{"id":14276,"date":"2016-12-21T10:32:39","date_gmt":"2016-12-21T18:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/?post_type=blog&p=14276"},"modified":"2018-10-16T09:10:52","modified_gmt":"2018-10-16T17:10:52","slug":"garrett-zevgetis-hacks-normal-best-beautiful-film","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/garrett-zevgetis-hacks-normal-best-beautiful-film\/","title":{"rendered":"Garrett Zevgetis Hacks Normal for a Best and Most Beautiful Film"},"content":{"rendered":"

While Boston-based filmmaker Garrett Zevgetis has made several short films and worked for PBS’s FRONTLINE,\u00a0Best and Most Beautiful Things<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>is his feature-length debut. Yet he’s already been named one of “10 Filmmakers to Watch<\/a>” by the\u00a0Independent<\/em> magazine: “Best and Most Beautiful Things<\/em> is a portrait of a young woman\u2019s journey to assert her identity and find her purpose outside of her disability. Shot over the course of 6 years, the film is an intimate view into a family\u2019s struggles and reveals the obvious trust Zevgetis built with the film\u2019s subjects.”\u00a0Legally blind and on the autism spectrum, Michelle Smith has big dreams and proudly wears the badge of outcast. Searching for connection, she explores love and empowerment outside the limits of \u201cnormal,\u201d including a provocative sexual awakening. The film, which had its world premiere at the 2016 South by Southwest Film Festival and won Best of Fest at Superfest International Disability Film Festival, had its television premiere on Independent Lens.<\/em><\/p>\n

“This could have been a film that gawked at the intersectionality of Michelle\u2019s various identities and made her into a sideshow attraction, but thankfully it does precisely the opposite,” wrote Substream<\/a>. “Michelle may be different, but she is no less normal than the rest of us. Because being normal is bullsh–.”<\/p>\n

Zevgetis took time out to talk to us about what inspired him to tell this young woman’s story and to illuminate the film’s message of “#HackNormal.”
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Why did you make <\/b>Best and Most Beautiful Things<\/i><\/b>?<\/b><\/p>\n

After working on a number of documentaries with very dark themes, I was looking for a project about something more positive in the world, and I Googled the word \u201cbeauty.\u201d That search led me to the best thing I\u2019ve read about beauty, a quote by Helen Keller, who attended Perkins School for the Blind [in Watertown, MA], very near where I live. So next I Googled \u201cPerkins\u201d and learned that\u00a0people who are blind in America are an invisible demographic, with a 75% unemployment rate. It struck me that the only way we can change that statistic is to tell stories that humanize people who are blind. \u00a0“I feel more strongly than ever that Michelle\u2019s story illuminates our common humanity.”<\/pullquote><\/p>\n

I started volunteering at Perkins and, on my last day, a bubbly young student named Michelle Smith introduced herself to me. After a few minutes, I knew I could follow her anywhere, even into the darker corners of life, because her wise spirit and warmth and humor were universal and would never let her despair. At the same time, Kevin Bright, the hugely successful Executive Producer of Friends*<\/a><\/em>, was also volunteering at Perkins, teaching filmmaking to Michelle’s class. He became a mentor and ultimately Executive Producer of this project, which made it possible.<\/p>\n

After six years of filming, and some surprises along the way, I feel more strongly than ever that Michelle\u2019s story illuminates our common humanity. It\u2019s about coming of age and exploring who you are, discovering your individuality when others may assign you a label to exclude you. We wanted to show without pity that every person has unique talents and abilities to contribute to our diverse and beautiful world.<\/p>\n

How did you gain the trust of Michelle and the other people close to her?<\/b><\/p>\n

When I was in grad school, I heard the <\/span>Maysles brothers<\/span><\/a> say that the most important thing was to convince your subjects that you will never betray them. So I did that by being as forthright and honest as I could with them about the process. I tried to relate to them as collaborators, not just subjects. I also gained trust by putting in the time, many hours of phone calls and visits off-camera. And by making sure they knew their well-being and dignity were always more important to me than any film that would come from this.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"filmmaker

Filmmaker Garrett Zevgetis<\/p><\/div>\n

What surprised you the most as you got to know Michelle while filming?<\/b><\/p>\n

That she was more intelligent than me by a wide margin. Michelle\u2019s ability to recall lyrics and dialogue\u00a0and her deep insights about life consistently surprised me. However, I still saw myself as a mentor to her because I simply have more life experience. You might say that I learned from Michelle\u2019s IQ and she learned from my EQ. Michelle\u2019s deep intelligence affected me in two ways. One is that I quickly determined I needed to be as transparent as possible about my filmmaking process otherwise she would sniff it out right away and I could lose her trust. And the other thing it taught me was to think harder about neurodiversity. How could I ever be condescending to Michelle when I knew that she\u2019s actually smarter than I am? Many people are still condescending to her because she\u2019s not neurotypical and she doesn\u2019t fit into a social box. \u00a0But that\u2019s their problem, not Michelle\u2019s. <\/span><\/p>\n

And what were some of the biggest challenges you faced in making this film?<\/b><\/p>\n

It took 6 years to make, so finding a good ending was a challenge. I had to have faith. \u00a0My steep learning curve as a first-time feature filmmaker was challenging, as was building the right team (which helped even out that curve). Oh, and I had no money!<\/p>\n

Have the people featured in the film seen it, and if so, what did they think?<\/b><\/p>\n

Michelle and her mom Julie traveled to every film festival and we had amazing Q&As with lots of insight and emotion. We heard from mothers who are inspired by Michelle\u2019s mom being brave enough to not shelter Michelle. We heard from young people who have felt \u201cdifferent\u201d and are inspired by Michelle\u2019s message of unlearning normal. (#HackNormal<\/a>). We hear from people who have disabilities that are inspired by Michelle celebrating her sexuality. There have been tears and lots of hugs after our screenings.<\/p>\n

Could you talk more about that, about #HackNormal? What is it, what does it mean and what can everyone learn from it?<\/b><\/p>\n

When I was in the military it was normal to be kicked out if you were gay. When I was a kid it was normal to not wear your seatbelt and to smoke on planes. I remember my mom telling me when she was a kid her parents told her it was normal to eat the fat off a steak because it was healthy. Our collective ideas about \u201cnormal\u201d can be downright dangerous and thus must consistently be\u00a0challenged. #HackNormal: The most dangerous and deep rooted normality might be hegemonic masculinity.<\/p>\n

When Michelle was growing up she was forced to be an outsider\/outcast at school. She was legally blind and on the spectrum and not deemed \u201cnormal.\u201d She could have fallen into despair and resentment but,\u00a0instead, she did something amazing, she slowly came to the realization that her outsider status liberated her from the societal constraints of \u201cnormal.\u201d Michelle became empowered from the inside out and now she\u2019s free to buy into our social contract on her terms.<\/p>\n