Genera+ion – Co-Creating a Portrait of a Generation

Zelda Barnz, Co-creator and Co-showrunner, Daniel Barnz, Writer, Director & Executive Producer and Ben Barnz, Executive Producer, Genera+ion

SERIES

Genera+ion offers a unique view on youth series and this year’s festival theme: ‘Generation Z – The Woke-Up Call’.

Created by 19-year-old Zelda Barnz alongside her fathers Daniel and Ben Barnz, the HBO Max Original series Genera+ion follows a group of Southern Californian high schoolers as they explore their identities while juggling the paradoxical need to both fit in and stand out.

The collaboration between the family members means that Genera+ion takes advantage of both experienced storytellers knowing the lay of the land, and the younger generation’s authentic insight into what it is to be a teenager right now – and thus, how to tell their story.

The show depicts teenagers who despite living in a seemingly conservative town, use their individuality to explore modern love and sexuality. Genera+ion tackles everything from the struggles of growing up in today’s world, family conflict and relationships between different generations, to the emotional journey of exploring intimacy, sexuality and individuality.

Genera+ion challenges former high school stories, turns a new leaf and gathers a high-pitched self-conscious but deeply entertaining mosaic of the fluid and diverse identity – which Generation Z is known for.

Genera+ion is an accurate portrait of the current youth and relates to present-day society on many levels, making it an important series of today.