Two documentaries, Intelligent Lives, and a companion film about New Hampshire native Garrett Shows (forthcoming in the fall), challenge our perception of people with intellectual disabilities, which resulted in systemic segregation and limited them from participating fully in school, work and society. We talk with those who created these films, and those whose stories, struggles and triumphs are portrayed.
GUESTS:
- Dan Habib - Filmmaker for UNH's Institute on Disability, and creator of the award-winning documentaries Including Samuel, Who Cares About Kelsey?, and Mr. Connolly Has ALS.
- Marianne Leone - Executive Producer of Intelligent Lives, and author of the 2010 book, Jessie: A Mother's Story, about her son, who had cerebral palsy and epilepsy. She and her husband, Chris Cooper, who narrates the film, founded the Jesse Cooper Foundation.
- Garrett Shows - Student at ConVal High School, where he is working on his high school diploma and serves on the Student-Principal Advisory Committee. He participates in Unified Sports, and works part-time at Shaws. Shows was born three months premature, and has developmental disabilities.
- Dan Shows - Garrett Shows' father. The family lives in Peterborough.
You can attend the premiere for Intelligent Lives at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord on Monday, May 14th. This event is free to students for the 6:30 p.m. screening. You can find more information here.
