East Bay Closing Night
Executive producers Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder expected to attend
Approaching 21, Samuel Habib’s goals are pretty typical. He wants to be independent, leave his parents’ house, travel, attend college, make new friends, and date. Yet every rite of passage is fraught with challenges. He has cerebral palsy and his rare genetic disorder causes unexpected seizures and uncontrollable movements. Samuel teams up with his father Dan to step behind the camera, challenge media stereotypes, and show the infantilization he experiences on a regular basis. Samuel is determined to avoid unemployment and isolation. He interviews disabled comedians, performers, and advocates about how to manage “adulting” while disabled. This down to earth documentary is filled with insight and humor. Samuel meets with disability rights activist Judy Heumann, who speaks about her experiences as the child of German Jewish immigrants. Samuel and Judy discuss how being Jewish impacts their views on disability rights and their moral obligation to repair the world. — Thaïs Miller
California Premiere
This film is presented with Open Captions. The Piedmont Theatre is wheelchair accessible. Audio description is available upon request.
Samuel Habib co-directed the Emmy Award-winning My Disability Roadmap, a 2022 New York Times Op-Doc. The film was a Critics Choice nominee and featured at festivals including Hot Docs, Doc NYC, and Hot Springs. Samuel was also a story consultant on the nationally broadcast film Mr. Connolly Has ALS and has presented nationally on disability rights. Samuel is a college student who navigates significant, chronic health challenges due to his underlying GNAO1 Neurodevelopmental Disorder. He works at the Westchester Institute for Human Development.
Dan Habib produced and co-directed the Emmy Award-winning My Disability Roadmap, a 2022 New York Times Op-Doc featured at Hot Docs, Doc NYC, and Hot Springs. He is the Director/Producer/Cinematographer of the nationally broadcast (public television) documentary films Intelligent Lives, Who Cares About Kelsey?, Mr. Connolly Has ALS, and Including Samuel. He served on the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities under President Obama. He is currently the Inclusive Communities Project Director at the Westchester Institute for Human Development.