Teaching and Learning in Compton

Filmmaker George Russell's searing documentary looks at an America we rarely see -- an America not of wealth, but of poverty and violence as experienced by the students of one of Los Angeles' poorest and most dangerous school districts. Here, many students can’t afford shoes, much less lunch, and must cross gang-infested neighborhoods if they want to attend school at all. Dropout rates are high, but many remain determined to overcome this soul-crushing reality. Documentaries like Russell's prove the unflinching power of cinema to bring attention to people, places, and causes that badly need it.