- This is POV .
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of Wisconsin Public Television's
Director's Cut .
Tonight we bring you director Lara Stolman's
award-winning documentary, Swim Team .
So, you're the parent of an autistic child.
It seems like your local community
is oblivious to the fact
that there are kids who are ostracized
because they have special needs
through no fault of their own.
Even a simple thing like being part of a team
is not an option to your child.
As a parent of a child with autism,
Lara Stolman did something about it.
She made a film about other parents
who also took matters into their own hands
and started a swim team for their kids.
The members of the Jersey Hammerheads were not coddled,
they were just given a chance, and they thrived.
They learned perseverance and ultimately acceptance.
The film focuses
on three members of the team in particular
and follows them as they transition
from a successful run in the Special Olympics
to the realities of adulthood.
Director Stolman says Swim Team
is about being open-minded toward people who are different.
She is hoping this film reaches people
who are not connected to those with a disability
and people with autism
saying, "Every child deserves a chance to be included."
Lara Stolman's previous work includes
the award-winning television documentary,
Portraits of Survival ,
about coming to terms with the 9-11 terrorist attacks
through art.
Swim Team is her first feature-length documentary
and it starts now on Wisconsin Public Television,
your home for independent film.