Film provides better understanding

| Monday, September 4, 2000 10:00 PM PDT ∞

Shari Crall
The Californian

As I sat watching "Up Syndrome" with my friend Julie Snell, I gained a new perspective. "Up Syndrome" by Duane Graves is an 82-minute first feature effort chronicling the life of his friend, Rene Moreno who has Down syndrome. It is one of the documentaries featured at the upcoming Temecula Valley International Film Festival ---- and the chance to see such films is one of the unique opportunities film festivals provide.

Julie is a Temecula mother of five beautiful girls, whose youngest, Corrie, has Down syndrome. My new perspective came from both the film and from Julie. Whereas I saw the film as chronicling life with Down syndrome, both Julie and the filmmaker wanted me to see the individual, to see Rene, not the Down.

"I always wanted to make a movie completely 100 percent about him. A visual portrait," Graves said. "He's such a compelling person and I wanted to convey that in a documentary."

Julie could relate to my initial perspective. "When you watch him in that film, it is him, his life. But there are so many expressions and actions he does that are typical of Down syndrome, you tend to generalize," Julie said. The first time she went to a dance event for Down syndrome children she had a similar reaction. "I just felt overwhelmed," Julie recalled.

"I didn't see the individualness of each person. Just a room of mentally retarded people. But now I have (Corrie) and know she is a person. That allows an acceptance to come that looks past the disability."

Filmmaker Graves wants us to make that journey together as we see him meet his neighbor, Rene. They become friends, growing up together. The film deftly weaves footage of Rene when he was younger. Highlights like athletic awards and school graduation, getting ready for work. Graves also shows us the other side. We see Rene get fired and frustrated as he can't find another job. We see his world shrink further as his childhood protections fall away and fewer in the adult world are willing to look at the man, Rene.

We see his capabilities and his limitations and it pushes us to want to open a place in this world for him.

As Julie said, people with the syndrome live such a simple reality.

"Everything is just how it is," Julie said. Like Rene's reading of the year 2000 always as "two-zero-zero-zero."

"His reality is not our reality," Julie said, "and they know they are different. But it is such an invaluable humanizing influence!

"When I first found out, I knew it was a blessing," Julie said, "but the reality made me afraid a little bit. This film showed the value of a life ---- of his life. Down (syndrome) is such an unaccepted different. They look a little different. I loved getting to know who he was." Don't miss your chance at new perspectives or to meet Duane and Rene.

Meeting stars and writers, directors and producers is another unique aspect of the film festival. Set aside your weekend Sept. 15 and spend a day at the Temecula Valley International Film Festival.

You can reach Shari Crall at www.temelink.com by clicking on The Crall Space or by calling 693-CRAL.

9/5/00

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, email addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.