4An in-depth look at an incident of police brutality which occurred at Spring Valley high school in South Carolina in 2015, On These Grounds follows the officer and students involved and uses a variety of techniques, footage, and stylings to explore the reality of corporal punishment of children in schools. Beautiful drone footage and true crime stylings make for excellent, rapid-fire exposition for the incident and make the information the documentarians wish to get across much more palatable and memorable.
The film throws us into several interviews including experts on institutional racism, local activists, and the officer who was captured brutalizing the 16 year old girl in the viral video. She and her friends make appearances later in the film. The film concludes in an interesting way, focusing on the continued recovery and activism of students who have been abused and assaulted in public schools nationally and those who support them.
While there is a focus on the footage and the event, there is enough space to breathe between each segment. The viewer is exposed to the brutality but doesn’t drown in it. The use of a transformative lens made this movie very interesting. Following the officer who committed the filmed assault which went viral seemed a poor choice in the beginning, though as we follow him we see how much effort he and others put into his defense though they know the act is wrong, brutal, and unjust.
It shows just how much work it is for him not to face his actions and cast himself as a victim of the system. Allowing the girl who was assaulted to speak for herself and showing all the work she puts into her own healing after seeing a middle-aged man argue, ignore, and smirk about the same situation really puts things into perspective.
On These Grounds uses this trauma-informed perspective to cement the idea that blame is not the same as justice and that a broken system cannot deliver justice in the first place: Healing and transformation are the cures to the ill that is corporal punishment of children in schools and institutional racism in America. This superior documentary belongs on library shelves.
What type of library programming could use this title?
Library programming focused on Police Brutality, Corporal Punishment, and Transformative Justice would benefit greatly from the addition of On These Grounds.
What subjects or college majors would benefit from the content covered in this film?
Students of Gender Studies, Racial Theory, Criminal Justice, and Teaching could all benefit from viewing On These Grounds.
What can this documentary be used as a resource for?
On These Grounds would be an excellent resource for those who want to learn about corporal punishment in America and those interested in racial justice.
What library shelves does this title belong on?
On These Grounds would be an excellent addition to any Documentary collection and should be considered in collection development.