Students Create Historical Documentaries

Enjoy these six original films produced by Upper Schoolers as final projects in their Creating Historical Documentaries class.

This history and visual arts elective course challenges students to research, write, film, edit and produce a short film about an important historical event, moment, crisis or social justice cause as a way to learn and sharpen key historical and creative skills. Through this interdisciplinary class, students also gain experience with pre-production, shooting, lighting, interviewing techniques, editing, graphics and audio to create professional-quality videos.

Selections from this year’s filmmakers feature topics ranging from analyzing the impact of gang-member database use over time, examining the devastating impact of floods in the city, investigating price-gouging practices forced upon the incarcerated and their families, exploring the relationship between Wrigley Field and its neighbors, exposing the story behind ticketing Illinois students and tracing the history of a now-forgotten part of Chicago. 

Works students in this class created have earned local, regional and national awards through the years, and this year’s selections are sure to carry on that tradition.

Click here to view these documentaries.