{"id":11640,"date":"2015-11-19T21:56:20","date_gmt":"2015-11-19T21:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/?post_type=blog&p=11640"},"modified":"2018-10-09T08:10:27","modified_gmt":"2018-10-09T16:10:27","slug":"sophie-sartain-finds-resonance-in-her-familys-caregiving-story","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/sophie-sartain-finds-resonance-in-her-familys-caregiving-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Sophie Sartain Finds Resonance in Her Family’s Caregiving Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Longtime documentary film writer, editor, and fundraiser Sophie Sartain decided to go personal for her directorial debut. Her film\u00a0Mimi<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/span> and Dona<\/a><\/i><\/strong>\u00a0enters the world of\u00a0Sophie’s grandmother and developmentally disabled aunt,\u00a0who after sixty years together face their inevitable separation.\u00a0Shot over the course of six years, the\u00a0film uses family photos and footage to tell the poignant and often\u00a0humorous story of two unique gals who love each other dearly despite the obstacles. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The New York Times<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>called Mimi and Dona<\/em> “heart-wrenching … as unflinching as it is beautiful, chronicling difficult decision-making that comes to involve the whole extended family.” \u00a0The Los Angeles-based Sartain talked to us about returning to her Texas home to capture her family story.<\/p>\n

\"Mimi

Mimi and Dona<\/em> filmmaker Sophie Sartain<\/p><\/div>\n

What led you to make this really personal film? \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

There is no overstating how difficult and isolating long-term caregiving can be.<\/pullquote>In 2009, I took a small HDV camera from Los Angeles to Dallas to film my grandmother and my aunt. My aunt Dona, then age 64, had been diagnosed with an intellectual disability as a child, and had lived with my grandmother her entire life. My grandmother was 92 and had finally admitted, after decades of resistance, that she could no longer care for Dona. I wanted to capture Mimi and Dona\u2019s life together; they were funny and quirky Texas characters. I also wanted to follow my family\u2019s process of placing Dona in a home, believing our situation might resonate with other families in similar circumstances. At the same time, on a more personal level, I had concerns that my own son, then age four, might be on the autism spectrum. This made me wonder if I was beginning a journey that Mimi was about to end, with a child who might not follow the familiar path to independence.<\/span><\/p>\n

What were some of your earliest memories of your aunt Dona? Did you think of her as “different” then, or how were your interactions with her as a child?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

As a child, I thought of my aunt Dona as a playmate. My brothers and I spent many weekends at her house, and Dona adored us. Dona and I would catch lizards in her backyard and put them in a jar. We called them chameleons but they were really green anoles. They\u2019d turn brown when we put them on the dining room table. Then Dona would plop them on the green felt top of their pool table, and we\u2019d watch them turn green. It was pretty magical to a little kid. When I was 8 or 9, I started to realize that Dona wasn\u2019t like other grown-ups. Looking back, she taught me a lot about differences and diversity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Filmmaker

Filmmaker Sophie Sartain’s family in her mother’s\u00a0wedding photo; from left to right: Sophie’s grandfather, mother, and father, grandmother Mimi, and aunt Dona<\/p><\/div>\n

What impact do you hope <\/b>Mimi and Dona<\/i><\/b> will have? <\/b><\/p>\n

I believe there is a critical need for more housing options and support for older adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A recent NPR piece stated that there are 855,000 Americans with intellectual disabilities living with a caregiver over the age of 60<\/a>. What happens when their aging caregiver dies or can no longer care for them? I hope the film brings awareness to this issue. I also hope that the film fosters greater compassion for the families of people with disabilities. We often face difficult situations like the one with Mimi and Dona, and we are all too human and imperfect, but we come from a place of love.<\/span><\/p>\n

What conversations do you hope this film strikes up within families? \u00a0(Even if people don’t have someone quite like Dona in their family, the issue of caregiving is obviously something that touches just about everyone at some point.)\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

I hope audiences identify with my family, and if they see themselves in a similar situation, I hope the film sparks discussions within their own families. These can be difficult and uncomfortable conversations, so it makes sense that we put them off. But open communication and planning really make a difference for individuals with disabilities and their families.<\/span><\/p>\n