We are Columbine is a 2018 documentary that focuses on the survivors of one of the deadliest mass school shootings.
Since April 20th, 1999, in Littleton, Colorado, there have been many school shootings, the most recent in Parkland, Florida. I remember well the events of Columbine and listening to theories about what could have caused it. Gun debates flared up, just like today, but with little effect. When I went into see this We Are Columbine, a new documentary about a few survivors who return to the school, I was expecting to see a very convincing case about gun violence and the need for control, but that isn’t exactly what I got. What I got was something more, a story of courage and hope.
Told from the perspectives of four students and two faculty members, We Are Columbine revisits that tragic day of how these individuals managed to make it out alive. A majority of these people were only freshmen at the time, and to have been through a situation like that at such a young age is almost unfathomable to consider. These kids were not the “popular kids” that a majority of the media was tagging as being the victims of the shooters. I learned it’s a big misconception (at least of mine) that the killers were targeting ‘jocks’ or people who were involved with school activities when in fact they were just shooting random people. The stories we get from these now grown survivors is extremely captivating. Even more so when they are doing so inside the actual Columbine school.
After going through such a horrific ordeal, you would expected to learn that these kids went through some truly significant psychological problems. Drug use or lack of empathy. Maybe really personal withdrawal or depression issues. What we see instead is these people making efforts to improve the lives of others. In fact, one of the students ended up a teacher … at Columbine.
Director Laura Farber wisely omits any discussion about gun control or the shooters, not because she doesn’t feel strongly about the issue. It’s just that this movie is not about guns. It’s about seeing people make it out of the dark as strong, well-adjusted, and caring individuals. Putting in a debate about gun control would have greatly detracted from that, even though it’s clear as a bright sunny day that the film fully supports stricter gun laws. It handles this with subtlety and I respect that.
We Are Columbine is a story about a community that becomes even stronger despite the tragic events that have occurred there. These six are just a few of the many stories born of that day, and I’m sad to say, unless changes are made, we may end up seeing more. Learn more about the film here.
We Are Columbine is one of many features playing at the 37th Minneapolis/ St. Paul International Film Festival. Learn more about the festival and the MSP Film Society here.