How Jane Elliott Helped America Confront Its Racism: A Conversation with Director Judd Ehrlich at Sundance Studio
Filmmaker Judd Ehrlich emphasizes that Jane Elliott, the central figure in his Sundance documentary Jane Elliott Against the World, does not shy away from confronting difficult truths.
Elliott, a veteran educator, has dedicated over 50 years to challenging racial perceptions among white Americans, urging them to confront ingrained prejudices—whether conscious or not—and to recognize their role in perpetuating systemic racism. While teaching in the small town of Riceville, Iowa, she developed the Blue Eyed Brown Eyed Exercise, a method designed to help children experience discrimination firsthand. By dividing her third-grade class based on eye color, Elliott granted privileges to one group while subjecting the other to the same disadvantages. The exercise effectively illustrated the dynamics of power and privilege.
“It is a confrontational exercise and that’s the point,” Ehrlich explained. “The point is that she wants to wake people up that we don’t realize the society we’re born into. We don’t realize these beliefs that we have and we don’t realize that, as Jane says, we often go along to get along, and she wants to shake people from that.”
The Blue Eyed Brown Eyed Exercise sparked significant debate, deeply impacting both her school and community. It garnered national attention, enlightening many while provoking backlash from critics. “Jane is a tough, tough woman,” Ehrlich remarked. “She is a force to be reckoned with.”
Now at the age of 90, Elliott remains outspoken, particularly as recent political trends have sought to limit discussions of race in educational settings. The documentary explores a subplot from Temecula, California, where a conservative school board prohibited conversations on racial issues, fearing they could harm white students’ self-perceptions. In response to claims that she instills guilt in white individuals, Elliott firmly stands her ground.
“Jane would say it’s not about guilt, it’s about responsibility,” Ehrlich clarified. “And if you are worried that by teaching the true history of this country you’re going to make somebody feel bad, that is not a worry you should have.”
Jane Elliott Against the World premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Tuesday and will be screened again on Saturday in Park City, followed by a showing on Sunday in Salt Lake City, marking the festival’s final day. The documentary is currently an acquisition title, with Submarine managing the sales.
