In a country where 58% of African American 4th graders are functionally illiterate, The Lottery is a critically acclaimed documentary that uncovers the failures of the traditional public school system and reveals that hundreds of thousands of parents attempt to fl ee the system every year. The Lottery follows four of these families from Harlem and the Bronx who have entered their children in a charter school lottery. Out of thousands of hopefuls, only a small minority will win the chance of a better future.