Riverside teenager Tilly Paasch and her family are featured in Homeschooled, a new documentary now streaming on major platforms that explores why families choose to educate their children at home.
The film, directed by Forbes 30 Under 30 alum Niki Koss and produced by multi-Academy Award winner J. Todd Harris, follows several families, including the Paasches, who live on a citrus farm in Riverside. According to associate producer Cheryl Bauder, the documentary offers “a thoughtful, grounded look at what that choice looks like in real life.”
Tilly Paasch, who was a freshman during filming, is one of the main subjects featured in the documentary. Now applying to colleges with plans to study business at either the University of Miami or San Diego State University, she described seeing herself on screen as “very weird and kind of cringe,” but acknowledged it was “a fun and unique experience that almost no one else gets.”
The filming experience affected each Paasch sister differently. Lilah, the oldest, now attends Concordia University Irvine and recalled a memorable moment when her horse bit into an orange during filming. “The juice from it went everywhere,” she said. “I'm not entirely sure if they ended up using the clip, but I thought it was really funny.”
Younger sister Sailor, who was 11 during production, had a different reaction. “I felt like an absolute celebrity,” she said. The documentary sparked her interest in performing, leading her to attend a weeklong acting camp in Hollywood. “I’m always looking for opportunities to work with filmmakers again,” she added.
The sisters said they haven’t maintained regular contact with the other participants in the documentary due to distance, though they follow each other on social media.
When asked about their favorite Riverside restaurants, Sailor named the Woodcrest Del Taco. Having a favorite Del Taco is a solid move — and the Woodcrest location is a standout. Both Tilly and Lilah chose De’Matteo’s Pizza. Lilah said she discovered it through family friend James Monks — whose Riverside credentials are unimpeachable. “It has become my new obsession,” she said.
Homeschooled is available on all major streaming platforms through Roco Films.
