‘Hoop Dreams’ still resonates after 30 years, here’s why
Five questions with Wake Forest Documentary Film Program professor Peter Gilbert
The documentary film “Hoop Dreams” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1994 and is remembered as one of the greatest sports films ever. In 2007, the International Documentary Association named “Hoop Dreams” the best documentary of all time. The film’s 30th anniversary has been featured in The New York Times, Axios, and Collider.
Related Event: March 19
‘Hoop Dreams’ Turns 30: A conversation on the film and why it still resonates.
Arthur Agee and William Gates, the two young basketball players whose lives were featured in Hoop Dreams, will join film producer and WFU professor Peter Gilbert in a conversation on the making of the film, the issues it tackles and the resonance the film still has 30 years later. The discussion will be moderated by Dave Goren, executive director, National Sports Media Association.
When: Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Time: 6 p.m.
Where: Wake Forest University Porter Byrum Welcome Center
The event is free and open to the public.
In 2011, the film’s producer and cinematographer, Peter Gilbert, joined Wake Forest’s Documentary Film Program as a creative director and outreach professor of practice
What did “Hoop Dreams” contribute to documentary filmmaking?
We broke the rules. In the 1990s, doc filmmakers were like flies on the wall. Most people make films and they walk away, or they parachute in and they film for three, four days and they leave. We were there for the long run. When we started “Hoop Dreams”, we were going to shoot for one summer, and it was only going to be about one outdoor court, so street ball basically. When Arthur got recruited to go to St. Joe’s, a coach told him and his family, “If he does what I tell him to do, I promise you, he will go to a four-year college.” I had to follow that story. The film was supposed to be a 30-minute short. I followed the story for seven years and shot 300 hours of footage.
What is the most important lesson for doc film students today?
One of the reasons why I teach at Wake Forest is because the documentary film program emphasizes ethics. You tell people’s stories. With reality television, there are no ethical boundaries. At Wake, I teach my students about what’s ethical. When you’re making a film, ask: What’s the right thing to put in a film? How far can you go? How do you discuss a film with your participants? These are real folks, and they’re giving filmmakers an incredible gift when they tell their stories. I tell students that, as a documentary filmmaker, you’re protecting their legacy and their family’s legacies. That’s the most wonderful thing I get to teach. And that came from making films like “Hoop Dreams.”
Why is the film still relevant three decades later?
The same issues are ongoing in the world of sports and also in our society. There are kids who have dreams who want to be successful and get out of poverty. Sports are one way that they know how to do it. Parents and families want their kid’s dreams to come true, and a family’s dreams are often wrapped up in their kid’s desires. As much the focus seems to be on helping the kid to succeed, there are a lot of things that families and communities gain from it, too. It’s a lot of pressure. Even if a young athlete earns money along the way, that doesn’t alleviate the pressure.
Can we talk about March Madness?
We talk about the glory of being in the tournament, the glory of making that game-ending basket, and the glory of going to the NBA. The chances of any kid in a revenue sport going on to fame and fortune are incredibly slim. Sports teaches young athletes that you can be the best in the world, but it’s fleeting. There was one moment during “Hoop Dreams” when we looked at William and we thought, God, he’s going to be in the NBA. He’s just that good. Two weeks later, he blew out his knee. And that’s the reality. All of this is very tenuous.
How has name, image and likeness changed the face of sports?
NILs put a lot more power in the hands of young athletes in revenue-earning sports. College students today, if they have a scholarship, have a chance to go into a portal and go somewhere else. When William and Arthur were in school, their scholarships were year to year. If a coach knocked out your scholarship, you didn’t really have a place to go and you lost a year. You probably wouldn’t continue your education. The NCAA may have lost power in the sense that once you bring money into amateurism that changes the scene. But, there’s much more agency for players and their families in this era.
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