A new documentary examining the transformation of New College of Florida from liberal haven to conservative bastion is making stops across the state as part of a nationwide theatrical run.
“First They Came for My College” follows students, professors and staff at the state's Sarasota-based college after Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies reshaped the school’s leadership in 2023.
"When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stages a coup at New College, the state’s beloved public honors college, students and professors confront a new reality: their campus is ground zero in an unprecedented nationwide assault on academic freedom and diversity," the film's promotional blurb says.
Directed by Patrick Xavier Bresnan, the 105-minute film combines firsthand accounts,
archival footage and observational filmmaking to chronicle the fallout from the state’s intervention at New College, Florida’s designated public honors college. Bresnan’s previous credits include the documentaries “Pahokee” and “Naked Gardens.”
The film premiered at the True/False Film Fest in Missouri before screening at SXSW and other festivals nationwide. According to the filmmakers, the documentary grew out of efforts to document the rapid changes at New College and their impact on students, faculty members and the campus community.
The title references the warning attributed to German pastor Martin Niemöller, reflecting the filmmakers’ view that events at New College could have implications beyond a single campus.
The film covers the period from January 2023 through a May 2024 graduation ceremony.
And it captured numerous moments of tension and defiance, including:
- New College of Florida Board Trustee Matthew Spalding sporting a smile as students shouted and gestured with middle fingers after a contentious board vote.
- Former Board Trustee Matthew Lepinski receiving a standing ovation when he resigned after a board vote denying tenure to several professors.
The film captures both the grief and anger students felt and the moments of connection that sustained them, whether working in the student garden, dancing at a "Rocky Horror Picture Show" production or venting with empathetic professors.
It also followed a conservative student who found an unlikely community among New College students and rekindled his artistic spirit.
Ongoing and upcoming Florida screenings
- Gainesville: Hippodrome Theatre, Sept. 17-26
- St. Petersburg: Green Light Cinema, Sept. 18-24
- Miami: O Cinema, Sept. 18-24
- Orlando: The Enzian, Oct. 9-15
- Tallahassee: Tallahassee Film Festival, Oct. 10-11
- Sarasota: Burns Court Cinema, opens Oct. 23.
For more information, including the latest scheduled showtimes, go to the film's website: www.firsttheycameformycollege.com/screenings
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida college upheaval takes center stage in new documentary
