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Logline

When a coordinated far-right network launches a systemic assault on public classrooms, a former American teacher embarks on a high-stakes international investigation across the US and Europe to unmask a global blueprint designed to engineer an infinite, self-replicating cycle of ignorance that dismantles democracy from within.

Synopsis

I used to teach high school history, until the pandemic opened a portal to hell beneath our schools. I watched my classroom empty onto a screen, realized nobody was coming to save us, so I quit, grabbed a camera, and went looking for who opened the door.

As a first-time filmmaker, I teamed up with Kurt Engfehr, the editor of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine, to shape this irreverent investigation. Think Roger and Me inside The Matrix, starting at a chaotic Oklahoma school board meeting before traveling to Germany and Belgium.

These manufactured culture wars are open policy. A far-right network is executing a corporate blueprint to replace human teachers with automated screens. The endgame is machine learning for the poor, and real human educators kept as a luxury for the elite, creating a self-replicating loop designed to dissolve democracy from within.
Fiscally sponsored by Film Independent, CLASS WARS traces a global network of educators refusing to give in, proving the ultimate weapon against automation is a human, coordinated us.

Meet the Filmmakers

Joseph Erikson – Writer/Director/Producer
A former high school teacher and first-time filmmaker, Joseph brings a lived perspective to the war on public education. After being targeted by far-right groups, he began documenting the political forces dismantling schools worldwide. A first generation graduate with a dual master’s in teaching and film, his feature debut is an explosive entry into the American social-political film canon. Joseph is based in Portland, OR.

Kurt Engfehr – Editor/Co-Producer
Editor and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine, Kurt brings decades of experience in provocative yet broadly accessible documentary filmmaking and story structure to Class Wars.

Paul Culp – Art Director
Paul Culp is the founder and CEO of SuperGenius, a Portland-based art and animation studio known for high-impact visual work on major franchises including God of War, The Matrix, and Tony Hawk. With decades of experience in interactive media and storytelling, Paul brings cinematic flair and narrative cohesion to every frame. For Class Wars, he leads the film’s visual identity and animated sequences—crafting a bold, story-driven aesthetic rooted in resistance and emotion.

Gavin Miller – Composer
Gavin Miller (aka worriedaboutsatan) is a UK composer and producer whose work blends ambient, electronic, and post-rock influences. Known for collaborations with the BBC and Adam Curtis’s HyperNormalisation, his music brings a haunted, dystopian aura to the history unfolding on screen.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.