Mimi and Dona


NEWS & REVIEWS


NEWS


December 29, 2017—Gloucester Times

Senior Lookout: Are you an older adult with developmental disabilities?
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August 22, 2017

MIMI AND DONA has relaunched on Independent Lens/PBS. You can watch the full film here until September 19, 2017.

The film is also available on PBS Video on OTT devices including Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, and Amazon Fire via the PBS Video app.

July 21, 2017—Amazon.com

MIMI AND DONA now available on Amazon

November 16, 2016

New Day Films features MIMI AND DONA for National Family Caregivers Month. Read Article

October 30, 2016

MIMI AND DONA now available for streaming for educators and students at Kanopy Streaming.

October 25, 2016

MIMI AND DONA Educational DVD now available through New Day Films.
Purchase Educational DVD

December 7, 2015New York Times

MIMI AND DONA named one of the Best TV Shows of 2015 by New York Times.
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November 23, 2015KERA News

"Documentary Explores Complex Roles Of Aging Parent, Disabled Adult Child."
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November 19, 2015PBS - Independent Lens

"Sophie Sartain Finds Resonance in Her Family’s Caregiving Story."
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November 11, 2015Jewish Journal

"Aging parents of disabled adult children are feeling the strain ... Parents providing extended caregiving into their own old age is beautifully explored in a new documentary titled Mimi and Dona ..."
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November 2, 2015

More than 30 community screenings this month of MIMI AND DONA through IndieLens Pop-Up!
See Full Schedule

october 7, 2015

JFilm interviews MIMI AND DONA director Sophie Sartain.
Read Full Interview

September 9, 2015

MIMI AND DONA will premiere November 23, 2015, on the PBS series Independent Lens!
Photos & Press Kit

August 26, 2015

MIMI AND DONA has been selected for IndieLens Pop-Up, a new film screening series and community engagement program from Independent Lens.
Download Press Release

May 18, 2015

MIMI AND DONA is going to the UK as an official selection of the Sheffield Doc/Fest Videotheque (June 5-10, 2015). Sheffield is one of the top three documentary festivals and markets in the world, and we're honored to be included in the Videotheque!

april 17, 2015

MIMI AND DONA returns for encore "Best of Fest" screening in Sebastopol.

march 29, 2015

MIMI AND DONA wins Best Feature Award at the 2015 Thin Line Film Festival.

february 18, 2015

New York Women in Film & Television—NYWIFT @ the ReelAbilities Film Festival: Screening of Mimi And Dona
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march 3, 2015

We're excited to announce that Mimi and Dona has received ITVS Open Call funding!

The Independent Television Service (ITVS) funds, presents, and promotes award-winning documentaries and dramas on public television, innovative new media projects on the web, and the Emmy® Award-winning weekly series Independent Lens on Monday nights at 10 PM on PBS. Mandated by Congress in 1988 and funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, ITVS has brought more than 1,000 independently produced programs to American audiences to date. For more information about ITVS, visit itvs.org.

february 18, 2015

New York Women in Film & Television—NYWIFT @ the ReelAbilities Film Festival: Screening of Mimi And Dona
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february 10, 2015

Yonkers Daily Voice—Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Screens Mimi And Dona
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january 26, 2015

With great sadness, we have to let you know that Dona passed away in her sleep on January 13, 2015.
Dona's obituary

october 15, 2014 - KERA

KERA Think: A Family Affair—An interview with filmmaker Sophie Sartain about the making of the new documentary, Mimi and Dona.
Listen

october 9, 2014 - KERA

From The Newsroom: VideoFest Picks
Listen

october 7, 2014 - Dallas Morning News

Dallas VideoFest offers a range of inspired programming.
Read Article

August 29, 2014

MIMI AND DONA to show on October 16 at Dallas VideoFest
Purchase tickets

February 25, 2014

MIMI AND DONA receives Fledgling Fund grant for outreach and audience engagement.

REVIEWS


MAY 27, 2021 - Anthropology & Aging Journal: An Interview with Sophie Sartain

"Now, more than ever, it is likely to know a ‘Mimi and Dona.’"
Read Article

JuNE 5, 2017 - Journal of Gerontological Social Work

This intimate documentary is both poignant and timely, given the unprecedented growth of people with IDD living to advanced age.
Read Article

december 21, 2015 - Dallas Morning News

Film on Dallas woman getting too old to care for disabled daughter reverberates.
Read Article

december 7, 2015 - New York Times Top 10 List

A beautiful portrait of parental commitment.
Read Article

december 3, 2015 - Ilonka Michelle O’Neil—Don't Strangle the Patient Blog

A touching and poignant documentary ...
Read Article

november 23, 2015 - Pop Matters

At once hopeful and harrowing, MIMI AND DONA looks at situations common in many families.
Read Article

november 23, 2015 - Universal Press Syndicate

Remarkably intimate. A family portrait as harrowing and heartbreaking as it is inspiring.
Read Article

november 22, 2015 - Los Angeles Times—Critic's Pick

... there's value here, because the changes they're facing will be familiar to many—already or eventually—as a parent or as a child of aging parents.
Read Article

november 22, 2015 - Philadelphia Daily News

Daily News Television Critic Ellen Gray's TV Picks.
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november 22, 2015 - The Washington Post

MIMI AND DONA ... explores the impact of intellectual disability on three generations of the family.
Read Article

november 18, 2015 - Texas Monthly—The Checklist

This affecting documentary ... includes a surprise turn and then another, sadder, final turn.
Read Article

november 14, 2015 - TV Weekly Now—Rick's Picks

An Unforgettable Story of Familial Love and Heartbreaking Choices, "Mimi and Dona" Premieres on Independent Lens
Read Article

september 28, 2015 - Geroinspired

Filled with both heart-warming and heartbreaking moments, there were many teary-eyed viewers in the audience who were deeply moved by the unshakable mother-daughter bond.
Read Article

march 8, 2015 - The New York Times

Heart-wrenching. The film is as unflinching as it is beautiful, chronicling difficult decision-making that comes to involve the whole extended family.
Read Article

october 16, 2014 -Theater Jones

A delightful duo. Their love is incredibly strong and heartwarming. This is definitely a can’t-miss film!
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Dr. Bennett L. Leventhal | Deputy Director, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, UC-San Francisco

"Beautiful and sad, joyous and painful. Above all, it represents an ever present reality in the work that we do each and every day. It is simply a wonderful film that must be seen."

DON MEYER, DIRECTOR | Sibling Support Project, Seattle

"Beautiful, heartfelt, and poignant. It shows the long-term impact of disability on families—and how disabilities touch so many families. I hope this film will inspire funding for additional housing alternatives and a decrease in the waiting lists."

DR. LYNN KOEGEL, FOUNDER | Koegel Autism Center, UC-Santa Barbara

"Important. It had me in every emotion from tears to anger to frustration."

Abbie Weisberg, CEO/Executive Director | Keshet, Chicago

"Incredibly powerful, touching, educational and thought-provoking. I know there are thousands of families just like this family. EVERYONE should see this film."

Joy Baum, Founding Director | The Institute For Educational Design, New York

"Poignant, heartfelt and thought-provoking. A call to action! Take the journey with Mimi and Dona. This film is not to be missed!"

Michelle Wolf, Writer and Disability Advocate | Los Angeles

"Powerful and important. Rings true about the strength of parental love and the limits of that love."