In The Press
Bloomberg.com
“The film shows Samuel being accepted by classmates at a Concord, New Hampshire, elementary school where children with disabilities have attended regular classes for two decades.”
WKYC
KUSI
San Diego Union Tribune
“As the film follows the Habibs through efforts to involve Samuel in all that the family does together, it also becomes clear that the family’s closeness is key to Samuel’s strong spirit.”
Keene Sentinel
“Just as the movie doesn’t gloss Samuel into a saintly child, it doesn’t merely slide along the surface of the process of inclusion for the Habib family and others.”
Exceptional Parent Magazine
“Simply stated, Including Samuel is a must see! A must see…for anyone who wants and/or needs an in-depth look into the concept, current practice and real-life experience of inclusion and integration for those with disabilities.”
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Melrose Free Press
“After viewing the film, I was speechless. I could add nothing new to what the people who were interviewed for the film had already said. Nor could I do justice to the film’s emotional and intellectual impact upon me.”
The Forecaster
“Including Samuel is the best film I have seen in years, because it asks everyone who sees it to become a better person.”
Vermont Public Radio
Valley News
“There are people with disabilities in all walks of life, and integrating children with disabilities into the schools touches everyone — from other children and parents to school taxpayers.”
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San Antonio Express-News
“The movie is remarkable in its honesty and how it highlights some of the unique challenges of some people who live with disabilities.”
Boston Globe
“The other children see him as just another second grader who likes spaceships and hot dogs and the color yellow, and wait patiently for him as he answers questions”
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Concord Monitor
“The heart and soul of the film belong to the luminous Samuel himself, along with his equally beguiling and vibrant older brother Isaiah, 11, with their mutual devotion.”
National Public Radio: All Things Considered
“When Dan Habib discovered that his youngest son had cerebral palsy, he decided that he would fight to make sure Samuel lived a full life. Sports, family vacations, Boston Red Sox games with his big brother… Including Samuel in all aspects of life became a mission for the Habib family.”
Follow-up story: Norris talks with NPR’s Joseph Shapiro in educating students with disabilities.
Washington Post
“In the film, we learn that in many ways, Samuel is much like any other 7-year-old. He likes hot dogs and tee ball, and is debating between careers as an astronaut or a race car driver. Like a good New Englander, Samuel roots for the Boston Red Sox, and he loves watching games with his big brother, Isaiah, 11.”
WashingtonPost.com
“Having Samuel forced me to look at my own prejudice…”
New Hampshire Public Radio: The Exchange
WMUR TV’s NH Chronicle
New Hampshire Magazine
“For four years the film has been in production, a creative thread woven into the life of a family and a community…”
Concord Monitor
“The challenge of Including Samuel is the public’s challenge: to create a society that gives every child a place in the community along with high goals and the tools to reach them. The film is mainly a personal journey. Its subject is how hard parents of children with disabilities must fight, and how much help they need, to secure for their children what other parents take for granted.”
New Photographer Magazine
“Making this film helped me face my fears and biases head-on, both as a director and as a father. The film became my outlet for processing this new reality in our lives.”