(East Coast Premiere)

Screening Time: Saturday, May 3, 8:30 PM, Charles Theatre 2

Director: Andrew Jarecki

Cast: Arnold Friedman, Elaine Friedman, David Friedman, Seth Friedman, Jesse Friedman, Howard Friedman

Country: U.S.
Year: 2003
Running Time: 107 minutes
Format: Digibeta

The setting of this amazing documentary is Leave it To Beaver normal: suburban Long Island town, nice ranch house, three kids, two parents who are devoted to each other. Arnold Friedman, the father, is a revered teacher in a local high school, who also runs a computer lab in his basement to help kids understand the new technology. One day, all hell breaks loose, and the audience is swept into a confusing maelstrom that no one could make up. Using precious family video footage and unbelievably intimate interviews, the filmmakers capture a family as it tries to survive an overwhelming crisis. The filmmakers show us every twist of the crisis with stunning care. As you experience the struggle, you will end up knowing each member of the Friedmans as though you were their next door neighbor. You still won’t believe it.

--Jed Dietz

Presented By: Andrew Jarecki and editor Richard Hankin

Andrew Jarecki graduated from Princeton and founded Moviefone, which he sold to America Online in 1999. He wrote the theme for Television’s Felicity, and produced an award-winning short called Swimming. This is his first feature.

Richard Hankin is a distinguished editor who has worked with some of the best documentary filmmakers working today. He edited Ric Burns’ great series New York: A Documentary Film, which was nominated for an Emmy. His films have been nominated for numerous awards and have won a Peabody. Richard wrote and directed a short film, This Is A Stand-Up, which has been shown on Showtime and PBS. Richard has a degree from UC-Berkeley and a Masters Degree from the Graduate Film Program at Columbia University. Richard grew up in the Baltimore area.