To be or not to be / by Paul Larsen.

Format:

Video

Author/Creator:

Larsen, Paul, director, author.

Contributor:

Alexander Street Press.

Series:

Filmakers library online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Down syndrome.

Inclusive education.

Genre:

Documentary films.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (45 minutes).

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Filmakers Library, 2006.

Language Note:

This edition in English.

System Details:

digital

data file

Summary:

At the beginning of To Be or Not To Be, two mothers wonder if there is a place in the world for their two sons. Isaac Larsen and Willie Smith have Down syndrome. Eventually the two are admitted to a "regular" elementary school program and the film then follows Isaac and Willie through their last year before sixth grade graduation. There are big questions to be answered. Can the two find a way to participate intellectually with their "normal" peers and will the other children accept them as part of the class? Or will the addition of these two add a crushing burden onto teachers who already have a full slate and take valuable time from other students? The film goes into the classroom to find answers, then follows all the sixth graders as they mount an ambitious production of Shakespeare s "Hamlet", in which both boys have roles. During the final performances of the play a crisis arises and its resolution provides unexpected answers to many of the questions surrounding the boys inclusion. In the end, this is a story of compassion and expanding horizons for everyone involved.

Notes:

Originally released as DVD.

Title from resource description page (viewed May 24, 2011).

Western Psychological Association 2007

OCLC:

747798602

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.