In honor of World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), on March 21 at 7:30 p.m. MSK join a free screening of Teacher of Patience (2022), a moving documentary about an Indiana family’s experience with Down syndrome and their efforts to raise disability awareness among first responders and the general public.
In honor of World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), on March 21 at 7:30 p.m. MSK join a free online screening of Teacher of Patience (2022), a moving documentary about an Indiana family’s experience with Down syndrome and their efforts to raise disability awareness among first responders and the general public.
Over 20 years after Emily Felter is diagnosed with Down syndrome, paramedic (and Emily’s father) Tom develops a presentation to share her story with other first responders. As the Felters work to raise disability awareness, they come face-to-face with the struggles and joys of their daily lives. Join the Felters as they share their most vulnerable stories while setting out to teach the world about Emily.
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After the film screening, on March 21 at 8:00 p.m. MSK join the film director Carmen Vincent and the Felters for a live online panel discussion and Q&A session to discuss the film and ask your questions; sign up here to receive a notification and join the event on AMC’s YouTube channel or VK page.
To learn about the film Teacher of Patience, go to the film’s website.
To learn about World Down Syndrome Day, go to this website.
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Synopsis and trailer
Over 26 years ago, paramedic Tom Felter and nurse Tina Felter welcomed Emily into the world. It wasn’t long before baby Emily was diagnosed with Down syndrome. Almost 20 years later, the Felters set out to develop and share The Emily Talk, a presentation that teaches first responders and the greater community about individuals with disabilities, like Emily.
Emily finds her place in the world through her colorful language and sense of humor, her fondness of routine, and her deep love for those around her, who love her equally in return. The film shows that, just like everyone else, she has her good and bad days, and her unique ways of communicating her feelings are worth learning and listening to.
Ultimately, this documentary was created to serve as an educational tool for first responders, a source of validation and comfort for families touched by disability, and kindling for open-minded discussion about disability, inclusion, equity, and accessibility.
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Director’s statement
“While capturing the Felters story, they showed me that it’s possible to be transparent and vulnerable about the struggles and joys of disability, while also highlighting the million other things that make a person a person. We are so quick to judge each other, so quick to point fingers and condemn each other, and I hope that this film makes a good case for why we all deserve to be treated with a little more patience and empathy. There’s so much more to us than our labels, and that’s my greatest takeaway from making this film.”
-Carmen Vincent, Director/Producer
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Film’s accessibility
The film is in English and comes with open captions in Russian.
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ALL AMERICAN CENTER IN MOSCOW EVENTS ARE FREE OF CHARGE / ВСЕ МЕРОПРИЯТИЯ АМЕРИКАНСКОГО ЦЕНТРА В МОСКВЕ БЕСПЛАТНЫ
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This event is hosted on Zoom, so if you are interested in joining, please create a Zoom account beforehand. When registering below, please submit your valid email address to receive a link to the class Zoom meeting 30 minutes before the session begins.
To join other AMC Online programs, please check the American Center’s website and TimePad calendars.
#WorldDownSyndromeDay