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THE G WORD

By Marc G. SMOLOWITZ

13TH GEN - as PROD

Children's - Production 2019

Gifted kids are a minority population. Misunderstood. Frequently mocked and bullied by students, teachers, and popular culture. At risk for misdiagnosis and isolation. It’s no wonder so many people hesitate to claim the only name that has emerged for this population: "gifted”.

- Year of production
- 2019
- Genres
- Children's, Social issues, Documentary
- Countries
- USA
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Budget
- 1 - 3 M$
- Duration
- 100 mn
- Director(s)
- Marc G. SMOLOWITZ
- Synopsis
- Gifted kids are a minority population. Misunderstood. Frequently mocked and bullied by students, teachers, and popular culture. At risk for misdiagnosis and isolation. It’s no wonder so many people hesitate to claim the only name that has emerged for this population--gifted.
  
  THE G WORD reveals the biological and emotional traits that define this population, found in all socioeconomic classes, genders, and races; the erroneous assumptions that led the gifted label to become practically taboo; and what can be done to serve this population to make sure they thrive.
  
  But what is giftedness? Is it high IQ? Is a talented musician considered gifted? What determines if someone is gifted? Isn’t everyone gifted? THE G WORD probes these questions, along with the notion of “gifted as elitist”, weaving together unexpected viewpoints and a mosaic of stories both inside and outside the US.
  
  In the first feature film ever made on the topic, THE G WORD interviews gifted people of all ages and their parents, as well as experts, authors, and policy makers, which touch on subjects as: 2e (intellectually gifted and learning disabled) - their challenges and the groundbreaking programs to assist them; the challenges of gifted adults to fit in; gifted people of color; LGBTQ/gender fluidity and giftedness; stories of suicide/self-harm; giftedness within the prison system; the history of giftedness; understanding the gifted brain; public policy; and showcasing powerful, inspiring solutions.
  
  We hear from National Book Award-winning author Andrew Solomon (Far from the Tree, The Noonday Demon), Dr. Joy Lawson Davis (one of the leading experts and advocates for gifted African American students and their families), Scott Barry Kaufman, a positive psychologist who’s redefining intelligence and success, US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse who actively advocates for effective policies affecting gifted education, Dylan, an isolated gifted teenager and his mom Melanie who runs a special school for 2e kids, and Ilan - a truly talented [gender fluid and bi] sixteen-year-old gifted artist of color who fights to belong in so many ways. This is but a handful of some of the interesting characters and points of view we encounter in THE G WORD.
  
  As the Obama era ends and we enter uncharted territory with the new administration, this film sends a powerful and timely message: gifted people are in all populations, races, ethnicities, genders, and socioeconomic groups—indeed, the vast majority of them around the world are poor and of color—and when we as a society dismiss the genuine learning needs of gifted kids, it’s the kids in underserved communities—who can’t afford the alternatives afforded by wealth, mobility, and time, and who may not even be identified as gifted—who are most at risk of being lost.