In this genre bending solo musical film, a legally blind writer waits in her eye Doctor’s office suspecting her low but long stable vision may be changing. Fighting fear, she inhabits her own stories of women with limited sight and limitless vision, turning them into stars to light her way.
SYNOPSIS
Legally blind since childhood from Stargardt Disease (an inherited form of juvenile macular degeneration), THE WRITER is in an eye doctor’s office for one of her twice yearly follow up visits. In between tests THE WRITER directly engages the audience, promising to entertain them with stories of five women who share her special kind of sight - becoming each woman as she introduces them.
DORRIE, a former fashion executive, now an assistive technology expert. "I got my Stargardts late - at 33!”
MALLORY, a recovering Southern Baptist after her pastor declared to 11 year old MALLORY that God made her this way for a reason. “Well that’s gotta be some selfish son-of-a- bitch!”
CONNOR, a young beauty pageant queen who writes a 'Bad Ass Blog called 'Blind Girl Swag’. "Just cause you can’t see where you’re going doesn’t mean you’re not going to get there!"
ASTRID, a 30-something Director of a community planetarium from Dominican Republic and the only character who does not have Stargardts… at least not yet. “But most of my family does.”
ABUELA, ASTRID’S beloved grandmother, legally blind since childhood from Stargardts, who had to stay in DR to take care of ASTRID's sister and brother who both have Stargardts. "It runs in families.”
As the tests continue and it becomes clear THE WRITER’S long stable vision may be changing for the worse, she turns visual field tests into celestial landscapes and the stories of the women into stars to light her now uncertain way.
Finally called in to hear her fate, THE WRITER now armed with the stories of her stars, sings a reprise of DORRIE’s anthem of resilience.
“I see the light, the light inside of me
I see the world the way it ought to be
I close my eyes so I can block out the sun
Then look into the dark
and see the day
Look into the night
And see the light”
Supporter Statement
'From the creator of SEEING STARS’
"As someone legally blind from adolescence but with enough vision to hide it, this was a story I needed to tell but had mixed feelings about telling. I was fearful it would limit my career at a time when any disability could make for quick dismissal. I also had the unconscious shame we all feel about whatever it is in us that isn’t ‘normal’.
For years I met with so many remarkable women with Stargardts, heard their aching, hilarious and inspiring stories then spent more years trying to give proper voice to their defiant and joyful resilience. There is no way to express what a wild and wondrous journey it has been to get to this final script, to this passionate and committed team and soon to the filming which is scheduled for September. On the way I came to understand how SEEING STARS is not at all just about me and I feel humbled by the people with vision like mine who keep getting in touch with me about the film and their heartfelt expressions of gratitude that someone is finally putting a spotlight on them.
And then there’s Lucia, the 11 year old girl who was on a panel I led at a Stargardts conference. She has a beautiful voice, the kind you know is special even at that age and a beautiful, sad, wise and hopeful face. Lucia so wants to be an actress but she’s already legally blind and losing vision fast. At the end of the panel she turned to me and hugged me hard. “Thank you for your stories. Maybe I can do it, too.”
There is nothing.. nothing that will stop me from doing this film for her."
- Ellen Gould
SEEING STARS is a powerful, heartfelt solo musical brilliantly weaving together stories of five diverse women with Stargardts disease. Ellen Gould’s writing and performance deftly intertwines their stories, including her own, in this film adaptation of her award-winning theater production. You will laugh, cry, be drawn into the depths of each woman’s soul and marvel at their grit and humor as they face losing sight. SEEING STARS speaks to all who struggle with disability and is ultimately a universal story of hope and resilience.
- Martha Steele, Board member of Foundation Fighting Blindness and Carroll Center for the Blind
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Director Nancy Schreiber
DIRECTOR/DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY, NANCY SCHREIBER, ASC, Is an award-winning director and cinematographer based in Los Angeles and New York. As a pioneer woman DP, her work spans art, impact, narrative and documentary films.
Performance Director Kathleen Butler
Performance Director, KATHLEEN BUTLER is a New York based stage director, film actor and coach. She won Best Direction for the SEEING STARS’ United Solo Festival stage premiere.
Creator
Ellen Gould
ELLEN GOULD wrote and performed SEEING STARS and will recreate her award winning stage star turn playing all five characters in the film. Gould became legally blind by early adolescence from an inherited form of child onset macular degeneration.
LINDA SAFIRE is an award winning director and producer known for powerful documentaries that explore cultural, social, and political issues,.
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Women Make Movies (WMM), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media arts organization registered with the New York Charities Bureau of New York State and accepts charitable donations on behalf of this project. Your donation will be spent by the filmmaker(s) toward the production and completion of this media project. No services or goods are provided by Women Make Movies, the filmmaker(s) or anyone else associated with this project in exchange for your charitable donation.
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