About Homeroom

Award-winning film director Peter Nicks' 2021 documentary "Homeroom" is the final installment of his Oakland trilogy. The gripping documentary charts the experiences and struggles of the 2020 graduating class at Oakland High School. The plot centers on the overwhelming challenges faced by the pupils amidst a rapidly gentrifying city and a global pandemic. It charts the determination and resilience of majority minority students as they champion for all resource officers to be removed from the school districts.

Making / Production

The film was made by production company Open'hood and documentary distributor Hulu Originals. The production team followed the lives of the students for a year, documenting the trials and triumphs of their senior year, against the backdrop of civil unrest and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Actors

• Dwayne Davis - playing himself, Davis is an energetic and charismatic student-activist, leading the campaign to remove police from Oakland schools. His passionate portrayals lend an air of authenticity to the issues presented.
• Melvin Tavares - playing himself, Tavares is a pragmatic and focused classmate of Davis and part of the campaign, bringing a different perspective to the fight for school reform.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film does not have any professional actors. All the “actors” are real students from Oakland High School who participated actively in school activities and lived out the events of the film.
• "Homeroom" is the final part of Peter Nicks’ trilogy exploring the relationships between health care, criminal justice, and education in Oakland, California.

Awards

While "Homeroom" did not bag any awards, its presentation of authentic and relevant issues earned critical acclaim and positive reviews from audiences worldwide.

Quotes

• "We don't need more police in schools, we need more counselors".
• "The only thing that fear does is stop you from becoming great".

Music,Sountrack

There isn't a traditional music soundtrack for "Homeroom." However, the film utilized the sounds and music of the city itself to help tell its story. The sounds of Oakland — its streets, its people, its energy — provide the rhythm and mood for this insightful documentary.