Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Students at Warsaw Community High School are going to get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Nanette Burstein has selected WCHS to be the focus of her documentary "American Teen." Assistant principal Jennifer Shepherd made the announcement public Wednesday night.
"We're pretty excited about it," she said.
The school board unanimously approved pursuing an agreement with the film company. Burstein will make a presentation to the school board at the Aug. 15 meeting.
Shepherd told the board that administrators, teachers and parents have discussed the making of the documentary at WCHS and agreed it would be a great opportunity. WCHS was one of about eight schools considered in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Seventy WCHS students, all who will be seniors during the 2005-06 school year, attended the casting call for the documentary.
If the school board approves the legal agreement and allows the documentary to go ahead, Shepherd said filming will begin after Labor Day. The actual movie will not be completed until approximately one year after the students graduate.
None of the students chosen for the documentary have been named. No student will be paid because that would compromise the documentary. Film crews will not be at the school during the day except for special events.
Dan Robinson, school board member, asked if the documentary would be like a reality show. Shepherd said that it would not. The goal of the documentary is to tell a story about coming of age in mid-America and about the different decisions the students make.
"It's not about sex, drugs and alcohol," Shepherd said. It's not a reality show and it's not scripted. "It's all told from the students' perspectives."
Robinson then asked if it will be edited towards the positive or negative. Shepherd said she thinks it will be edited toward the positive. She also said the film company is working on the legal contracts now. Assistant superintendent Dr. Sandra Hess suggested to Shepherd that when the legal documents arrive, they should be forwarded to board attorney Max Reed.
Burstein produced and directed her first feature length documentary, "On the Ropes," about three young boxers fighting their way out of Bedford Stuyvesant, N.Y. It was theatrically released nationwide and won many awards, including an Oscar nomination.
In 2000, she produced and directed the five-part series, "Say It Loud: A Celebration of Black Music In America," in collaboration with Quincy Jones. It aired on VH-1 in October 2001. She co-produced and directed the 2002 film "The Kid Stays in the Picture" about the legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans. It premiered at Sundance and Cannes, was released in movie theaters worldwide and received many critics' awards. It aired on HBO and was released on DVD. She also was involved in the 10-part documentary series "Film School."
In other business, the school board:
• Approved the retirement of Linda Kramer, reading/language arts teacher at Lakeview Middle School; resignation of Andy Lewis as men's varsity tennis coach at WCHS; a contract increase from part-time to full-time for Leesburg kindergarten teacher Marcia Tinkel; resignation of Gail Webb as Lincoln Elementary school nurse; and the resignation of Ann Gephart as assistant in the WCHS athletic office.
WCS board members are Cathy Folk, Dan Robinson, Gene England, Tammy Dalton, Deb Wiggins, Chuck Sauders and Ron Yeiter. Their regular meetings are 7 p.m. on the third Monday of every month.
