Documentary Reveals Impact of School Closures After COVID-19

An upcoming documentary, ‘Generation COVID’, dives into the ongoing effects of school closures that began six years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This film, directed by Jennifer Sey and Andrew James, captures stories from families across California, New York, Oregon, Colorado, and Connecticut, illustrating how they continue to cope with the repercussions of pandemic-era educational disruptions.

Sey shared with Fox News Digital her concern that while many Americans appear ready to leave the pandemic behind, children continue to struggle with its lingering consequences. Sey, who was the global chief marketing officer of Levi Strauss & Co., emphasized the urgency of documenting these experiences to prevent future repeats of these actions.

‘Generation COVID’ aims to offer a visual record of the effects of school closures on American children and advocates for alternative approaches in dealing with any future pandemics. Sey, who lived in San Francisco for over thirty years, became a vocal critic of the city’s prolonged shutdowns.

“I ended up having to leave San Francisco. I lost a career I’d spent 30 years building, but I continued to speak out in defense of children,” Sey said.

Following her departure from her position in 2022, Sey began working on the documentary, bringing attention to the profound impact school closures have had on children in America.

Sey’s background as a former elite gymnast and national team member informs her advocacy for children’s wellbeing. She experienced abuse as a young athlete and became the first whistleblower of abuse within elite gymnastics in 2008. She previously produced ‘Athlete A,’ a documentary addressing the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal and broader issues within the gymnastics world.

“When I see that children are suffering, I can’t help myself. I will fight for them,” Sey remarked.

Her personal experiences drive her commitment to challenging the treatment of children during the pandemic. She criticized the dehumanization of children during this time, noting they were treated as mere models or parts of a machine, losing essential developmental interactions.

“We lost a sense of a child learning to speak that’s 3 years old and being told if you don’t wear a mask, you’re going to kill your grandmother. Who tells a child that?” Sey questioned.

The documentary also dissects the role of censorship in preserving school closures, with Sey aiming to spark conversation through ‘Generation COVID’. The film is set to debut on October 22 on SalemNOW.