<p>Five prominent young activists meet in New York City to discuss their efforts to improve the world by addressing such issues as racial justice, gun reform, and climate change.</p>

The Day I Had to Grow Up

<p>An intelligent combination of civics lessons and environmentalism, Christi Cooper’s “Youth v. Gov” tells the story of America’s youngest citizens taking on the world’s most powerful government. The film focuses on a suit brought by 21 diverse kids and teens, ranging in ages from 8 to 19, in which they sued — with the help of the nonprofit Our Children’s Trust — the U.S. government for failing to take action on climate change, thus endangering their constitutional right to life, liberty, and property. The documentary does a fine job of balancing its many elements: profiling the young litigants; outlining the key environmental issues; citing the scientific evidence of climate change and its dire effects; tracing the history of successive U.S. administrations’ failures to seriously engage with the existential threat; explaining the legal reasoning behind the suit; and following the case as it wends its slow, hiccuping way through the court system from 2015 through 2020 before it’s finally heard in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. And thanks to its youthful protagonists’ admirable engagement, intelligence, and resolve, the film even provides a welcome glimmer of hope for our increasingly gloomy world. POV Magazine writes: “Youth v Gov is both a documentary and a kind of superhero movie. Cooper does not shy away from casting an awe-struck gaze on the group of young people she clearly admires. The kids are the heroes of the film — not world-weary — and with strong, newly minted moral compasses.”</p>

Youth v Gov

United States of America

Youth v Gov & The Day I Had to Grow Up

General Admission

2021 St. Louis International Film Festival

Donation to {{name}}

Contribute

Gift Cards

These are all the passes tied to your account. Now, use our online schedule to reserve tickets. You can access your tickets via {{my_tickets_link|"My Tickets"}} or via the PDFs attached to each ticket order confirmation email. {{buy_pass_link|Looking to buy more passes?}}

These are all your purchased tickets. Open this page on your phone, and at the door tap the "Show Barcode" button and show your screen to the attendant. Prefer paper? Print the PDF attached to the order confirmation email, or click one of the gears below and select "Download tickets PDF". If purchasing multiple tickets, be sure to print or show each unique ticket barcode.

None available

Passes

Explore our on-demand catalog here, and head over to the {{livestreams|Live Streams}} tab to see what's coming up.

Explore our on-demand catalog here. Programs become available for streaming on Thursday, November 4, and will remain accessible until the fest's conclusion on Sunday, November 21.