Sometimes making a movie is a lot like writing a symphony–making sure that each of the separate parts come together so well that it sings as it tells a complex story made beautiful because of each of the individual elements.

The current documentary that Wilton filmmaker Megan Smith-Harris is working on happens to be particularly beautiful for exactly that reason–so much has come together perfectly to tell a beautiful and important story.

The film is called Boy / Blue, and it’s about a little boy, Liam Petersson, and Blue, an autism assistance dog. It follows Blue, first from the care of the incredible Patty Dobbs Gross, a pioneer in breeding, training and matching her special service dogs with children on the autism spectrum, to Nashville where Liam–the 7-year-old son of Tom Petersson, founding member of the legendary rock band Cheap Trick–lives. The movie explores the life-changing experience a dog like Blue can provide for a boy like Liam.

Smith-Harris found Gross, who she calls a dog-whisperer, in Storrs, CT. A mom of five children, one of whom is also on the spectrum, Gross has been working with service dogs for many years, ever since fostering a dog that had been trained to help wheelchair-bound patients.

“Patty had an epiphany, and thought, ‘If you could train dogs to help people in wheelchairs and people who are vision-impaired, why can’t you train dogs to help people on the autism spectrum?’ That was her defining moment,” Smith-Harris explains, adding that Gross started North Star Foundation 15 years ago, ever since that first dog helped her own son.

Smith-Harris got connected to the Peterssons through a close friend, Sarah Allen, a songwriter who said the family was thinking about getting a dog. Liam is a sweet, curious and extroverted child with wide-ranging interests. But his autism makes communicating difficult–he misses social cues, gets frustrated easily and experiences epic meltdowns both in public and in private. Liam often bolts from his parents when they’re out as a family and is called ‘Little Houdini’ because he’s a whiz with locks and has learned how to ‘escape’ from their home. He takes medication for seizures and is unable to sleep through the night in his own bed. He’s never been invited for a play date with another child.

“I knew in my gut that this was my family. They touched all the right notes,” Smith-Harris explained. Gross found Blue, a 1-year-old Labradoodle that fit the needs of the Petersson family and Smith-Harris and her film crew were along for every step to capture everything that happened. It turns out that Blue is Gross’ 200th canine placement with a family.

http://vimeo.com/107298068

“There was an instant rapport. I was there the day Liam and Blue met. Now, the challenge is for them to build their bond,” Smith-Harris says.

Funding the film to completion

Smith-Harris has her own challenge–to raise enough money to be able to afford another trip to Nashville for her crew to finish telling the story.

“We’re trying to raise $87,000 to go back one more time, and so we can edit the film in time for April 2, ‘Light it Up Blue’ for World Autism Awareness Day. Everyone can help out. If you have a latte and a breakfast sandwich–give the equivalent of that. Most people can handle that. That money will help us get the film finished. And we hope the film will raise awareness, empathy and understanding for all people on the autism spectrum.”

Today, December 2, is “Giving Tuesday,” a day following Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Smith-Harris hopes that people will help the film be finished. Getting funding is always one of the most complicated things, as all of her films are non-profit productions. “I’ve committed to make films that have a social impact and delve into areas that raise our awareness of things.”

The film is her way to capture people’s imagination and drive home awareness. She also hopes it inspires a call to action.

“Simple things. If people can’t donate money, they can share the link to the trailer with five other people, or forward the website to people they know who might be struggling with this. They can volunteer to be a puppy raiser. They can donate to help a child’s campaign, because these dogs are very expensive. They could help support a campaign to raise money for a dog. They can pre-order a copy of the film DVD and a portion of that will go to North Star Foundation.”

Part of what appealed to Smith-Harris in the first place was relating to the subject in a tangential, albeit very personal, way. “I have a bi-racial child, and he’s a little different in this community, and I thought the world should be about acceptance.” Over the years, she also has become friendly with several moms of children on the spectrum, especially one close friend. “I just got to learn more, and appreciate her children for the unique individuals that are.”

Smith-Harris has become a passionate crusader on behalf of her subject matter.

“The statistics are so alarming, I don’t understand why it’s not on the front page of every newspaper every single day. The increase in ASD–it’s now 1 in 42 boys, 1 in 189 girls, 1 in 68 children is affected. I think about when my own son has children, what are the odds going to be 10 or 15 years from now? We as a society have to better understand the spectrum, find out why this is increasing, but really focus on the children as they become adults, and how we as a society are going to incorporate them into our culture and society.”

She hopes that people who see the film will also relate the story to their own lives.

“We all have challenges with our children; we all have loving families with moments that are sometimes difficult; and we all want what’s best for their kids. And maybe people will think a little differently, the next time they’re in the grocery store or the mall and they see someone having a meltdown, and instead of judging the parents or that mother, they’ll smile or ask if they can help or just understand they’ve been there. If people are in a position to hire, be open. There’s all kind of messages, but it’s just a film about a family and the remarkable journey they take when a dog transforms their family life.”

She knows how almost universal the story is as well.

“I want this as an educational outreach–I want this to be seen in classrooms and libraries, in synagogues and churches, in community centers and in living rooms. Almost everybody now knows someone or has a connection to someone who has a connection to the autism world. It’s for all of us to gain more understanding.”

To learn more, visit the ‘Boy / Blue’ website. To find out about donating to help Smith-Harris finish the movie, …