Happy Valley - True/False Film Fest

Happy Valley

In State College, Pennsylvania, college football has been the heart of the community for decades. Under coach Joe Paterno, the program was a model for universities around the country, and Paterno was as beloved as any public figure anywhere. But in 2011, it all came crashing down. Rather than wallow in the particulars of the Sandusky case, though, Bar-Lev examines how the shock waves cracked the foundations of this idyllic college town. It’s an astonishing piece of filmmaking, harnessing archival footage to paint the case in spare, exact strokes but simultaneously sifting through the aftermath to find poetry and emotional depth. Happy Valley should raise moral and ethical questions in every viewer, but it’s not a prescriptive film. It encourages us to consider how we think about our community and our values while admiring the soulful filmmaking that is Bar-Lev’s trademark. (DW) Sponsored by Restoration Eyecare: Dr. Timothy McGarity.
Director: Amir Bar-Lev
Runtime: 1:40
In-person: director Amir Bar-Lev
Fest Year: 2014
In 2011, a massive scandal rocked football-crazed Penn State. Can the town recover? A morally complex and emotionally powerful film from our 2014 True Vision honoree.