Dean's new documentary makes its way to Germany

School of Education Dean Douglas Biklen's newest documentary about an autistic artist has really been getting around. Viewed earlier this year at the Vail Film Festival in Vail, Colo., and the Sprout Film Festival in New York City, the film has now gained international attention.

"My Classic Life as an Artist: A Portrait of Larry Bissonnette" was recently selected for screening at the fifth International Short Film Festival, "The Way We Live," in Munich, Germany. Biklen's documentary, scheduled to run at the festival on Nov. 2, is one of 26 films selected out of roughly 300 candidates.

The film documents autistic artist Larry Bissonnette looking back upon his earlier life in Vermont where he spent time in various mental retardation institutions. Written by Bissonnette, "My Classic Life as an Artist" is groundbreaking in the field of disability documentaries.

"In films about disability, invariably, there's a narrator telling you what to think," said Biklen, noting this documentary breaks that mold because it is told through Bissonnette, who communicates mainly by typing. "We're trying to create opportunities for people to speak for themselves."

Bissonnette is described as an "outside artist" whose work is occasionally referred to as folk art. He works mainly in acrylics and he paints "very bold images," frequently of the institutions and wards he spent time at in Vermont, Biklen said.

Part of the documentary describes Bissonnette's emancipation from institutionalized life when his sister came from California to visit him in Vermont. She found him in the institution "sitting on the floor rocking, heavily medicated. She was determined from that point on to get him out of the institution," Biklen said.

The film also captures Bissonnette's touching sense of humor and even includes a scene of him shopping for art supplies in the Syracuse University Bookstore during the credits.

Biklen has been working in the disability field since 1969 and began his involvement in film while encouraging filmmakers to expose the issues and stories of disabled persons. In doing so, he began to learn the craft himself, which has led Biklen to many endeavors in filmmaking.

He served as executive producer of "Regular Lives," an award-winning documentary featured on PBS. He also contributed as educational adviser to the Academy Award-winning documentary "Educating Peter," which aired on HBO in 1992 and the 2003 sequel "Graduating Peter." In 2004, he co-produced the Academy Award-nominated "Autism is a World."

Biklen, who produced and directed the documentary, shares credits with doctoral student Zach Rossetti, with whom he worked closely while making the film.

Rossetti, a graduate student pursuing a doctorate in special education and disability studies, said he came to SU for its prestigious work with disability rights and inclusive education. In an e-mail, Rossetii said he particularly enjoyed working with Bissonnette "because of his sense of humor and infectious smile."

Rossetti acknowledged the importance of the project by noting "there are specific patterns of representing disability as a tragedy or personal deficit that tend to be repeated in film."

"We all wanted to create an alternative narrative based on Larry's lived experiences, his art and his daily life to counter these hurtful messages," he said.

Syracuse technical specialist Yu-Fang "Yvonne" Hsiao served as video editor on this project. She took the film from the two cameras used in the filming process and helped Biklen turn the footage into his vision on a computer.

"The good thing about working with Doug is that he knows what he wants," Hsiao said.

Hsiao said this documentary "is a way to let people know what autism is and the personal story of Larry."

"My Classic Life as an Artist: A Portrait of Larry Bissonnette" will be featured as part of the Syracuse University's Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee semester-long film series "Beyond Borders: The Illusion of Normalcy in Film."

According to a BCCC poster, the film series challenges "the narrow conceptualizations of 'normal' that identify, exclude and punish deviations from it, leaving only an "illusional" space where no one feels accepted or safe."

The film will run on Nov. 28 in Watson Theater at 7 p.m. Bissonnette is also scheduled to speak at the presentation.