California’s Challenge

Duration: 500

Year Published: 1980

Creator: Hayward County Superintendent of Schools

Complete Record: California is seen from many angles in this contemporary look at the most populous state in the United States. Its citizens present a variety of reasons for living in California. Scenes from border to border emphasize the state’s diversity. Three categories are presented from which to view this diversity: 1) landscape, 2) economy, and 3) people and their ideas. Scenes range from mountain solitude to crowded beaches, from squealing children on amusement park rides to lonely old people, from bustling cities to wind-power experiments. Various citizens raise questions about water distribution, land use, education, and maintaining a strong economy without depleting resources or seriously damaging the environment. The film ends on a futuristic note -- what we do today determines what the future will be. The challenge is now. What we do now will affect the quality of life we will enjoy -- or suffer with -- in the future.