Skip to main content

Deep Dive: Resolved (2007)

Play Trailer

Film Lens

Resolved
Resolved is a 2007 documentary that focuses on high school policy debate, specifically following two teams from different socio-economic backgrounds. The film begins with Matt Andrews and Sam Iola from Highland Park High School in Texas, a well-funded school known for its debate success. In contrast, it shifts to Louis Blackwell and Richard Funches from Jordan High School in Long Beach, California, which has limited resources and a low college attendance rate among its students. The documentary captures the contrasting experiences of these teams as they navigate the debate circuit. Jordan High's team, inspired by Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, adopts a new strategy that emphasizes persuasion over traditional rapid-fire argumentation. Despite their innovative approach, they ultimately lose to a traditional team, highlighting the challenges of changing established debate norms.

Why Watch

  • •See the contrasting worlds of Texas and California debate teams.
  • •Meet the underdog team that challenges debate norms.
  • •Find out how Freire's ideas influence debate strategies.

Did You Know

•Resolved won the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 23, 2007.
•The documentary received two Emmy nominations in 2009 for Best Documentary and Editing.
•Jordan High's debate team had only 12-18% of its students going to a four-year college.
•The film made its television debut on HBO in the summer of 2008.
•The documentary features commentary from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

Perfect For

High school debate enthusiastsEducation reform advocatesDocumentary film fans