and its youth is palpable—and infectious. “Young people coming of age in a city like Oakland have a social-justice DNA that isn’t present in a lot of cities,” the director says in’s press notes, pointing out that the city birthed movements like the Black Panthers and, in part, Black Lives Matter.
It’s a truly inspiring and beautifully diverse group of students who are hyper-attuned to and engaged with what’s happening around them and how larger social forces impact their lives, from gentrification and police intimidation to the deportation of the undocumented. I attended high schoolHomeroom , I can’t help wishing I’d gone to a school more like Oakland High. They’re at once typical American teens and remarkable, tenacious youth galvanized by crises at the international, national, and local levels.
Looking for a few more things to watch this weekend? If you’re in New York, celebrate Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday with the Film Forum’s