Middletown

In the early 1990s, a group of adolescents from Upstate New York, encouraged by their nonconformist teacher, were involved in a school audiovisual project. During work on the project, they discovered problematic issues with toxic waste and illegal dumps. Armed with their video camera, they encountered indifference from adults and corrupt politicians and threats from an organized crime group. Their investigative reporting shocked the entire community. This account of a school project dating 30 years ago by dedicated students working with their teacher, Fred Isseks, draws on hundreds of hours of filming done with sincerity, humor, and nostalgia. It provides a clear example of civic courage.