Kids of Survival

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

As in Hoop Dreams, this documentary follows a group of inner-city teens trying to overcome nearly insurmountable odds. Under the guidance of art teacher Tim Rollins, they turn literature (The Red Badge of Courage, From Earth to the Moon, The Scarlet Letter) into art, using pages of text to make a grid and adding their own illustrations. The film also tackles some tough issues that make the film even more engrossing: One of the boys in the group is shot and killed and another deals with his HIV-positive girlfriend.