Director
Paul Taylor
Development support
Alliance School is a film about acceptance and sexuality in America. The story is told through one of a handful of GLBT schools in the US now facing the very real possibility of closure. The film tells the intimate stories of students, alongside the broader story of a school’s struggle to survive.
Long Synopsis
Alliance is an inner city school for LGBT youth (ages 11-18) most of whom have been severely bullied in previous institutions. Sixty percent of students are from Southern-Baptist families who often find it difficult to accept their child’s choice. Twenty Five percent of students are physically homeless because their families have rejected them entirely.
The Alliance school is a safe haven where truancy rates have dropped and students are receiving the education they deserve. However students often find it difficult to allow themselves to succeed because of the destructive psychological impact of intolerance. Alliance has to work actively to redress this destructive psychology and help students overcome their fear of success.
Unfortunately Alliance is also now facing a funding crisis and the possibility of closure as a result of impending education cuts in Wisconsin. The last round of cuts forced Alliance to reduce school days to four a week. Its no secret there will be further cuts in January and they will face a dilemma: should they close the middle school and send children back to their previous schools?