New Documentary Highlights School Closures During Pandemic
Director Natalia Murafbah has released a new documentary titled 15 Days: The Real Story of the Closure of American Pandemic Schools, which sheds light on how the initiative “15 Days to Delay” led to significant school closures affecting over 50 million students. This film premiered this week on X, aiming to amplify the voices of parents, students, and medical professionals who advocated for reopening schools.
The film, directed by Murafbah and produced by Hawk Jensen and Eli Steele, garnered over 400,000 views shortly after its launch on a platform previously known as Twitter.
Murafbah, a Soviet immigrant and a concerned mother advocating for open schools in New York City, even went so far as to sue Mayor Bill de Blasio to reopen classrooms. Through her narrative, she interweaves her challenges under oppressive regulations with the experiences of parents and experts nationwide who have faced similar struggles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u1-eqsucnw
The documentary features a diverse array of voices, including Dr. Jay Bhattacharya from Stanford, who has held a significant position at the National Institutes of Health since April 2025, Dr. Scott Atlas, a former advisor in the Trump administration, and various others from the fields of education and advocacy. It also includes appearances by notable figures such as Ron Nacrelio, a renowned high school basketball coach, and Tiffany Justice, co-founder of a prominent parent organization.
One of the central arguments of the documentary counters the narrative that “we did our best with the information we had.” Murafbah and her contributors emphasize deeper issues surrounding the funding of the $189.5 billion Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, which reportedly fueled confusion and provided financial incentives, disproportionately impacting minority and low-income students who faced the most significant hardships.
Families share heart-wrenching stories of depression, anxiety, lost scholarships, and the dismantling of school sports, illustrating the personal toll of prolonged closures.
By offering the premiere for free on X, the filmmakers aimed to circumvent traditional media channels that they claim have stifled meaningful debate, reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers within just a week.
Dedicated to high school student Noah Sylvester, who tragically took his life following the hardships of the school closures in May 2025, the documentary serves not only as a chronicle of the past but also as a cautionary tale regarding the impact on a generation of American students.
