January 31, 2005: Headlines: COS - Sierra Leone: Awards: Hollywood: Documentaries: Movies: Autism: Daily Orange: Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen earns Oscar nomination for "Autism is a World" as best Documentary Short Subject

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Sierra Leone: Special Report: Documentary Film Producer and Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen: January 31, 2005: Headlines: COS - Sierra Leone: Awards: Hollywood: Documentaries: Movies: Autism: Daily Orange: Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen earns Oscar nomination for "Autism is a World" as best Documentary Short Subject
RPCVs contend for Academy Awards  Date: January 31 2005 No: 416 RPCVs contend for Academy Awards
Bolivia RPCV Taylor Hackford's film "Ray" is up for awards in six categories including best picture, best actor and best director. "Autism Is a World" co-produced by Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen and nominated for best Documentary Short Subject, seeks to increase awareness of developmental disabilities. Colombian film "El Rey," previously in the running for the foreign-language award, includes the urban legend that PCVs teamed up with El Rey to bring cocaine to U.S. soil.


By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-48-182.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.48.182) on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 7:18 pm: Edit Post

Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen earns Oscar nomination for "Autism is a World" as best Documentary Short Subject

Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen earns Oscar nomination for Autism is a World  as best Documentary Short Subject

Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen earns Oscar nomination for "Autism is a World" as best Documentary Short Subject

SU professor earns Oscar nomination
Biklen up for best Documentary Short Subject

By Marc Peters
Published: 1/31/2005

Most would consider an Oscar nomination the end goal of making a movie, but for activists like Syracuse University professor of education Douglas Biklen, the honor is secondary to furthering disability awareness.

"Autism is a World," produced and directed by Gerardine Wurzburg, and co-produced by Biklen has been nominated for the 2004 Academy Award for best Documentary Short Subject. The nomination is Wurzburg's second, her film "Educating Peter" won the award in the same category in 1992.

"Of course (the nomination) is exciting," Biklen said. "The main reaction I have is elation that the film will now get seen very broadly and for many years to come."

The film is a look at the life of an autistic woman, Sue Rubin, and a presentation of how the world is viewed through her eyes.

Biklen met Rubin 12 years ago at a conference he spoke at in California. Biklen often invites Rubin to give speeches in Syracuse, one of which is featured in the film.

The film is not the first venture between Wurzburg and Biklen, who have wanted to do a film together for many years, Wurzburg said.

"This was the right subject and he actually introduced me to Sue. That is how I got to know her. His work and his writings have been very influential in moving towards inclusion of peoples with disabilities in our society," Wurzburg said.

The best way for college students to get involved and make a difference is to join an organization that allows people with disabilities, parents, friends and professionals to work together, Bilken said.

"(Bilken is) a great professor," said Liz Cufari, a freshman education major. "He influenced me to go more towards inclusive education. I was not going to do that before I came to Syracuse. (After taking his class) and learning more about inclusive education, I want to get involved and help kids."

Biklen's work has taken him around the world. Starting the 1960s, Biklen spent two years in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

"(The Peace Corps) led me to want to work on issues of access to public schooling," Biklen said. "From there I became interested in the representation of disability in popular culture."

All of Biklen's work focuses on issues of access and inclusion, he said. Although this particular film was made in the last year and half, Biklen has spent the past 15 years focusing mainly on communication rights with people who have limited speech. A large area of his work has been with autistic people.

"One of the main difficulties that people with autism and other developmental disabilities face is the tendency in the rest of society to equate difficulties with speech with problems in thinking, i.e., intelligence," Biklen said.

Biklen also uses other media to work for disability rights. He is currently working on a collection of essays based on interviews and narratives, all by people classified as autistic. The book, due out in June, is entitled "Autism and the Myth of the Person Alone."

"This film will show the inherent ability of people with autism and that is Sue's story," Wurzburg said. "The single most important thing about being nominated is moving the discussion further and to a world wide level."

CNN will air the film in May.





When this story was posted in January 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

January 22, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Date: January 22 2005 No: 391 January 22, 2005: This Week's Top Stories
Spread Freedom — but not at gunpoint 22 Jan
Dodd has ring side seat at Inauguration 21 Jan
Peace Corps works in Georgia 21 Jan
Trey Aven monitored Ukraine elections 21 Jan
RPCV group makes quiet indie-pop 21 Jan
Anthony Shriver considers race for Florida Governor 20 Jan
Thomas Tighe says internet brought funds to DRI 20 Jan
Stacy Jupiter researches Australia ecosystems 20 Jan
Libby Garvey is education activist 20 Jan
David McIntyre captures medals on land and in water 19 Jan
Carol Bellamy new president of World Learning 18 Jan
Reed Hastings crossed "Latino Caucus'' 18 Jan
RPCVs sponsor Freeze for Food to aid Colombia farmers 18 Jan
RPCVs urge Bush to aid Democracy in Ukraine 17 Jan
Tom Petri proposes changes in student loan program 17 Jan
Golden Globe Win for Jamie Foxx in RPCV's "Ray" 17 Jan
Stephen Smith is new consul-general in Australia 17 Jan

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As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."
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Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."
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In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.
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Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?
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Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.
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RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.
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Read the stories and leave your comments.






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Story Source: Daily Orange

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Sierra Leone; Awards; Hollywood; Documentaries; Movies; Autism

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