Doc Film PAHOKEE-Sr. Year of H.S. is a Must See

Pahokee is an agricultural town with a pop. of 6,000 in FL, not far north of Palm Beach on the coast.  Needless, the disparities from the affluent surrounding areas are worlds apart.  This remarkable doc.  has an intimate, invisible lens & stunning cinematography.   Most importantly it brings us into the lives of its inhabitants.  The voyeuristic vantage focuses on h.s. school seniors in the graduating class of 2017.  The 2 hour doc. spans the school year honing in on 4 seniors.  The film starts with fall's homecoming football game and its celebrations with its joys & tribulations.  We're introduced to the vivacious, bodacious Na'Kerria running for homecoming court.  Na'Kerria endears us as she wears her emotions on her sleeve, and form fitting outfits.  Na’Kerria wants so desperately to be voted queen that she sheds tears after losing to a slimmer classmate.  We feel her anguish and wish to step in to offer solace.  Filmmakers Ivete Lucas & Patrick Bresnan are experts at capturing moments of youthful exuberance, poignant passages, and difficult pathways.  The doc. is captivating for what it captures & for what it leaves out.  Na’Kerria pulls our heartstrings. She's not unflappable but she's irrepressible.  This senior audaciously pursues her goals which include matriculating into a 4 yr. Univ.  Na'Kerria personifies tenacity, teen angst and the wisdom to have a plan B.  She talks directly & candidly into her cell about herself.  The film films the ubiquitous cell phone & taking selfies.  Na'Kerria's bovine eyes are earnest & eager.  I''d like to know what the future holds for her.  Junior is father to an adorable 1 yr. old.  He cares for her with tenderness & dedication but we wince as he skateboards with her onboard.  We're left wondering where's the girl's mother knowing Jr.'s  immediate future is finding an hourly wage.  Jr. has moments to shine as drum majorette as do the football players.  The team won the state championship only to have their title stripped for playing an intelligible student. Na'Kerria, Junior and Jacobed all work while attending school.  Jacobed works alongside her parents who immigrated from Mexico.  The parents work endless hours in their taco truck trying to provide opportunities for their daughters.  Jacobed's admirable story tends to be treacly.  The town's main industry is its sugar cane crops.  There's a pervasive tactile background of trajectory into arduous field labor.  The students attend a college expo which includes an ROTC recruiter and Harvard admissions booth.  The harsh gaze from the white woman in the booth speaks volumes about racial disparity if not flagrant dismissal.  The fashions for prom are bedazzling.  One student wears a gown depicting Trayvon Martin's face along with along images of unarmed blacks killed.  PAHOKEE is completely absorbing taking us close & personal into these young people's lives  the majority of us would never see - or think to for that matter.  Do see this powerful & enduring doc.