During the 2010 fall semester, crises envelop at the University of California, Berkeley, an eminent institution historically associated with student activism. As vigorous debates over tuition hikes and budget cuts unfold, the future of higher education in the United States is called into question.

The effects of the Great Recession ripple through Frederick Wiseman’s expansive documentary: a sobering look at the viability of American universities in times of increased scarcity. Bringing academia down to earth from its ivory tower, At Berkeley heeds the discontent of the millennial generation.