Schools, colleges and libraries
15 DAYS for schools and libraries
15 DAYS belongs in every course, library and campus program where education policy, public health and civil liberties are taught. It is already in the collections at Cornell University and UNC Charlotte.
License options
K-12 schools and public libraries
$150
DVD or Blu-ray with a K-12 and library license.
Colleges and universities
$350
Streaming, DVD or Blu-ray with a college license.
Classroom on Kinema
$350
A three-year educational license. You set a viewing window of up to 30 days, students watch on their own devices, and once they press play they have 48 hours to finish. No IT setup needed.
Need an institutional streaming license with SSO access for all faculty, staff and students? Contact us with your institution, platform and preferred license term. We respond within 48 hours.
Course guide
15 DAYS draws on nearly 60 on-the-record interviews and primary-source evidence, including FOIA documents, CDC correspondence and economic data on learning loss.
Where it fits
- Education policy: how institutional and political forces shaped closure decisions
- Public health and policy: scientific evidence, emergency governance and the suppression of dissent
- American government and civics: union influence on public policy and democratic accountability
- Journalism and media studies: how the press covered, and failed to cover, school closures
- Sociology: the impact of institutional decisions on family life, child development and mental health
Key figures in the film
- Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, now NIH Director
- Dr. Scott Atlas: former White House Coronavirus Task Force advisor
- Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg: physician and epidemiologist
- Garrett “Bam” Morgan: Queens high school football star who lost his season
- Coach Ron Naclerio: Cardozo High School basketball coach
- Jonathan Zachreson: founder, Reopen California Schools
- Natalya Murakhver: director; co-founder, Restore Childhood; plaintiff in the lawsuit against Mayor de Blasio to reopen NYC schools
Suggested pairings
- The Great Barrington Declaration (October 2020)
- CDC MMWR reports on school reopening evidence, 2020 to 2021
- Learning loss: the evidence (Restore Childhood)
Discussion guide
For classrooms, campus screenings and community events. Adapt freely.
Opening
- What did you know about pandemic school closures before watching this film? What surprised you?
- Where were you when schools closed in March 2020? What do you remember?
Science and policy
- What evidence does the film present that schools could have reopened earlier? Do you find it persuasive?
- Who shaped CDC guidance on reopening schools? How does this compare to how public health decisions are supposed to be made?
- Dr. Bhattacharya and others were sidelined. What does this tell us about how dissent is handled during a crisis?
Institutions and accountability
- Who bears responsibility for the length and impact of school closures?
- How did federal ESSER funding shape decisions? Who benefited financially?
- What accountability, if any, has followed? What would real accountability look like?
Children and families
- Which communities were most harmed by prolonged closures? What does this tell us about equity?
- How did parents respond? What does the advocacy in this film tell us about civic engagement and parental rights?
Broader implications
- Has your view of public health institutions, teachers’ unions or school governance changed?
- The film ends with a call to action. What does that mean for your community?
Educational toolkit
Included with Kinema classroom bookings, institutional licenses and the complete package, delivered by email when your order is confirmed:
- Course guide with contexts, themes, key figures and suggested readings
- Discussion guide with questions across five themes
- Moderator’s guide for the conversation after the film
- Key facts sheet with documented figures on learning loss, closure length and policy decisions
- Primary source reading list
What grades is 15 DAYS appropriate for?
We recommend 15 DAYS for ages 14 and up. It deals with complex and intense political topics and details harm and trauma inflicted on children that may be challenging for younger viewers.
When will I receive my license?
We aim to fulfill all orders within 48 hours. We create the license and email you how to access it. If you ordered the educational toolkit and DVD, the email includes the PDF and a tracking number.
Can we show it at a public event on campus?
Yes. Public performance rights for classroom projection and on-campus screenings are available. Host a screening or contact us.
Stay informed
Be among the first to know about screenings of the film along with updates, information and other events.