Update 1: Set Apart: A New Film Project
Our Western culture is not kind to those affected by cognitive disabilities.
The primacy of speed, productivity, knowledge, and autonomy have fostered an environment which radically neglects these people, and in some instances, even questions the value and dignity of their very existence.
Down syndrome, autistic spectrum disorder, traumatic brain injury, and dementia, are frequently translated, "burden to society," "vegetable," or "barely a person."
For those of us in the Christian faith, if we are honest with ourselves, we have to acknowledge that even our churches have not typically provided any strong alternative.
Our church communities frequently operate so closely to these Western ideals that they leave people with cognitive disabilities and their families in the background to take care of themselves.
There is another way to live and operate though and people are finding it.
Fresh theological visions are being written and creative ministries are being implemented, all aimed at reworking the current experience of those connected to cognitive disabilities to be further aligned with the Kingdom of God preached by Christ.
However, the impact of this work is not limited to this particular demographic. It is baked with implications which challenge our fundamental assumptions about what it means to be a human being.
In other words, it affects EVERYONE.
This work is being done by people with cognitive disabilities, by theologians in academia, ministries, families, direct support professionals, and more, and we want to multiply their impact and empower others to carry it forward. We have an interdisciplinary project designed to help our Christian communities reimagine our approach to cognitive disabilities at a broad scale.
The project is a documentary film.
Welcome
Our names are Will, Renzo, and Harrison.
We are three creatives who have teamed up to make a documentary about cognitive disability in the Christian faith.
Interested in full bios?
Between the three of us we have experience in professional video production, formal theological study, vocational ministry, and providing direct support for individuals with cognitive disabilities.
We decided to combine all of these passions and experiences into one project that would positively impact those connected to cognitive disabilities. We have seen and personally experienced the need this community faces and we believe the church is uniquely resourced to help.
Project Vision
To share the project vision, who we are, our project goals, and more, we have put together a presentation for you.
Click below to check it out!
A Short Documentary
Okay, so you've seen our vision. Well, from this vision our plan is to start with a short documentary of about 15-20 minutes which will function as a pilot to the larger project.
This initial pilot film will be structured around two components:
1. An interview with an accredited theologian on the topic of disability
2. A story about a family impacted by cognitive disability
In the past few weeks, a family in Kentucky just signed on to be part of our project and we are going to join them to start filming in May.
This project is moving forward!
The story is about Jay, a gentleman with autism, who has found love, support, and honor from an entire community of people in his hometown. We will film him along with his mother (Melanie), direct support provider (Megan), employer (Brewster), and more.
Regarding our interview with a theologian, we have been in conversations with some folks and hope to have something in the schedule soon.
A Partnership
With travel dates locked in place, we are now inviting people to partner with us through financial support as we look to fund our travel, lodging, and production costs for the film.
For this first phase of the project, here are the finances we are looking to cover.
With this money, our transportation and housing will be taken care of so we can get to work on making this project happen!
If you would like to partner with us in covering some of these expenses, first of all, thank you so so much! Second, to submit your donation visit our gofundme page on our link here.
Click below to check it out!
PHASE ONE FINANCES:
Flights for 3 people with gear - $1200.00
Lodging (7 days) - $1700.00
Rental Car and gas (7 days) - $800.00
Food (7 days) - $500.00
TOTAL: $4,200.00
Upon completing Phase One, we will begin fundraising for Phase Two. Stay tuned in the coming months!\
What’s Next?
As this project gains momentum, we are going to post more project updates here.
We want to show you the progress through photos, videos, written updates, and more!
As we have leaned into this project, we have been amazed at the enthusiasm people have and they way doors are opening. With that, a huge thank you to everyone who has joined us so far and contributed to this film.
It has already grown to the point of being a community effort and we are thrilled to come together to make this film to serve those connected to cognitive disabilities.
Thanks for reading!
Will, Renzo, and Harrison
