On Wednesday, April 10, 2019, the Institute on Disability, in partnership with the MUB and the NH Challenge, hosted a free screening of the award-winning documentary INTELLIGENT LIVES as a part of the Janet Krumm Disability & Media Lecture Series. The screening was joined by filmmaker Dan Habib who also hosted a discussion following the film. The event, which took place in the UNH MUB, was attended by approximately 150 students and community members.
“Each year, the Krumm Lecture is a wonderful embodiment of the IOD’s mission and role both on campus and in the community,” says IOD Associate Director Matt Gianino. “In addition to being an extraordinary example of compelling storytelling Dan Habib’s work, including his latest film INTELLIGENT LIVES, exemplify the best of IOD community engagement, education, and research.”
The Krumm Lecture Series is an annual public lecture series hosted by the IOD in partnership with the NH Challenge. The series recognizes the power of information and the contributions of individuals who use the media, written and visual, to create an understanding of the experience of disability, as well as the community's collective responsibility to embrace diversity.
“I was thrilled to see such a diverse mix of students, faculty, and community members at the event,” Habib said. “The energetic post-film discussion directly addressed the central question our narrator Chris Cooper poses in the film: ‘Can any attempt to measure intelligence predict a person’s value, or potential to contribute meaningfully to the world?’ The clear answer from the audience was a resounding ‘No.’“
INTELLIGENT LIVES is a catalyst to transform the label of intellectual disability from a life sentence of isolation into a life of possibility for the most systematically segregated people in America. It tells the stories of three pioneering young American adults with intellectual disabilities – Micah, Naieer, and Naomie – who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college, and the workforce. Academy Award-winning actor and narrator Chris Cooper contextualizes the lives of these central characters through the emotional personal story of his son Jesse, as the film unpacks the shameful and ongoing track record of intelligence testing in the U.S.
INTELLIGENT LIVES challenges what it means to be intelligent, and points to a future in which people of all abilities can fully participate in higher education, meaningful employment, and intimate relationships. Visit www.intelligentlives.org to learn more about upcoming screenings in your area.
