You’re Invited to a Free Screening of INTELLIGENT LIVES

The Ethical Society of St. Louis, Missouri TASH and the Special School District of St. Louis County will host a screening of the new documentary INTELLIGENT LIVES at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 9001 Clayton Rd.

The film will be followed by a discussion with Micah Fialka-Feldman, who is featured in the documentary. The screening is free and open to the public. All are welcome.

“This conversation is important to me,” said Ethical Education Director Rachel Valenti. “My family and I so often find ourselves among people who have not thought much about the quality of the lives people around us who live with cognitive disabilities can access. Our exclusion is more common than our inclusion in schools, workplaces, clubs and service groups, and communities of faith.”

INTELLIGENT LIVES stars three pioneering young American adults with intellectual disabilities – Micah, Naieer and Naomie – who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college and the workforce.

“People so commonly misunderstand what we can contribute to the community,” Valenti said. “We all deserve loving and supportive communities. I know we can do so much better. I hope folks will show up to watch this film together and talk about how we’ll keep creating the communities all of us deserve.”

Academy Award-winning actor and narrator Chris Cooper contextualizes the lives of the film’s central characters through the emotional story of his son Jesse, as the film unpacks the shameful and ongoing track record of intelligence testing in the U.S.

“People with intellectual disabilities are the most segregated of all Americans,” said New Hampshire-based filmmaker Dan Habib, the producer, director and cinematographer of INTELLIGENT LIVES. “Only 17 percent of students with intellectual disabilities are included in regular education. Just 40 percent will graduate from high school. And of the 6.5 million Americans with intellectual disability, barely 15 percent are employed.”

INTELLIGENT LIVES is a catalyst to transform the label of intellectual disability from a life sentence of isolation into a life of possibility for the most systematically segregated people in America.

Those with questions about the screening can contact Valenti at rvalenti@ethicalstl.org.

The Ethical Society of St. Louis is a Humanist congregation where people come together to explore the biggest questions of life without reference to scripture, religion or God. To learn more, visit www.ethicalstl.org.

Missouri TASH advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with significant disabilities and support needs – those most vulnerable to segregation, abuse, neglect and institutionalization. To learn more, visit www.tash.org.

The Special School District of St. Louis County provides special education services and technical education. To learn more visit, www.ssdmo.org.