Filmmaker William Rogers' Front Wards, Back Wards documents the history of Fernald Center in Waltham, MA, the first institution designated as a home for the mentally retarded. In 1848, Samuel Gridley Howe opened his humanist-leaning “School for Idiots,” but by 1890 the school—under the stewardship of Walter Fernald—had essentially been transformed into an asylum where residents were simply warehoused for the remainder of their lives. After Fernald's death, his successors focused on constructing a power plant that would help keep the asylum—with its neatly manicured grounds—running smoothly. Fernald's idyllic campus was misleading, however, as higher-functioning patients were kept in the more visible front wards and visitors never saw the terror of those consigned to the grisly back rooms. Until modern times, Fernald was a virtual prison for those unfortunate enough to be consigned there—inadequate living facilities, insufficient food, corporal punishment, and forced labor were all part of the inhumane treatment and civil rights violations common within the institution. Front Wards, Back Wards features recollections by several of Fernald's residents, staff, and families—often harrowing stories which remind us that asylums were created not for the safety of the residents, but rather to keep society protected from the patients. DVD extras include the bonus documentary My Uncle Joe, the filmmaker's profile of his uncle—who was a resident at Fernald for nearly three decades. A complex and sensitive film, Front Wards, Back Wards is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (A. Jacobson)
Front Wards, Back Wards
(2007) 52 min. DVD: $249, VHS: $219. Fanlight Productions. PPR. Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-57295-898-7 (dvd), 1-57295-472-8 (vhs). Volume 23, Issue 4
Front Wards, Back Wards
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