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I remember this as a short film I saw in elementary school.

On some planet somewhere, or some future world, the sky is permanently overcast. There are all these kids, like in a school, but with (as I remember it) zero supervision. A girl who believes that the sun exists and will shine one day, is mocked and tormented by her classmates who know better. There's no such thing as the sun, they tell her.

They lock her in a... room of some type. And they're running around outside playing while she's curled up and crying in the room.

Suddenly the clouds part and the sun! there it is! shining down! And all the kids are amazed and happy and laughing!

And the girl in the... room... (and this is the only part I remember visually) sees a beam of sunlight coming through the crack of the door and holds her hand out into the beam of sunlight and smiles.

What is this I'm remembering???

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    Sounds like the exact mirror of: What is the name & author of this short story that takes place off planet involving sun & rain?
    – TGnat
    Feb 29, 2012 at 19:27
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    Really close, but this is about the TV Adaptation of it, which Gnovice managed to identify. Mild differences.. Like, in the story, she didn't catch a sunbeam :(
    – K-H-W
    Feb 29, 2012 at 19:38
  • @TGnat - It nearly is, but the sun/rain confusion in the older question confounded my search attempts.
    – Dan Ray
    Feb 29, 2012 at 21:10
  • In the version I read, the planet was Venus and the girl never gets to see the sun directly. By the time her classmates get to her, she is no longer alive.
    – HNL
    Mar 29, 2012 at 5:52

1 Answer 1

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I believe what you're looking for is the 30-minute film All Summer in a Day (1982) from the PBS children's series WonderWorks. It was an adaptation of Ray Bradbury's short story of the same name.

You can watch it on YouTube: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

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    Holy cow. I clicked that "Part 3" link, and the first 16 seconds were PRECISELY what I remember seeing as a kid. Well done!
    – Dan Ray
    Feb 29, 2012 at 21:06
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    I remember the scene described by OP. It's stuck in my mind as an example of unfairness and how you should not treat your fellow human being. I've always felt so bad for that little girl. I didn't remember William until I watched the youtube links above, but this also explains why I've always hated that actor in everything he's ever been in. I can hold a grudge for a long time.
    – elliptic1
    Mar 3, 2018 at 4:54
  • The scene described by OP is EXACTLY how I remember it. I thought about it today and after 10 seconds of googling, found this. For me it's the end of Part 2 that strikes a chord, rather than the beginning of Part 3, but close enough! The internet has now become an extension of our memories. Amazing.
    – Eric Brotto
    Jun 2, 2020 at 5:24

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