That\u2019s when she made the seemingly surprising choice to reach out to Patrick Bresnan, who is better known for community-centric ethnographic studies like Pahokee<\/a> and Naked Gardens<\/a> than conventional narrative documentaries. Yet that\u2019s exactly what she knew this film needed in a director \u2013 someone who would truly learn about New College as a place and a community. She said, \u201cI knew that he would not arrive there thinking he knew the story.\u201d<\/p>\n Bresnan recalled that when he first visited the campus, \u201cit was like showing up to the Nineties. I felt like I was at a grunge concert, and you didn\u2019t know what gender a person was and it didn\u2019t matter. It was such an incredible place.\u201d The initial thought was to make a short about the attempts to expel student body president Libby Harrity, \u201cbut I thought that the story was much bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n What then ensued was a yearlong process to understand the campus, creating what Bresnan called \u201can underground film school,\u201d equipping some students with their own iPhones so they could capture footage in places he wouldn\u2019t go. At the same time, he then filmed in what he called \u201csafe spaces\u201d like the student food forest and garden, and the student newspaper offices. It was only after that initial year that he reached out to the college administration and explained what he was doing, and worked with them to explore their side of the story.<\/p>\n For Herrick, this wasn\u2019t simply an abstract skirmish in the culture wars, but an attack on the academic processes that had made New College such a unique and affordable environment for students like herself. \u201cThis is tearing apart people\u2019s lives,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is removing the possibility of an amazing outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n But Bresnan sees that the spirit of the old New College is not dead. On new student day, he filmed one of the incoming class, homeschooled and from a conservative family. \u201cLast time I was there, he was walking around barefoot in eye shadow.\u201d<\/p>\n First They Came for My College<\/a><\/p>\n Documentary Spotlight, Texas Premiere<\/p>\n Thursday 12, 6:15pm, Alamo Lamar<\/p>\n Friday 13, 5:45pm, AFS Cinema<\/p>\n Wednesday 18, 6pm, Rollins Theatre at the Long Center<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SX26_FilmCircle.png\")
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