I followed the Penn State scandal pretty closely, but no news report can match the intensity of this new trailer for Amir Bar-Lev’s documentary, Happy Valley.  The film debuted at Sundance and chronicles what happened when Joe Paterno’s assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, was charged with 40 counts of child sex abuse, devastating Penn State’s legendary football program.

Happy Valley will begin its run at the Village East Cinema in New York City on November 19th after which it’ll make its way to Los Angeles, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Columbus respectively.  Hit the jump to catch the new Happy Valley trailer.

Via Music Box Films.

Here’s the official synopsis for Happy Valley:

Amir Bar-Lev’s documentary HAPPY VALLEY takes an unflinching look at an iconic American institution in the wake of unthinkable scandal. Nestled in the idyllic area known as Happy Valley lies the town of State College and the home of Penn State University. For over 40 years, Joe Paterno was the celebrated head coach of the school's storied football team. Lauded not only for his program's success on the field, but also for students’ achievements in the classroom, Paterno was a revered figure in a town where team loyalty approached nationalistic fervor. Then in November 2011 everything changed when longtime assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with 40 counts of child sex abuse, setting off a firestorm of accusations about who failed to protect the children of Happy Valley. Filmed over the course of the year after Sandusky’s arrest as key players agreed to share their stories, HAPPY VALLEY deconstructs the story we think we know to uncover a much more complicated and tragic tale. Director Bar-Lev creates an indelible portrait of a wounded community and an engrossing investigation into the role big time college football played in both the crimes and their aftermath.