How Did We Get Here? Nashville Surviving 2020 Full Documentary

How Did We Get Here? is a short-film that explores the significant events that took place in Nashville, TN during the chaotic year of 2020. Starting with the devastating tornadoes that came through the city in March, to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and the bombing of 2nd Street on Christmas morning. ​

This documentary features interviews with a diverse cast of some essential voices from Nashville’s community, including Dr. William Schaffner, Dr. James Hildreth, Mayor John Cooper, Councilwoman Zulfat Suara and more. Ultimately, this film highlights the resilience of a strong community and the people who make it special.

Headed by Belmont professor of journalism and media, Jen Duck, our team is comprised of nine Belmont students. Our areas of study include but are not limited to motion pictures, audio production, and journalism.

Initially inspired by the final presidential debate (hosted at Belmont University) from the 2020 election, our group of students hoped to capture the stories and events of those impacted by the year 2020. The city of Nashville was used as a case study for our film, and we had a whopping 13 weeks to plan, produce, film, edit, and complete the documentary. This group worked tirelessly and assumed various roles for the film.

Along with the nine students that worked on creating the film, another class of nine honors students worked under Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel, Nashville historian, author, and Belmont professor. Their roles as researchers included doing hours of tireless background research on various events, modern people, and scientific statistics. This team was essential to the success of the film.

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