Awareness Film Festival - 2e: Twice Exceptional
2e: Twice Exceptional follows the personal journeys of a unique group of high school students identified as “twice exceptional” – gifted in one or more academic or creative areas, but who have learning disabilities or differences that complicate their chances of success. They may grow up to change the world… if they can survive the American school system and their own eccentricities.
Interview with Director/Producer Thomas Ropelewski
Watch 2e: Twice Exceptional on Vimeo on demand
What made you decide to do the documentary?
I had just finished my first documentary, CHILD OF GIANTS: My Journey with Maynard Dixon and Dorothea Lange, which was starting to be shown at film festivals across the country, and I was looking for my next subject. This was early 2011. At that time, our son, who is intellectually gifted and has ADHD, was in the ninth grade at Bridges Academy in Studio City.
Cynthia Novak, who was at that time the Director of Bridges’ Middle School, and Susan Baum, an expert in 2e and an advisor to the school, approached me with the idea of interviewing some of the students in the Class of 2011, which was about to graduate. They thought this was a particularly interesting bunch of kids and might made good subjects for a documentary. They were right. These kids were articulate, funny and incredibly open about their challenges and issues. They also had a strong sense of who they were and were excited about heading off into the world.
I think one of the biggest challenges for any parent of a child who’s on a unique developmental path is that it’s impossible to anticipate where they’ll be on that path next year, let along next week. One of the reasons I made this film is that I thought it would be helpful to show parents that there could be light at the end of the tunnel.
How did you get the Bridges’ parents to buy into this?
I think the key to making a good documentary is creating trust between the subject and the filmmaker. At that point I was already on the Board of Trustees of the school, so most of the parents knew me. And I had rented an empty office at the school where I had set up my editorial suite for the previous film, so I was on the campus a lot and many of the students knew me, too. Some of them were interested in filmmaking and would stop by to ask questions. So when I approached the parents of the Class of 2011 to allow their students to be interviewed, and in some cases to agree to be interviewed themselves, I think they trusted my intentions. Of course, not everyone chose to participate, and I respected that. But even I was surprised by the level of openness and candor I got from those who did.
How long did the interview process take?
I interviewed most of the students and their parents during the spring and early summer of 2011. Then I shot some events at the school, including the annual Pi Day competition, over the next two years, which I used to flesh out the story. Since this was a labor of love and not exactly my day job, I was only working on it between other projects, so the editing process wasn’t completed until recently.
Did you use a crew?
Yes, but it was very stripped down. When you’re conducting these kinds of personal interviews you don’t want a lot of people in the room. The crew I used were close friends I’d worked with before and they were very supportive and sensitive to what we were trying to do.
When it came time to score the film I approached Kyle Wittlin, who’s the music instructor at the school. He’s an incredibly talented professional composer, and since he’s worked with these kids, many of whom are also musicians, he understood them very well. He also immediate grasped the sort of quirky, eclectic soundtrack I was looking for. He turned me on to a young singer-songwriter at the school named Charlie Hickey who was in the eight grade. He had written and performed a song called “Odds” which blew me away, and which we use over the end credits in the film. It really sums up the 2e experience for me. It’s already being promoted on NPR and is available on iTunes.
What aspect of the film are you proudest of?
As a filmmaker you have lots of options in the editing room regarding how you present someone and how you tell their story. I think what makes me proudest is when someone who’s in the film says that I portrayed them accurately. It’s also great when someone in the audience – often it’s a teacher or someone who had never heard the term “2e” before -- tells me that the film has made them re-think how they look at these sorts of kids.
What did your own 2e son think about the project?
Since he didn’t have to appear in it, he was fine with me doing it. But he was pretty disconnected. He’s a scientist.
What’s it like to be a parent member of the Bridges community?
Both my wife and I are extremely grateful to be part of it. Before we found Bridges, we had never heard the term “2e.” Our son was reading by the age of two, which we thought was pretty cool, until our pediatrician warned us that it might be an indicator of challenges ahead. Sure enough, when he was in first grade at his first school in Los Angeles, he’d walk out of class and tell the teacher he was going to the library and that he’d come back when they were teaching something he didn’t already know. Personally he was fine with this arrangement, but it drove his teachers and the administration crazy. They would tell him to sit back down and review. He’d tell me, “Dad, it’s Word Wall. How can I review “an,” “at,” and “and?” We knew he had a point. Still, it hurt when we’d be called into meetings at the school and they’d tell us, yes, he’s probably the brightest kid in his class, but maybe he’d be a better fit someplace else.
When our son finally entered Bridges in the seventh grade we felt like we’d found a place that understood our son and could appreciate his strengths as well as work with his issues. We were incredibly relieved, and found ourselves in a community of parents who seemed equally relieved. It just seemed like Bridges was doing so many things right.
Do you have your next project lined up?
I’m considering a few different things. I’ve been interviewing every Bridges graduating class since 2011, so there might be a companion piece to this film. Many of these kids are pretty extraordinary. I’m also planning to interview the kids from this film in another few years to see what they’re up to, like Michael Apted did with his BBC series Seven Up. I’d love this film to be the first installment in what could become the Seven Up for the 2e community. I’m certainly excited to see what all these kids are going to do next.
Tom Ropelewski Interview for “2e: Twice Exceptional” documentary – 1/13/15
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2e: Twice Exceptional
2e: Twice Exceptional follows the personal journeys of a unique group of high school students identified as “twice exceptional” – gifted in one or more academic or creative areas, but who have learning disabilities or differences that complicate their chances of success. They may grow up to change the world… if they can survive the American school system and their own eccentricities.
Length: 54 mins
Director/Producer: Thomas Ropelewski
Funders: Self
Release Date: Spring 2015
Where you can watch it:
for information, visit www.2emovie.com
About Thomas Ropelewski: Has worked as a writer and director in film and television. Credits include: LOVERBOY, MADHOUSE, LOOK WHO’S TALKING NOW and THE NEXT BEST THING.