Think of Me First as a Person
Encyclopedia
Think of Me First as a Person is a documentary film
and home movie
about Dwight Core, Jr., a boy with Down syndrome
. The footage was originally shot throughout the 1960s and 1970s by Core's father, Dwight Core, Sr. The footage was later discovered and completed by the filmmaker's grandson, George Ingmire.
The film was first shown at New Orleans' 2006 Home Movie Day
. Later that year, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
, an honor bestowed every year to twenty-five films deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The Library of Congress
's statement announcing the 2006 additions to the Registry called the film a "loving portrait by a father of his son with Down syndrome" that represented "the creativity and craftsmanship of the American amateur filmmaker."
The film's title comes from the 1974 Rita Dranginis poem of the same name.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
and home movie
Home movie
Home movie may mean:*Home movies, referring to private or amateur motion picture photographic products shot and printed in any video or film format....
about Dwight Core, Jr., a boy with Down syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
. The footage was originally shot throughout the 1960s and 1970s by Core's father, Dwight Core, Sr. The footage was later discovered and completed by the filmmaker's grandson, George Ingmire.
The film was first shown at New Orleans' 2006 Home Movie Day
Home Movie Day
Home Movie Day is an annual event that celebrates amateur films and filmmaking. It is a worldwide event, held at local venues all over the world and organized locally by volunteers. Home Movie Day events provide the opportunity for individuals and families to have their films inspected and to see...
. Later that year, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
, an honor bestowed every year to twenty-five films deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
's statement announcing the 2006 additions to the Registry called the film a "loving portrait by a father of his son with Down syndrome" that represented "the creativity and craftsmanship of the American amateur filmmaker."
The film's title comes from the 1974 Rita Dranginis poem of the same name.
External links
- Library of Congress press release
- Editor and Director George Ingmire's website
- Website for the film "Think of Me First as a Person"
- Home Movie Day News blog entry on film.
- Hollywood Reporter article that includes information about new non-Hollywood additions to the National Film Registry
- Rita Dranginis, "Think Of Me First As A Person."