BIG ENOUGH
16mm, color, 53 minutes, 2004
SYNOPSIS
In this intimate portrait, several dwarfs who appeared in Jan Krawitz and Thomas Ott's 1982 film Little People welcome the camera into their lives once again. Through a prism of "then and now," the characters in the film confront physical and emotional challenges with humor, grace, and sometimes, frustration. What is it like to date or find a spouse? What about the decision to have children - with a 75% chance that their offspring will be a dwarf? And what does the future hold now that many genetic conditions, including dwarfism can be diagnosed in utero? Big Enough provides a unique perspective on a proud and active community that many people know only from cultural stereotypes.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
In 1981, I co-directed Little
People, an 88-minute documentary
that was released in 1982. The idea was
catalyzed by a “filler” article
I read in the newspaper about “The
Mini-Gators”, a group of dwarfs
in Florida who got together periodically to share experiences. Research led
us to Little People of America, a national organization that today has 5000
members. Little People depicted the changes in attitude
that were occurring among dwarfs as they struggled towards equal opportunity
and enhanced self-esteem. It premiered at The
New York Film Festival, played
at festivals here and abroad, and was
broadcast nationally on PBS in 1984.
Little
People was nominated for a national
Emmy Award for “Outstanding
Individual Documentary.”
As a documentary filmmaker for thirty years, I have never been tempted to return to the subject matter of a previous film. Documentary affords the luxury of immersing myself in a subject for several years before moving on to a new topic. But I maintained contact with several dwarfs who I met through Little People long after the film was completed. In 1999, I began to entertain the possibility of reconnecting with some of the individuals who appeared in Little People to see how their lives had changed over the interim 20 years. Did 11-year old Mark retain his confidence and optimism as an adult? Did 16-year old Karla marry a little person, as she had hoped? Did the “second-generation” dwarf children of Ron and Sharon (a newly married childless couple in Little People) have an easier time growing up because of the experience of having dwarf parents?
I contacted five individuals who had appeared in Little People to float the possibility of a second film. They all readily agreed (although Len Sawisch informed me that he had “retired” from being a dwarf seven years earlier) and production began in 2000. I again became a part of a community of dwarfs whose generosity in sharing their feelings and beliefs enabled me to create Big Enough. My involvement with this group of people has been the most significant experience of my filmmaking career.
REVIEWS
"Krawitz's meticulously crafted work
reveals surprising nuances of character...
Serendipity partners with Krawitz's smart choices
to create a rich and rewarding viewing
experience."
Palo Alto Weekly
"We get such a personal and pleasant
experience with these subjects, one can only hope
Krawitz will revisit them once again."
South by Southwest
".... heart-breaking, humorous,
inspirational and educational...."
Jackson Free Press
"Her subjects are forthcoming and
funny, always willing to share how hard it is to
live in a world not scaled for them."
Washington City Paper
FULL-TEXT REVIEWS
Educational Media Reviews Online (Marianne D. Muha)
Video Librarian (J. Shannon)
Jackson Free Press (Paul Dearing)
Palo
Alto Weekly (Susan Tavernetti)
Washington City Paper (S.D.)
Austin Chronicle
(Matt Dentler)
AWARDS AND FILM FESTIVALS
Video Librarian's Best
Documentaries of 2005 Award
Cine Golden Eagle Award
Director's Citation / Honorable Mention, Black Maria Film & Video Festival
First Prize, Documentary, Carolina Film and Video Festival
Heart of the Festival Award, Vermont International Film Festival
Third Prize, Big Muddy Film Festival
First Prize, Documentary, East Lansing Film Festival
CINE Golden Eagle Award
First Prize, Documentary, Carolina Film and Video Festival
Best Documentary, University Film and Video Association
AFI/Discovery Channel SILVERDOCS Documentary Film Festival
South by Southwest (SXSW)
DOCUPOLIS, Barcelona, Spain
Moscow Disability Festival
ReelheART International Film Festival, Toronto
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival
Santa Fe Film Festival
Southern Circuit Tour
Sedona International Film Festival
United Nations Association Film Festival
Cinequest
Picture This Film Festival, British Columbia
Riverrun International Film Festival
Tiburon International Film Festival
Fairfax Documentary Film Festival
Wine Country Film Festival
Plymouth Independent Film Festival
National Social Science Association National Conference
American Psychological Association National Conference
BROADCASTS
P.O.V. PBS national broadcast, June 2005 and encore presentation, 2006
Broadcast internationally in Australia, ABC Asia, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Israel and Gaza, Latvia, and Croatia
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced, Directed, and Edited by Jan Krawitz
Featuring:
Mark
and Anu Trombino
Karla and John Lizzo
Len and Lenette Sawisch
Sharon and Ron Roskamp
Cinematography: Ferne Pearlstein
Cinematographer
for Little People (archival): Thomas Ott
Additional Camera: Gerard Hooper
Stills Camera: Jon Shenk
Sound Recordist: Jan Krawitz
Original Music: Kris Falk
Title Design: James Kenney
Sound Mix: Daniel Olmsted
The film was funded in part by:
Stanford
University Research Incentive Fund
Fleishhacker Foundation
Peninsula Community Foundation
Yale University, Shenkin Fellowship
Arts Council, Silicon Valley
DISTRIBUTION, inquire:
Jan Krawitz
Department of Art & Art History
435 Lasuen Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-2018
email: krawitz@stanford.edu
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