On Friday, Dec. 15, in the Archie Williams Little Theater, Archie Williams Communications Academy (ComAcad) will screen its next batch of student-made films, “American Arguments.” The theme is brought back every two years for the academy, allowing both juniors and seniors to showcase their creativity and intellectual depth through film.
For the project, teachers instructed student groups to create a four-to-ten-minute documentary informing the viewer about an argument in American society today. For an added twist, each group needed to stem their arguments from a little-known story or historical figure of the past, and seamlessly connect it to a current issue.
The 14 groups of ComAcad members started working on their topics at the beginning of the year to create a thought-provoking and exciting lineup of films. Students received a list of stories handpicked by ComAcad leader and history teacher Francie Salle, whose choice criteria was simply a fascinating topic on which she had no prior knowledge.
“I read a lot. So every time I read something [and] I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve never heard of that person,’ or ‘I didn’t know that happened,’ I wrote it down. I’ve been doing that for the past six months or so,” Salle said.
Groups chose topics ranging from limiting human genetic mutation, to safe injection sites, to making biking more accessible for Black citizens.
Junior Roy Quaas is part of a production group composed of fellow juniors Max Warner and Steph Salazar, as well as seniors Miles Lavoie and Wyeth Eberlein, and he enjoyed the given topics’ obscurities.
“I think the coolest part [about the films’ subjects] is you get to learn about history that otherwise you would never hear about,” Roy said.
Roy’s group chose to make their documentary about the little-known story of George Sylvester Viereck, a Nazi agent who spread propaganda throughout the United States before World War II. Viereck did so by utilizing the free mail that Congress had access to in order to spread his propaganda to US citizens. After learning about his history, the group tied Viereck’s actions to current events in the country, most notably the Capitol attack Jan. 6, 2021, and created their documentary, “Propaganda in America.”
“[Our] film follows the story of Jan. 6, and particularly the propaganda spread before that. It’s really interesting to see how these historical events parallel each other even though they were around 80 years apart,” Roy said.
These links in history were exactly what Salle wanted the ComAcad students to notice and bring to light in their documentaries.
“What I like about [this project] is that it forces students to see the connections between the past and the present,” Salle said.
For senior Ella Swain, in a group with juniors Owen Shinnick, Jared Gaulding, and Bridget Goodwin, “American Arguments” was a perfect opportunity to delve into the often overlooked injustice in institutions for the developmentally disabled.
“One of my group mates was really [interested in] the Sonoma Developmental Center, which was a developmental center that had a history of abuse that got better,” Ella said.
In their documentary, Ella and their team worked to educate their audience about current-day institutions that still treat patients unjustly.
“We really need to hold the people in power for these facilities accountable for [the abuse against their] patients,” Ella said.
Through “American Arguments”, producers aim to educate the public, create a sense of solidarity amongst difficult topics, and educate the Archie Williams community.
With such a vast spectra of issues being tackled, viewers can hope to connect with the films on deeper levels. ComAcad students have created an array of films that will allow everyone to experience an eye-opening showing of “American Arguments.”
Doors for the screening open Dec. 15 at 6:30 p.m., and the documentaries begin at 7 p.m. Archie Williams students enter free, and general admission for non-students is $10. A Q&A with the filmmakers and audience members will follow the event.
