To Be or Not to Be

Synopsis: Educational film. Two mothers wonder if there is a place in the education system for their two sons. Isaac Larsen and Willie Smith have Down syndrome. The boys are admitted to a "regular" elementary school programme and the film follows them through their last year before sixth grade graduation. Can the two find a way to participate intellectually with their "normal" peers and will the other children accept them as part of the class? Or will the addition of these two add a crushing burden onto busy teachers and take valuable time from other students? The film goes into the classroom to find answers, then follows all the sixth graders as they mount an ambitious production of Hamlet in which both boys have roles. During the final performances of the play a crisis arises and its resolution provides unexpected answers to many of the questions surrounding the boys inclusion.
Series: Filmmakers Library
Language: English
Country: United States
Medium: Film
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Year of release: 2006
Notes: Available on DVD or streaming access at cost from the Academic Video Store.
Subjects: Drama; Education
Keywords: Down’s syndrome; drama therapy; inclusive education; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); School productions

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