In Other School Election News

When Jenny Heath, an English teacher at Rye Country Day School, was asked by her good friends and experienced documentary filmmakers Caroline Suh and Erika Frankel to work on their film “FRONTRUNNERS”, she jumped at the prospect. Not only was it an exciting opportunity to learn about filmmaking first hand, but it was also a chance to get an inside look at how another high school operates.
“FRONTRUNNERS” is a political documentary that focuses on the student union presidential campaign at one of the country’s most prestigious public high schools, Stuyvesant High School in New York City.

“I loved working on this film and was so impressed with the students at Stuyvesant. They were incredibly smart and driven, but also quirky and optimistic,” said Jenny Heath. “Erika and Caroline knew how to make the kids feel comfortable so that we got an honest picture of their personalities and ambitions. It is a political film, but in subtle ways it is also about working to achieve the American Dream.”

“FRONTRUNNERS” follows four charming and idiosyncratic candidates as they navigate an electoral process that is said to be one of the most competitive at the high school level. The teenaged candidates face the same issues as candidates of any age — picking the “right” running mate, shaking as many hands as possible, preparing for televised debates, impressing the pundits and journalistic community, addressing sensitive race-related issues, and mobilizing an apathetic voter base.

Director Caroline Suh, producer Erika Frankel and associate producer Jenny Heath will be at the Rye Free Reading Room Friday, April 17, to screen their documentary and to provide a behind-the-scenes look into the making of the film. The free event will take place from 7-9 p.m. in the library’s Community Meeting Room.