Name: Intelligent Lives
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2018-09-21
Duration: 1 h 10 min
Rating: 8.3
Cast: Naieer Shaheed, Naomie Monplaisir, Micah Fialka Feldman

An Incredible Representation of Diversity

We analyzed this movie as a part of a class project focused on intellectual and developmental disabilities and we felt compelled to give insight into how it impacted us. This movie highlighted the importance of providing equal care and opportunities to all members of our community, regardless of intelligence or physical abilities, and reminded us of the need to be prepared to work with individuals who may require resources or interventions that differ from the norm. We were able to have an insightful discussion as a class regarding the support needed for this population to develop autonomy and how we, as members of our own communities, can encourage this through resource connections and individualized skill building.

Intelligent Lives follows the lives of Naomie, Micah, and Naieer, three young adults with developmental disabilities. Naomie is a young woman with down syndrome that is looking for an occupational fit for herself while the film highlights her journey and its impact on her family. Micah is a young man that is finishing up his college certificate and is a big proponent for self-advocacy, hosting weekly meetings with his support group and even advocating for his girlfriend to have more control over her life and her health. Naieer is a young man that is beginning to apply to art colleges, and the film highlights his family's views of the way race impacts their fears and expectations for Naieer's life. Overall, an ongoing theme throughout this movie is how the traditional IQ test is not an accurate representation of ability for this population and the potential lasting impact these scores can have on an individual's life.

Intelligent Lives presented Naomie, Micah, and Naieer in a way that was educational, yet captivating. It was eye-opening to realize the segregation and inequality that continues to impact people with disabilities, but seeing these individuals thrive with the support of their families, schools, and communities provided a great example of how and why those with disabilities should be included and supported in everyday life. This film demonstrates ways in which we can be more aware of potentially unfair situations that people with disabilities may encounter. Consequently, we can learn to better acknowledge, appropriately respond to, and advocate against the injustices we see.

Audiences that would benefit from seeing Intelligent Lives would be members of the groups that were beautifully represented in this film. A caregiver or parent would benefit from learning about the availability of resources that aim to help facilitate self advocacy, including the financial advisors, job recruiters, or social capital meeting leaders featured in the film. It would be empowering for special education teachers to see Micah's sister talk about the importance of educators building a strong foundation of learning and socialization for her special needs students as early as possible. Additionally, it would be beneficial for society to see how the movie addressed encouraging students to find a way to contribute to society, seek out their passions, and promote themselves to the world through their unique abilities. In conclusion, everyone would benefit from seeing this movie as it is an excellent demonstration of fostering inclusion, inspiring confidence through self autonomy, and portrayal of the amount of love and support needed to empower the individuals highlighted in this film.

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

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