,” the film focuses most on four seniors, and the struggles each go through in their respective lives. It feels very down to earth and genuine, and it’ll have you rooting for the success of every student in the school by the end.

During the graduation ceremony, I almost instinctively clapped after the speech along with the crowd in the film. I was that absorbed. That’s impressive.

when a film is just warm and tender and looks beautiful and you don’t really have any jokes for this space

SUNDANCE 2019 #9

Charming

beautifully restrained film making

but digesting the world (on a good day) that these kids are stepping into is maddening

if there’s something american that’s worth saving, its character like that on display here. also, fuck that bitch from harvard

Beautiful!!! I would love if it was longer or a series

Really brought me back to my high school days and reminded me a lot about what it was like to live and grow up in South Florida

Comes off a bit disorganized and could certainly use a re-edit but good-spirited and well-observed enough to carry it through.

Maybe unfair but can't help comparing this to the recent Flint-set Midnight in Paris, which is very similar in subject and approach but is all around just a tighter, livelier, and generally more distinctive doc. Leaves one to wonder why that film is still struggling to secure distribution while this one has already found its home on VOD. Comes down to luck a bit I suppose.

This is such a heartwarming and hopeful look into this small town of Pahokee, Florida. The filmmakers let the residents simply exist in their town and show the hardships of the many high schools in this town and the sacrifices of their parents to help them succeed. You will shift constantly betweening laughing through your tears and bawling as you hear these stories. It is a simple reminder that while the road to escape may be narrow, it is there. Easily my favorite documentary of 2020.

View of life in a small Florida town, centering on high school seniors. Centers on daily activities, often without much dramatic incident.

I swear, it’s like one thing after another.

A bittersweet, and observant tone poem about surviving high school and getting out in the world. It touches on the rituals of football, prom, and etc. But as a native, what caught me was how it grasps the atmosphere of rural Florida*. One can smell the burning fields, feel the dread from the gators, and the intense chill of the psychotic school A/Cs. Furthermore, it is an inspirational tale about hard work paying off. It is a dance of forward-steps and back-steps, but as long as one keeps stepping forward, you'll take lead of the dance**.
This is less 30 for 30 and more of a stream of conscious montage; but if you have the patience, this proves to be an engrossing and heart-wrenching film.

*I'm sad I missed this at the Florida Film Festival last year.

**Sorry if this metaphor doesn't work, I never danced...

They are the future, and today is the past. Join us in our virtual theater for life in the Florida Everglades.