"Forget Me Not: Inclusion in the Classroom" - Documentary Film Review
Forget Me Not is the sort of damning documentary that exists seemingly by accident. Director Olivier Bernier begins his film with a home video montage of life with his wife, Hilda. The audience sees their wedding, her pregnancy, and the birth of their son, Emilio. These videos are personal and have the distinct feeling that they were not filmed with the expectation that they would one day exist in a documentary. They seem to be the same home videos every new parent takes of their child, just with a little better lighting and camera direction because Olivier is a filmmaker.
There is a clear shift in the videos when Hilda and Olivier learn that Emilio has Down Syndrome. The home movies become more polished as the new parents consciously decide to document the challenges of fighting for an inclusive education for Emilio. Despite the fact that Hilda is a special education teacher, it is eye-opening and frustrating for them to be on the other side of the system, as parents advocating for their child. They were essentially given packets of information, wished luck, and told to figure out on their own what was best for Emilio.
© Forget Me Not/Cinema Libre Studio
In terms of filmmaking, Forget Me Not is sparse. The documentary has no interest in making something flashy or stylistically new. Forget Me Not lays bare the bureaucratic hell of fighting for a child’s right to education. Hilda, Olivier, and Emilio live in New York City, which is widely regarded as having the worst track record in the country for inclusivity. Any child with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a part of District 75. They aren’t in any classrooms with typical students in their grade, don’t have access to recess or music class, and enter the school through an entirely different door. There have been numerous studies of the benefits to all students when learning in an inclusive setting, but not one study that makes the case for separating children.
© Forget Me Not/Cinema Libre Studio
The final moments of Forget Me Not play out like the damning confession of Robert Durst in The Jinx. It’s a confession caught on a hot mic that proves how fundamentally broken the school system is. There are glimpses of hope for the future of inclusive education, like the Henderson School in Boston, Massachusetts, where 40% of the students are disabled, but there is no separation. The film also introduces the audience to older kids with Down Syndrome and tells of the battles they have already won and lost in terms of education.
Forget Me Not ends with Hilda looking directly at the camera as she says, “Are you ready to sue the DOE every year? I am.” Parents must be their child’s biggest advocates, and systems should be in place to help, rather than hinder, their efforts.
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