By Kate E. Salute
Makar says, "I hope [the film] shows people what [disabled people] can do - because they can do a lot. They are quite abled. They might have a disability, but they are all abled at a lot of things."
The documentary, titled "Yellow Brick Road," follows an inspiring group of actors on the road to the opening night of the ANCHOR production of "The Wizard of Oz." Makar and co-producer Keith Rondinelli filmed the process of gathering mentally and physically disabled people together to put on a play. The idea to make a documentary about ANCHOR's drama program was born after Makar's brother, Danny, 31, got an unsatisfactory part in one of the group's productions. Danny has Down syndrome, and has been a long time participant in the program.
"Danny came to me and expressed how he was upset with his part as an Oompa Loompa in 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,'" said Makar. "He wanted to quit acting altogether, so I basically said, 'Look, what if I filmed you and your friends and as a 30th birthday present I'll rent out a movie theater and make you feel like a movie star.'"
Makar kept his promise to his brother.
"Matt gathered his friends and equipment and had just a week to film the play," said Makar's mother, Amy. "Keith helped Matt, and when they were watching it, they realized that they could actually do a documentary on the whole process of getting these kids and putting on a play."
The next play ANCHOR staged was "The Wizard of Oz." Makar and Rondinelli, with the Town of Hempstead's permission, traveled from Manhattan with their cameras and equipment to the Bellmore Grand Avenue School for play practice every Wednesday from last January to the play's April debut. The two were careful to observe, but not to disturb as the actors learned their parts and rehearsed.
"We just followed them for five or six months as they did 'Wizard of Oz,' and did some interviews, and that's how 'Yellow Brick Road' was born," said Makar.
Rondinelli and Makar had minimal camera experience prior to the filming of the documentary. "Well, Keith had a camera and had shot a small music video, and I fooled around with a camcorder before," said Makar.
Paying for the movie himself, Makar said that over the course of production, he maxed out some credit cards, cashed savings bonds and sold baseball cards in order to complete it. He will always have something to show for it all, a documentary not just about his brother but about the ANCHOR program that will inform people that groups like this exist.
Having worked in film for five years, Makar said that he had made connections at HBO that he stayed in touch with. He told them about the film, but didn't let them see it until it screened at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in North Carolina in April. Although the documentary didn't win there, it received critical acclaim and went on to be named best documentary at the Long Island Film Festival in Bellmore. HBO/Cinemax enjoyed it enough to purchase it, and it is scheduled to air throughout January.
Since the documentary's premiere, Danny Makar has been running around like a movie star, his brother said. "He says that he feels like Ben Affleck," Makar said. "It's great for him, though, because he's such a social and outgoing person."
Makar described the scene at the Full Frame festival as unpretentious. "There are just not a lot of pretentious people there that anyone would be like, 'Oh, I can't believe they're here!' But all of a sudden there were all these people crowding behind me. I couldn't see who it was they were crowding around - it was my brother, Danny. He was signing autographs. It was cute."
Makar says that what he hopes his film will do is expose ANCHOR and help it grow. He describes an example of what he hopes for: "A parent who just gives birth to a disabled child, let's say a child with Down, and they're concerned about their child's well being and their future. Hopefully they'll see the documentary and see that an organization like ANCHOR exists. I think it could really shine hope for somebody that might not know their child's future.
"ANCHOR really is one of the greatest organizations that exist on Long Island. It's this organization for the disabled, and it really impacts all of their lives. They have sports, fitness, a summer camp, drama, just everything."
ANCHOR's next production will be "Annie."
Catch "Yellow Brick Road" on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 11 p.m. on HBO Family, or check listings for other show times.
