Person To Person

A difficult film to categorize, Person to Person is about the "sexuality education of persons with developmental disabilities," which seems designed for the training of caregivers for the developmentally disabled. Yet, the program itself, is more of a documentary. The opening segment introduces sex educator Susan Hamadock talking to a group of parents (of developmentally disabled adult children) who are coming to terms with their offspring's independence. The program then shifts back and forth between the work being done by producer/writer/sex educator Mary Ann Carmody and Susan's parent group. We meet, among others, Maureen and Gary Poe, both developmentally disabled, who have been married for nine years, and share a wonderful relationship together. Following the "success" stories, the program moves on to recording Carmody and her team in action with various groups. Reminding the attendants that "we all have the right to be informed about our bodies," Carmody deals candidly with a wide variety of topics: menstruation, inappropriate touching, nudity in public, AIDS, etc. Although this is not an instructional video, per se, viewers will learn a great deal through example, watching the gifted Carmody at work. Although public libraries and schools are not the primary markets for this type of material, those with extensive literature and interest in the subject may want to consider this program; it is highly recommended. (Available from: American Film & Video, Inc. 8901 Walden Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20901; 1-800-78VIDE0.)