Alex’s POV (Point of View)

Alex’s POV is a short documentary made in 2008 about a film maker with cerebral palsy and how he uses art to deal with his physical limitations and communication difficulties. Alex’s documentary focuses on Edgar Allen Poe’s poem ‘The Raven.’

Alex’s POV is a movie about making a movie. Alex Freeman, a young filmmaker from Massachusetts, struggles through his cerebral palsy to make his filmic vision of Poe’s The Raven. Alex is aided in his creative quest by the producers at No Limits Media. In the course of this documentary, Alex, his co-producers, and the audience come together to discover some profound truths about art, growth, the challenge of communication, and the permanence of loss.

“To me ‘The Raven’ is the story of losing a loved one – in this case my own control and my own body,” says Alex. He identifies with the poem’s narrator, Edgar, who sinks into despair over the loss of Lenore. Edgar and Lenore represent simultaneous aspects of Alex.

The movie asks: Can Alex, even with the help of No Limits Media, transcend his disability and become the artist he dreams of being?

In the years since that film, Alex has answered that question with a resounding YES. For his work as writer, co-producer, co-director and editor of I Care: A Documentary About Independent Living, Alexander was one of only three filmmakers with disabilities selected internationally for the Very Special Arts 2010 AFI-Discovery SILVERDOCS Apprenticeship program for his submission and was chosen for Official Selection at the 2013 Picture This Film Festival. He also directed two other films, Meet Annabelle, also an Official Selection of the Picture This Film Festival, and The Last Taboo.

Watch the trailer

The Raven

Acting as producers for Alex’s version of “The Raven,” No Limits Media provided the resources, professional crew and planning the project needed to document the challenges and rewards of the whole process of showing what is required to help a creative person with severe disabilities grow into his or her art.

Alex chose “The Raven” because it has been a source of fascination for him since he first read it in the 6th grade.

“To me “The Raven” is the story of losing a loved one – in this case, my own control and my own body.”

Alex identifies with the poem’s narrator, “Edgar”, who sinks deeper into despair over the loss of “Lenore.” The documentary helps show that Edgar and Lenore are simultaneous aspects of Alex.

Alex’s POV weaves together the behind-the-scenes story of Alex directing his movie, along with scenes and stories of the project’s creation, the communication struggles with the whole creative team, and an exploration of the special needs, challenges and triumphs which all the participants discovered while bringing his vision to life.

Alex is relentlessly optimistic. He has to be, because his severe cerebral palsy makes all his physical effort exceptionally difficult. Everything he physically undertakes is difficult to do, difficult to watch, difficult to understand. He struggles to make himself understood as he attempts to grow into his calling — to be a filmmaker. There is, however, a real question: Can Alex, even with the earnest help of committed media professionals from NLM, transcend his disability and become the artist he dreams of being?

No Limits Media shot the documentary to focus its narrative on the actual process of making Alex’s movie. We believe that oftentimes the story of what happens in a film behind the camera is more interesting that what happens in front. The challenge of the logistics and the clash of egos, vision and budgets create a constant sense of suspense as to whether the film will be finished and then find its audience. Add to these obstacles the demands of breaking through the shackles of the disability and we have a story which will be compelling to a broad audience.

The major filming is complete, and the project now requires $100,000 in finishing money to complete the editing and bring it to its audience. We believe that this will be a film that will be interesting to adults who care about human stories and will help change the perception and conception of disabilities.

Alex’s POV is a movie about making a movie. Alex Freeman, a young filmmaker from Massachusetts struggles to make his filmic vision of Poe’s The Raven. Alex is aided in his creative quest by the producers at No Limits Media (NLM), In the course of this documentary, Alex, his co- producers, and the audience together come to discover some profound truths about art, growth, the challenge of communication and the permanence of loss.