Teenage Wasteland

A group of misfit high schoolers in upstate New York in 1991 take an “Electronic English” class that taught video journalism back when camcorders were new. The class ends up changing the trajectory of their lives as they latch onto a story about toxic waste at the local landfill that is contaminating the local water supply. With the rediscovery of hundreds of hours of captivating, humorous, and nostalgic archival footage, the now grown-up high schoolers and their committed teachers relive the twists and turns of this amazing story. The result is an incredible film about inspirational teachers, youth activism, self-confidence and self-discovery, and the value of civic courage. From the directors of The Overnighters, Boys State, and Girls State. (113 mins., DCP)

Teenage Wasteland premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was the centerpiece film of MoMA’s Doc Fortnight program. It recently won the Documentary Feature Audience Award at the Nantucket Film Festival.

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IMAGE CAPTION
Teenage Wasteland, courtesy of the filmmakers.