The power of the human spirit: Educating Peter, Admiral Byrd, Steve Gleason

For the past several months, I've been going back into the archives, not really focusing too much on new films. But the list of 2017 Oscar nominations are out, so this may be the last look back until the end of February. There are some interesting documentaries below.

1/14/17 Educating Peter, Best Documentary Short, 1992
1/26/17 Graduating Peter, 2001

Educating Peter follows young Peter Gwazdauskas as he enters a traditional school after being in special needs classes until 3rd grade. Peter has Down Syndrome and we see him struggling to interact with his classmates; he acts out by hitting students and not staying on task. His teacher spends a lot of time trying to get him to listen and follow the class rules and structure. I found myself getting frustrated with him. The filmmaker, Gerardine Wurzburg, interviews Peter's teacher as well as several classmates; the kids are pretty honest with their feelings and their challenges with him, but then something interesting happens. The teacher and some of the other adults in the school get the children together and ask them what they think they should do, how they should handle Peter and his outbursts. This empowers the kids and team together to re-direct Peter's actions when he starts hitting out or misbehaving, and Peter starts to play and act better, and the kids say that they really like him and consider him a friend. One of the girls says that Peter has taught them so much, maybe more than they have taught him. Sometimes kids are so much better than adults.

Graduating Peter picks up with Peter going through middle school and high school. Peter still struggles with school, and his communication and reading skills are not where his mother (who is interviewed much more than in Educating Peter) or his teachers would like. Peter has been diagnosed with ADHD as well as depression, made worse by the fact that he really cannot communicate his feelings. Peter is very isolated and doesn't seem to have any friends, which concerns his parents, which may play a part in his acting out. Peter has an aide throughout the day who works with him on different life skills, handling money, working at different jobs to try and find something he likes and can do. Late in his time at high school, Peter begins working as the manager of the school soccer team and builds relationships with the players, and he seems to really blossom. Also, one of the special education coordinators comes up with an idea to get the kids with special needs to connect with 'regular' kids on outings. This also puts Peter in contact with other kids who get to know him and become friends. It's very important to Peter's parents that he make friends in their community so he can perhaps become a little more independent and able to function on his own as much as possible (he never be totally independent, but they want him to learn those skills). Peter also finds a job in the school kitchen that he seems to really enjoy and the people around him enjoy having him there. Wurzburg directed this film as well, and she never tries to sugarcoat the difficulties that Peter experiences which makes the victories he has even sweeter. Peter was granted a certificate of attendance upon finishing high school. He also went with a date to his prom. Watching Peter and his family and friends should teach us to appreciate the little victories in the day as well as to appreciate the differences that bring us together.

1/24/17 With Byrd at the South Pole, Best Cinematography, 1930

With Byrd at the South Pole is a documentary filmed in 1929 following Admiral Richard Byrd and his team of explorers as they head to the South Pole. The film starts off with an introduction by Byrd himself, who looks very uncomfortable on screen, and follows as his team take a ship to Antarctica and build their base camp, and eventually fly over the South Pole. Other than the staged presentation at the beginning, there is no sound from the actual expedition; there is narration, occasionally comical, by Floyd Gibbons, a journalist and radio commentator in the early 20th century, and a somewhat over-dramatic soundtrack. It was amazing what the men were able to create under such conditions and what they were able to do in the days before satellite technology and computers. From a film-making perspective, I think it was pretty incredible the footage that was captured on film. It reminded me of Kon-Tiki which I watched not too long ago, and the spirit of adventure and bravery to attempt these voyages with no safety nets. The DVD is available from Netflix, and I totally recommend watching it, although maybe not in the middle of winter. I still haven't warmed up.

1/26/17 Rabbit a la Berlin, nominated for Best Documentary Short, 2009

Rabbit a la Berlin is a documentary, but at times it was surreal. The film is a documentary about the rabbits who were trapped and isolated between the Berlin Wall in East Germany and West Berlin. It is told from the point of view of the rabbits, and their 'understanding' of what was happening to them. There were periods of peace and quiet as soldiers on the wall were forbidden from shooting at the rabbits; but there were also times where the rabbits were in danger from poison being spread on the grass to being shot at for food and sport. Telling the story from the rabbits' side is an interesting way to talk about the evolution of the wall, from its erection to being torn down. It's a unique theme, but I feel like I lost a lot because the subtitles were often unreadable (a HUGE pet peeve), and my German is pretty elementary. Music by Prudence won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short.

1/27/17 Gleason, 2016

Steve Gleason played football for the New Orleans Saints for eight seasons, including the seasons during Hurricane Katrina, for which he endeared himself to the people of New Orleans for his tough play, including a key play blocking a punt that was seen as symbolic for New Orleans' comeback. After he was diagnosed with ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease in 2011, he began filming a video diary for his future child. At the beginning of the film, Gleason is still pretty mobile, although slowed down a bit; he and his wife and some of their family take a road trip up to Alaska. We see the progression of the illness as Steve loses more and more motor control, making his speech slur. His wife, Michel, initially takes on the caretaking duties, even as she is trying to take care of their newborn son, Rivers. It is very hard to watch as Steve and Michel struggle with ALS, raising their son and running the Gleason Initiative Foundation which was created to help people afflicted with ALS get computer equipment to help them communicate and live fulfilling lives. Steve doesn't flinch from difficult conversations, including the ones with his father and their different perspectives on God and faith healing. He and Michel have their highs and lows, and sometimes it seems like a lot of lows, too much for people to handle, but they do. It's not easy, and often not pretty, but it's real.

1/28/17 Growing Up Female, 1971, National Film Registry

I just finished watching this about an hour ago, and it's like I walked back into time, when women were supposed to defer to the wishes of their husbands, leaving the important decisions to them; when women were too fragile to handle the rigors of computer programming; and were easy targets to the genius men in advertising, and on and on it goes. The movie Growing Up Female was released in 1971, the very early days of the women's liberation movement, and you almost get the feeling from the narrator that she cheers when the women she interviews mention anything that indicates they are thinking outside the confines of the female stereotype. She interviews six girls and young women from different backgrounds, including two young black women, who have the double challenge of growing up female and black in a society that has definite limits on both. I think every woman should watch this video (I watched it on VHS tape) to see how far we have come, but how far we have yet to go. I am very grateful to my parents and my grandmother who encouraged me to do what I wanted, without any restrictions because I was a girl.