In California four-thousand teenagers gather, together creating a mock government unlike anything you’ve probably seen before. They study politics, they study the hierarchy of the country, and they, as just teenagers, look to change the world. The Youth Governor follows six candidates running for the role of governor. These are their stories, their struggles, and their passions coming to life in front of the entire world–and they are prepared to change that world.
One of the scariest things about the younger generation is that one day they will be the ones running the country. When I’m old and completely reliant on the younger generation to run the world, I want to know that I’m in good hands–and that I’m surrounded by people that I feel have the best interest of everyone in mind. A lot of what the future will look like comes down to who sits in office in the political arena, and, having worked in education for almost a decade now, I’m not sure that this younger generation has the right opportunities to prepare them for their futures. The Youth Governor does a wonderful job of expressing to the world that there is hope for this generation. Even if you don’t agree with each and every one of the political points being made throughout the course of The Youth Governor, it’s refreshing to know that there are teenages in this country doing all that they can to learn the ins and outs of politics. It’s also refreshing to hear such competent and impressive youth showcasing their knowledge and intellect on a grand scale.
Sure, The Youth Governor is a documentary in the simplest of senses, but it doesn’t feel like a documentary. There are interviews of the candidates for seventy-second youth governor, but for the most part it seems like the subjects of the film are left to their own devices, they are left to live their lives–and the camera crew ensures that they cover the events of Youth & Government without intervening as much as other documentaries that you may have seen. The Youth Governor simply lets the subject of the film be, exist, left to be determined on its own–and it doesn’t feel like other documentaries when individuals are thrown in front of a camera where they may struggle to be their true selves.
The Youth Governor sees a number of high school students as they attempt to climb the political ranks of Youth & Government–and viewers fall in love with them. Again, the world looks to our youth and considers what the future will be like when they run the country–and I think that this group of young and passionate individuals has the ability to remind viewers of the potential of what’s to come. Aidan Blain, Bayo Collins, and Piper Samuels are the faces of this documentary, and they may just be the faces of our country in the next thirty years. They possess passion, vigor, respect, honesty, and just about everything else a person needs to be considered respectable. They are beautiful people–and they are the type of people that deserve to have films made about them.
The Youth Governor exceeds all expectations, it delivers emotion unlike most other documentaries, and it presents the world with some teenagers that appear to truly have a good head on their shoulders. I love The Youth Governor, and I love the way in which everything is presented to viewers. The Halmy Brothers (both writers and directors) hit every single note, and they develop one of the best documentaries that I’ve ever seen. Everyone needs to see this film–and the world needs to listen to what these young, passionate individuals have to say about life.
Directed by The Halmy Brothers.
Written by Jeremy David White, Jaron Halmy, & Matthew Halmy.
Starring Aidan Blain, Bayo Collins, Piper Samuels, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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