Award winning New Mexico filmmakers, including UNM physician Ben Daitz, have produced a documentary film for New Mexico public television titled “What Does Normal Mean?” The film about children with disabilities will air on KENW-TV, Portales and KRWG-TV, Las Cruces March 20 at 9 p.m., and on KNME-TV March 24 at 7 p.m.
“What Does Normal Mean?” is a visually and emotionally compelling documentary film about children with disabilities in New Mexico’s public schools at a time when the state is struggling to meet federal standards, which call for full academic inclusion of children with disabilities.
The filmmakers followed seven children in their classrooms and communities over an academic year. Featured are children and their families from all over the state --elementary to high-schoolers -- with a broad range of disabilities. The struggles and triumphs these children and their families go through every day reveal why inclusion has taken so long to become reality.
KNME-TV’s “In Focus” will preview the documentary on March 17 at 7:30 p.m. and present a panel discussion including several people featured in the film. In Focus will repeat Sunday, March 19 at 6:30 a.m.
“What Does Normal Mean?” was produced by Daitz, Dale Sonnenberg and Matt Sneddon, distinguished New Mexico documentary filmmakers who have won numerous awards for their work, including multiple Emmys. Daitz is a professor emeritus in the Family and Community Medicine Program at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. He also wrote original music for the show.
Sneddon’s most recent documentary, featured in multiple film festivals, is “The Truth or Consequences of Delmas Howe,” about the acclaimed New Mexico artist.
Daitz and Sonnenberg recently collaborated on “Whose Home On The Range?” an award-winning documentary about the environmental resource struggles in Catron County, New Mexico, the so-called “toughest county in the west.”
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu