Are You This Able? (2001)

What began as a performance tour to Los Angeles turned out to be an unexpected emotional roller-coaster. This documentary accompanies ten actors, all mentally challenged or diagnosed as Down syndrome. Surprisingly, they are not what the film is focused on, because right from the start we discover that they posses an advantage inherent in their being, we the "normal"can learn through. We, who have learned so well to "tame" our feelings, suddenly compared to them, feel handicapped. All our lives we seek the freedom and liberation which they, by definition, posses.The attraction, the curiosity and enormous love generated by these people in such a short period of time relates directly back to the feeling of the "child" within us all. Suddenly, all the filmed footage takes on a different kind of meaning, the viewer realizes just what a journey this has been. Observing and hearing them is like meeting the good and bad aspects of our subconscious. This documentary is a realistic, refreshing study of human nature through a clear and sympathetic mirror. For 50 minutes, the concept of being "normal" will be put to doubt, thus giving us a rare opportunity to understand ourselves better.