Kyle Trefny and Julian Jordan are graduating from the public arts high school Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts. To mark their graduation into this uncertain world, they created an animated short. They describe the project in their own words:

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Kyle: The goal of this short film is to empower the 2020 high school class, from one senior to another. I made the collages and the speech; my classmate and neighbor Julian Jordan filmed and edited the video. Julian and I actually met when we were both freshmen on the first day of high school, and we bonded over movies. Finding closure is hard right now, but it’s fitting that Julian and I would make a film together to end this four-year experience.

Julian: Kyle and I also have a bit of history working together for greater good goals. During sophomore year we made a documentary about plastic pollution. What’s interesting about this project, though, is that video has become the forefront of communication during the pandemic. People are paying more attention than ever to streaming services and social media. Having film skills has been really helpful, and meaningful, in trying to maintain our community and inspire a class that’s gotten the short end of the stick.

Kyle: That’s true. So much has changed. Before COVID-19, seniors everywhere looked forward to a capstone semester. At Ruth Asawa SOTA, my class’s final art show and film students’ last movie night were expected to be major events. It’s been a challenge coming to terms with the situation, but there is also a lot we can do to unite. I don’t think any class quite has a shared global connection like the graduating class of 2020. We hope this video can inspire our class to be involved in the rebuilding of a better world.