Filmmaker Features Unique St. Louis School for Refugees

    In 2016, filmmaker Lori Miller and cinematographer Brian O’Connell visited the Nahed Chapman New American Academy, a transitional school for refugees which is part of St. Louis public schools.
    Their film, “Day One” follows a group of teens from war zones in the Middle East and Africa as they are resettled in St. Louis and enrolled at this unique school. Filmed over the course of a year, “Day One” follows the kids as they progress through their layers of grief and loss while attending school, forging new friendships, and preparing to be mainstreamed into “regular” public high school with the support and mentorship of their compassionate teachers and advocates.