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The year: 1991. The scene: Upstate New York. A group of teenage misfits, inspired by a renegade English teacher, embark on a student-film project and uncover a vast conspiracy that is poisoning the ground beneath their feet. Thirty years later, they revisit their film and confront the legacy of this transformative experience.
At first glance, there’s nothing especially memorable about Middletown, N.Y. Despite being one of the largest cities in Orange County, and only 70 miles north of Manhattan, most New Yorkers have never heard of it. According to former student Mike Regan, “You were always going somewhere else—going to the city, going to the Jersey Shore or going to Long Island, and everybody was always trying to get out.” In the early '90s, a group of high-school students—with encouragement from an unconventional English teacher—decided to take a deeper look at their seemingly unmemorable town to produce an investigative documentary. Banding together to confront indifferent adults, corrupt politicians, and a violent criminal organization threatening their small town, what they uncovered sent shockwaves throughout their community. Teenage Wasteland is a coming-of-age story based on exclusive access to hundreds of hours of candid, humorous, and nostalgic video outtakes, and the cooperation of Fred Isseks and his intrepid students as they reckon, 30 years later, with a defining event in their lives and a remarkable story of civic courage. [110 min; documentary; English]
"An inspiring story of activism, teenage empowerment, and the value of mentorship when it comes to changing the world." — Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots
"There is a lot to take from this powerful documentary on corruption, cover-ups, greed, and the invigorating fight of the youth, but it is a statement that good teachers matter. And we need a lot more of them in the world." — Phoenix Clouden, Geek Vibes Nation
"This crowd-pleasing documentary, directed by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss (Boys State and Girls State), caters to multiple niches of moviegoer who enjoy rooting for the underdog. Even archivally minded cinephiles—the kind who get nostalgia pangs from watching long-shelved VHS tapes played anew—will find an itch scratched." — Ben Kenigsberg, The New York Times
Any film screened at IU Cinema may contain content that viewers find sensitive or upsetting. Visit our Audience Advisories page to learn more.
