High School II

In the film High School from 1968, Frederick Wiseman drew a depressing portrait of life at a Philadelphia high school. In 1994 he returned to the classroom once more. This time, it was not in Philadelphia but in Spanish Harlem in New York. High School II is his nearly four-hour-long report of the six weeks he spent at Central Park East Secondary School (CPESS). CPESS is not an ordinary public high school, since it selects its students, but this does not mean that it is an elite school. The school population consists particularly of latino students. One of the episodes included in the film is made up by the ups and downs of a fifteen-year-old pregnant girl who wants to keep going to school after giving birth. The film pays detailed attention to other students' reactions and their opinions on parenthood, as well as to how the Rodney King case has affected them. In the observing style we know so well from Wiseman, High School II elaborately examines the basic philosophy of the school, which puts a lot of emphasis on the promotion of a broad-minded attitude. The students are instilled with a critical mentality, an understanding of the complex social and political relationships within society, and respect for other opinions. This approach has yielded rewards and is by now being followed by other schools. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)