Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit behind Sesame Street and other award-winning educational programs and is releasing its first documentary series, Through Our Eyes, which premieres on HBO Max starting July 22nd.
Through Our Eyes spotlights the perspectives of children as they experience some of the most challenging issues facing families today – homelessness, parental incarceration, military caregiving, and climate displacement – in four 30-minute films designed for adults and as a co-viewing experience for kids ages 9 and older. The series is produced by Sesame Workshop, with each episode directed by award-winning and -nominated filmmakers, several of whom have previously explored these topics through their cinematic work.
101: Through Our Eyes: APART
One in 14 American children will experience the incarceration of a parent, and 2.7 million children have a parent in prison right now. This introspective portrait of loss intertwined with moments of joy reminds us of the forgotten consequences of the criminal justice system – the families of those left behind. APART shares the experiences of three resilient children navigating the complex emotional challenges of their parents’ incarceration as their families work to provide stability and support.
Directed by Primetime Emmy award-winners Geeta Gandbhir (I Am Evidence, Call Center Blues) and Rudy Valdez (The Sentence)
*World Premiere – 2021 Provincetown Film Festival*
102: Through Our Eyes: UPROOTED
Since 2016, millions of people in the United States have been displaced by weather-related disasters that are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity. In UPROOTED, two children in Iowa face the loss of their family farm due to climate change, while a third in Texas waits for her hurricane-damaged home to be rebuilt.
Directed by News and Documentary Emmy Award nominee Talleah Bridges McMahon(Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise, My Name is Pauli Murray)
103: Through Our Eyes: HOMEFRONT
There are currently 1.9 million servicemembers and veterans relying on caregiver support in the United States, and 3.4 million children live in the homes of these caregivers. In HOMEFRONT, three children of veteran families cope with the emotional impact of having a wounded parent, navigate the unique challenges of visible and invisible injuries sustained during military service, and together journey toward collective healing.
Directed by News and Documentary Emmy Award winner Kristi Jacobson (A Place at the Table, Solitary)
104: Through Our Eyes: SHELTER
America’s homelessness crisis can feel distant and bureaucratic until you see it through the eyes of a child. SHELTER follows three unhoused children and their parents in Los Angeles as they navigate housing insecurity. While each family’s circumstances are different and their futures uncertain, they are bound by love and a common determination to keep their dreams alive.
Directed by Academy Award nominee Smriti Mundhra (St. Louis Superman, A Suitable Girl)
*World Premiere – 2021 AFI Docs*
