Father Creates Documentary Film of Son's Cerebral Palsy
Dan Habib is a filmmaker, an activist and a father of an 8-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. Over the past four years, Habib has chronicled the life of his son using film and created a one-hour documentary titled “Including Samuel.”
A Personal Story
The film began as a way for Habib to document his experience as a father of a disabled child, a suggestion made to him by one of Samuel’s doctors.
“The doctor’s comment was a real catalyst. It gave me an outlet for my fears and confusion,” admitted Habib, who is now a filmmaker in residence for the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire.
But what began as an outlet for coping turned into a film about how individuals with disability assimilate (or fail to) into mainstream society. The documentary not only features Samuel, who can barely speak or hold a pencil, it also features four others who struggle with disability.
Seeking Inclusion
“I wanted to make the world a better place for Samuel. I wanted Samuel to be accepted in the community and society,” Habib said. "Samuel has taught me how I look at everyone around me. He has taught me not to pre-judge anyone by how they talk, or whether they can talk. He will teach a lot of people, which is good, because the world has a lot to learn."
The INclusion Network of Cincinnati has already hosted a screening of Habib’s documentary, and a Cincinnati public broadcasting network aired the documentary on television last week. The film is expected to be distributed to PBS stations in 2009.
