SEMO's See Me Series to feature award-winning documentary

The third annual See Me Series will feature the award-winning documentary "Teacher of Patience" on Sunday, Sept. 17, at Southeast Missouri State University.

The film follows the family of Emily Felter, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome. Emily's father, Tom Felter, is a paramedic who developed a presentation that teaches first responders and the greater community about individuals with disabilities, such as his daughter.

"Teacher of Patience" will be screened at 6 p.m. in Rose Theatre at the Grauel building, 480 N. Pacific St. in Cape Girardeau. The 30-minute documentary won the Audience Choice Award at the university's 2023 Fault Line Film Festival. The screening is open to the public and admission is free.

The university's Department of Mass Media will present the film as part of its See Me Series, which, according to a news release, was created to emphasize identity and representation on campus, in the community and as part of American culture.

Carmen Vincent, the film's director, will be in attendance to discuss her documentary and the issues raised by the film. Her discussion will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.

According to the synopsis on the documentary's website, www.teacherofpatience.com, the film shows that, just like everyone else, Emily has her good and bad days, with unique ways of communicating her feelings, which can require patience to understand. This can be difficult especially in the fast-paced world of first responders where they are required to make quick decisions and snap judgments, which can lead to unintended tragedies, the synopsis states. The film follows the Felters as they work to raise disability awareness, and come face-to-face with the struggles and joys of their daily lives.