I Am A Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School
This cinema verite documentary paints an unflinching portrait of the children of Stanton Elementary School in North Philadelphia, an inner-city neighborhood where 90% of the students live below the poverty line. As seen through the devoted and determined viewpoint of principal Deanna Burney, the film shows Stanton as under funded, understaffed and filled with children struggling to overcome their difficulties. But for these children, the only hope for their future survives in the success of their education. Astoundingly relevant today, I AM A PROMISE imparts a poignantly captivating series of vignettes concerning children growing up outside the American dream, echoing current urban education issues in our country’s ongoing political discussion.
90 min. 1993
Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature 1993
Prime Time Emmy Award
Alfred I. duPont Award
George Foster Peabody Award
Robert F. Kennedy Award