6 days and counting...questions remain

The cable television premiere of A SUMMER IN THE CAGE is right around the corner on Sundance Channel at 9pm on Monday, October 22, 2007. A DocDay premiere.

http://www.sundancechannel.com/films/500252338

I have to say I am bit nervous, excited and curious. I wonder what will be the the response by the public audience. I wonder how mental health professionals will react to the film. I wonder how Sam will respond, if he watches it.

Sam's mother and sister have seen A SUMMER IN THE CAGE and have been outrageously supportive and generous. But we all think about Sam in this, even as we are trying to use the film as a jump off for advocacy. The conundrum that the film could provide some community and relief for those afflicted and their families, but not Sam weighs on us.

This dilemma takes me back to some of the questions this film raised for me in the first place...when do you turn the camera off? I still am not sure how to answer that.

We had a screening of the film at Tribeca Cinemas in Manhattan sponsored by the IFP. After the screening, there was a Q&A and I was asked how the making of this film will shape my approach to documentary filmmaking in the future. I said and felt that I would need to be even more fierce in the future. Again, from a filmmaking standpoint there is no question to that assertion. Yet these are still human stories being told and respect for them is imperative. I still have not resolved these questions.

Huffington Post Blog

Recently the Huffington Post posted a blog from me regarding mental health.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-selkow/a-summer-in-the-cage_b_68697.html