THE LILY SERIES: A LONGITUDINAL PORTRAIT OF LIFE WITH DOWN SYNDROME

Produced and narrated by Elizabeth Grace

$250.   ISBN: 1-891340-65-4  

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Lily is a remarkably endearing young woman who happened to have the Down Syndrome genetic anomaly.  In this three part series of portraits, viewers meet her at ten years of age, at twenty and at thirty.  Produced and narrated by her mother, this prizewinning set of films has much to say about universal issues of growing up such as making friends, seeking love and establishing independence with the special poignancy as experienced by someone who our society deems different. 

            LILY: A STORY ABOUT A GIRL LIKE ME (Lily at age 10)

            1978 (14 min)

                Content:

                        Educational mainstreaming in elementary school

                        Family life

                        Friends

     Visuals:

                        Classroom and playground scenes

                        Lily at home with her siblings and parents

                        Lily’s birthday party

            LILY: A SEQUEL (Lily at age 20)

            1988 (15 min)

                   Content:

                        Educational mainstreaming in high school

                        Working for pay and managing money

                        Leaving home

                        Living in a group home, its positives and negatives

                        Friends and social life

                        Desire for more independence/using assistance

                        Concerns about physical health

                    Visuals:

                        Longitudinal photos of Lily

                         High school senior year activities including the graduation ceremony

                         Work at a pizza restaurant

                         Group home life: cooking, recreation, supervision

                         Shopping in a mall with a friend

                         Swimming in a local Y

            LILY AT THIRTY

            1997 (14 min)

                    Content:

                        Being a union member and striking

                        Living independently with the help of a social worker

                        Adult sibling relationships

                        Seeking romantic attachments

                        Fantasy life

                        Health issues

                        Self-image

                        Hopes for the future

                   Visuals:

                         Picket line in front of a supermarket

                         Working as a courtesy clerk in the market after the strike

                         Lily’s apartment

                         Meeting with her social worker

                         An evening with her brother

                         Attending a family wedding

                        Writing a romantic novel

                         An interview conducted by her mother about her self-image and her hopes for the future

Elizabeth Grace: 

Lily was Ms Grace’s first child.  She subsequently had two sons without apparent genetic anomalies.  An artist, Ms. Grace was a stay-at-home mother for most of Lily’s childhood and then became a special education teacher.  LILY: A STORY ABOUT A GIRL LIKE ME won the very prestigious Cine Golden Eagle award.  

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