A TV SERIES FOR FAMILIES TO WATCH TOGETHER
Created and produced by the revolutionary teen-driven Youth Documentary Academy, OUR TIME is a new series for public television that premieres on Rocky Mountain PBS on September 16, 2021.
Films in the series feature stories about the critical issues of our time through the eyes of young people. These character-driven stories address social issues around race and colorism, disability, teen suicide, gender and sexuality, domestic violence, family life and immigration.
Immigration: How do Teens Navigate New and Old Worlds?
New immigrants face steep challenges when they come to the U.S. But often, it’s the children of immigrants who find themselves caught between the traditions of their parents while carving out a voice of their own. In Love Me and Finding Home filmmakers Josh Sun and Yolande Morrison navigate two very different worlds – living up to parents’ expectations while remaining true to family traditions.
Josh Sun is currently a student at the University of Colorado Boulder and a 2018 Boettcher Scholar. His parents emigrated from China to Colorado, which allowed them to have a second child (due to China’s one-child policy). Josh was raised navigating two cultures, often observing the differences and dissonances between the two. In his film LOVE ME, Josh candidly questions the ways in which he was raised, including intense pressures to succeed at all costs. In doing so, he poses questions about how young people can find self-love and true passions while negotiating societal expectations.
“If you look at all my kid pictures, I’m always smiling. Between kindergarten and first grade, something changed. That happy child in me just disappeared.”
— Filmmaker Josh Sun, 18
Yolande Morrison, originally from Jamaica, graduated from Widefield High School in Fountain, CO. Two years before, she left the island of Jamaica with her mother and siblings to join her grandmother in Colorado Springs. She applied to Youth Documentary Academy to tell the story of what it means to be a stranger in a strange land. Her film FINDING HOME recounts her story as a new immigrant and the challenges and successes involved in finding a new home. Yolande loves filmmaking and wants to study film and audio production and animation.
“What I learned from making this film: that my mom and grandma are stronger than I ever realized. My whole family has been through a lot. And we made it.”
— Yolande Morrison, 18
Other OUR TIME Episodes
Who gets to tell their story in America?
Founded in 2013, the Youth Documentary Academy (YDA) has pioneered youth-driven storytelling that seeks to discover and honor underrepresented stories while raising voices that have traditionally been overlooked. YDA offers intensive mentorship to aspiring teen filmmakers 14-18 years old. Through rigorous hands-on training in both the technical and artistic aspects of filmmaking and storytelling, YDA students receive the tools and support to hone their stories and produce professional quality documentaries. When complete, YDA works closely with filmmakers to distribute their work to local and national audiences. YDA’s 100 films have become a go-to for educators, advocates and PBS programmers alike.
Major Funding
Mary Anne & Steve Walldorf
Betsy & Warren Dean
Additional Funding
The Youth Documentary Academy relies on direct funding and donations from our sponsors. If you appreciate the OUR TIME series, please consider supporting the Youth Documentary Academy. Your donation makes a difference, and makes future seasons of the PBS series OUR TIME possible.
