Musiccreed on Instagram: ""Nothing" 💔 Directed by Peter Weir, "Dead Poets Society" (1989) is an American drama film written by Tom Schulman. Set in the late 1950s at the prestigious Welton Academy, the story follows a group of students whose lives change when they meet their new English teacher, John Keating, portrayed by Robin Williams. Through his untraditional teaching methods, Keating inspires his students to think independently, appreciate literature, and see the world from new perspective