April 20 will mark the 20th anniversary of the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado. Even though two decades have passed since Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 fellow students and a teacher — and injured 24 others — Columbine is still very much present in the American consciousness. Every time there is a shooting, especially if it’s at a school, or whenever the issue of gun control is brought up for debate, people think of Columbine. The name itself has become synonymous with gun violence.
Columbine survivor Laura Farber tries to reckon with this legacy in her new documentary. In “We Are Columbine” Farber follows four other survivors as they return to Columbine High School as the 20th anniversary approaches. As a new trailer emphasizes, the wounds of the tragedy are still raw for everyone involved.
“Having a friend present [our experiences] in an honest, genuine way is the only way I would agree to do something like this,” a character says about appearing in the documentary. “Feeling safe, I think it had a new definition after the shooting,” another remarks. One interviewee, an administrator, confesses that the school has never gone back to “normal,” even after all these years. “We had to redefine what normal is,” he explains.
“We Are Columbine” is Farber’s directorial debut. She also produced the documentary. Previously, she served as an associate producer on the docuseries “When Weather Changed History.”
“We Are Columbine” will be released in theaters and on VOD and DVD April 9. It will begin streaming on Hulu April 15.