Sunday, October 21, 2012

"How's Your News?" reporters back with new documentary about covering 2012 political conventions

 
Politicians are completely full of it, especially during interviews with journalists, and especially during an election year. So what happens when a news team consisting of only developmentally disabled adults tries to get past the vote-mongering spin and to the truth? A new movie shares their eye-opening, hilarious, and revealing journey to the center of American bullshit.

How's Your News? is a project that initially started 15 years ago, at a summer camp for developmentally disabled adults. According to the project's website, a video class at the camp wanted to include as many participants as possible in a project, and so they made a news program where campers reported on news stories and eventually did man-on-the-street interviews in a nearby town. They've done tons of projects since, from a series on MTV to an episode of This American Life. Their newest film is called Election 2012, and features footage of the three-person news team reporting from the Democratic and Republican National Conventions and on the campaign trail.

This project is cool for a few reasons. First, it showcases the humor, drive, and humanity of adults with developmental disabilities (contrary to what Sarah Palin might say, people with disabilities are not magical angels sent down from heaven to teach us lessons; they're people with strengths and weaknesses and ideas, like you or me). Second, the way their subjects react to them is incredibly revealing and interesting of their character. Like the part in the preview when Ann Coulter is being gracious and kind and honest and not condescending to Jeremy? SO EMOTIONALLY CONFUSING FOR ME.

How's Your News describes the project as a "positive, empowering view of life with a disability." Check out the preview for free, or watch the whole thing at the project's website.