The Unmaking of a College

This is a film about young people on a rescue mission—for a school and an educational philosophy. The 'Unmaking of a College' delves into the 2019 crisis at Hampshire College when students led a 75-day sit-in – the longest in American college history – at the new president's office to thwart her underhanded attempt to give up the independence of one of the most experimenting colleges in the United States. From the start, the students were filming events to hold the administration accountable and empower their movement. Alum Goldstein weaves their powerful documentation with interviews with students, professors, whistleblowers, and alumni including filmmaker Ken Burns. A raucous ode to democracy in action, this film evokes the courage required to stand up to power at a time when many liberal arts colleges are failing. Can the storied tradition of liberal arts education—and the nation it has created—be saved? This is a story of young people moved to action by these questions, how they were changed forever by their choices, and how they are becoming our future leaders.

Streaming info last checked: 20 Jan 2026