A new PBS American Masters documentary Becoming Helen Keller about Keller’s humanitarian work features contributions from two Baruch faculty members. The program premieres nationally on October 19. (In the New York City area, the film screens at 9 pm ET on Channel 13-WNET.)
Vincent DiGirolamo, an associate professor in Baruch Weissman’s Department of History, served as an academic advisor on the film. The late Peter Dobkin Hall, a professor of History and Theory in Baruch’s Marxe School of Public and International Affairs until his death in 2015, appears as a talking head in the 90-minute film exploring Keller’s extraordinary life.
Keller was deaf and blind but learned to communicate as a child under the tutelage of Anne Sullivan. The story of her language breakthrough has been widely told on stage, in print, and in film, including the famed 1962 movie The Miracle Worker for which a young Patty Duke won an Oscar.
The documentary focuses on lesser-known aspects of Keller’s life, including her advocacy for poor people, people with disabilities, and women, and her commitment to women’s suffrage, the NAACP, workers’ rights, and other social justice issues. The film also looks at her controversial positions in medical ethics debates and her personal life with Sullivan.
DiGirolamo worked closely with producers Laurie Block and John Crowley, who launched the project under their Massachusetts-based Straight Ahead Pictures production company and Disability History Museum.
“I met Laurie at a now legendary disability history conference at San Francisco State University in 2008,” DiGirolamo said. “I was impressed by her knowledge and nerve in getting this project funded and backed by WGBH in Boston. I read scripts and critiqued rough cuts over the years, and offered Baruch facilities for production meetings and screenings when needed. It was a long haul for these independent producers and I’m happy to see the movie finished. Peter Hall would be equally pleased.”
To prepare for the documentary premiere, a number of PBS stations upgraded their websites’ accessibility, created regional programming, and included people with disabilities and community groups in planning. An online curriculum for grades 6 to 12 using film clips is being developed.
Becoming Helen Keller is narrated by Rebecca Alexander, who is blind and deaf. Actor Cherry Jones performs Keller’s written words, while actor and dancer Alexandria Wailes and writer-rapper Warren ‘WAWA’ Snipe provide sign-language interpretation. The program will be audio-described and closed-captioned.
Read more about the program here.
