Documentary Production and Distribution News

Race to Nowhere: Hard-Hitting Education Documentary Exposes the Silent Epidemic in our Schools

(Lafayette, CA) Our high-pressure, high-stakes culture has invaded our schools and children’s lives, creating unhealthy, disengaged, unprepared and stressed-out youth. Educators, parents, and students are embracing Race to Nowhere, a new documentary from Reel Link Films, that exposes the insidious silent epidemic in our education system. The film tells the stories of young people pushed to the brink, burned-out educators, and deeply frustrated parents.

Vicki Abeles, first-time filmmaker and the film's producer and director, was inspired to make Race to Nowhere out of concern for her children. A mother of three and former Wall Street attorney, Abeles awakened to this crisis in a hospital emergency room as her 12-year old daughter was being treated for stress-related illness. She saw firsthand how the pressures were overwhelming not only to her own kids, but to students everywhere – in every kind of school environment and community.

Race to Nowhere will open for one week in theaters on Friday, September 10 at the IFC Center in New York and the Laemmle's Sunset 5 Theater in Los Angeles. In a grassroots sensation already feeding a groundswell for change, hundreds of theaters, schools and organizations nationwide will host community screenings on September 30, October 4, October 26 and November 4, in conjunction with National Child Health Day. Tens of thousands of people will come together, using the film as the centerpiece for a growing national dialogue on how we can end this "race to nowhere."

"As a mother, I experienced the stress firsthand and realized that no one was talking about it," says Vicki Abeles. "I saw kids who were anxious, depressed, physically ill, checking out, abusing drugs and, worst case, attempting suicide. I felt compelled to speak out about this crisis by making a film and giving voice to the students, teachers, and parents. I wanted to expose a deeper truth about our education system. We are graduating a generation of robo-students, unable to think and work independently, creatively and collaboratively."

School reform has become an urgent national issue and 2010 is the year of the education film. Unlike the other documentaries focused on education, Race to Nowhere is the only film that shows what is actually happening to our kids as a result of current policies and practices obsessed with testing, performance and competition rather than meaningful teaching and learning. Race to Nowhere finally gives voice to those on the front lines who are most affected by education policies - the students and teachers themselves. Race to Nowhere also is the only film to spotlight the intersection of health and education. The film empowers everyone to get involved and take ownership of what's happening in our schools and communities.

"Every once in a while, a film comes along that has the potential to change the culture," said New York Times bestselling author Rachel Simmons (Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls). "Race to Nowhere shines a light on the crisis of learning and meaning facing American education. The film is both a call to arms and a beacon of hope, a source of relief and outrage and a way forward for all of us."

Race to Nowhere is a call to action to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens. After seeing the film, your views on education and childhood will forever be changed.

Resources:

http://www.racetonowhere.com