USA,
2006, 59 min
Shown in 2007
CREDITS
- dir
-
Robert Arnold
- prod
-
Robert Arnold, Lindsay Sablosky
- cam
-
Robert Arnold
- editor
-
Malcolm Pullinger, Robert Arnold
- mus
-
Paul Rucker, Peter Whitehead
- source
-
Lateral Films, 1084A Capp Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. EMAIL: info@lateralfilms.com.
- gga award
-
Best Bay Area Documentary Feature
- premiere
-
North American Premiere
-
COMMENTS
Robert Arnold, Malcolm Pullinger, executive producer Vivian Kleiman, members of the film crew, documentary subject Gannet Hosa-Betonte, his mother and his caretakers all attended. Shown with Outsider: The Art and Life of Judith Scott.
OTHER
The remarkable life of 22-year-old Gannet Hosa-Betonte and his devoted caregiver friends is lovingly chronicled in this inspiring documentary. Born with Mowat-Wilson syndrome, Gannet has difficulty integrating what he hears, sees and feels because the two halves of his brain do not communicate well. However, he is able to express “yes” and “no” by touch, and can reveal his wants and needs by pointing at icons in a specially made book. Although Gannet is unable to speak, it is obvious what brings him sheer delight: sounds of all kinds, from sneezes to street traffic. Arnold films Gannet over a three-year period in San Francisco, detailing the assistance he needs in order to do routine things that most people take for granted, such as taking a shower, getting dressed and walking down the street. His group of artist and musician friends have forged strong personal relationships, and Gannet is an integral part of their lives. Arnold sensitively portrays Gannet’s biggest life transition: moving out of his mother’s home for the first time and moving into a new home with his friends. How will he adjust to his new life?
—Chuleenan Svetvilas
FACTOID #109
Though the film had won two major awards at the Berlin Film Festival, John Cassavetes’ Love Streams was pulled from the SFIFF program at the last minute by the distributor. According to Cassavetes, MGM/UA was concerned that showing Streams, which the director himself proclaimed ’a crazy film,’ at the SFIFF might hurt the film’s box office upon wider release
