Edges of Perception
By Eric Kutner

Eleven-year-old Jessica Perk thinks she might be a photographer, a gymnast, a soccer player — or maybe the first girl president of the United States. “We’ll just have to wait and see,” she says. But seeing is a problem for Jessica, who has Stargardt’s, an inherited form of macular degeneration which usually appears between the ages of six and twenty and causes loss of sharpness of vision, decreased color vision, and blind spots. It’s estimated that over 25,000 Americans have the disease, and there’s no cure.

Jessica had normal vision until the age of eight and then, in a few short years, became legally blind. With the calm but determined support of her parents and teachers she attends a regular classroom, plays competitive soccer, and wants to ride her bike around the neighborhood on her own, though that makes her father really nervous.

She’s also a serious runner, and her inspiration is Marla Runyan, a legally blind Olympic runner who also has Stargardt’s. Jessica first met her hero by email, but in the film’s final scenes she finally gets the chance to meet Marla in person and to exchange running tips and autographs.

DVD version has both closed-captions and audio description.

14 minutes
© 2007
Purchase $169 DVD
Order No. QA-475
ISBN (DVD) 1-57295-901-0

Reviews
"Edges of Perception shows how children with disabilities can frequently participate in the same activities as their classmates. Highly Recommended." Educational Media Reviews Online

Awards & Conference Screenings
Western Psychological Association
WorldFest Houston Film Festival, Bronze Remi Award
Superfest International Disability Film Festival, Merit Award

Related Films
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See What I'm Saying: As a deaf child from a hearing, Spanish-speaking family, learns signing, we also see growth in her confidence, self-esteem, and family relationships.

Acting Blind: Takes audiences behind the scenes as a company of non-professional actors rehearse a play about life without sight. The performers have no problem imagining themselves in these roles: they are blind themselves.

Voices in a Deaf Theater: Follows a cast of deaf and hearing actors as they prepare to stage The Glass Menagerie. Offers a window into the expressive language and culture of the deaf world.

A Sign of the Times: High school basketball player Diondre can't hear the shouts of coaches, teammates and referees, or the cheers of the crowd. Working with his school's sign-language interpreter, he's become a star.

To rent or purchase this film, please visit the Icarus Films website

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