Documentary Production and Distribution News
Race to Nowhere: Hard-Hitting Education Documentary Exposes the Silent Epidemic in our Schools
By Staff
posted Sep 7, 2010, 06:00
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.
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
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