Mother and son team Laura Hart McKinny and John McKinny, of Stone's Throw Films, sat down to answer some questions about the making of Extraordinary People. 

Laura and John co-directed, wrote, and produced the documentary. Among many things, Laura is a professor of screenwriting at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she is a member of the founding faculty of the School of Filmmaking.

John produced the feature film “Susie’s Hope” starring Emmanuelle Vaugier and Burgess Jenkins, and has helped produce numerous short films, industrials and documentaries. Recently, he was a producer on the Discovery Channel show, "Race Night at Bowman Gray."

Read their interview below! 

1. What excited you most about working with Extraordinary Ventures on this film? 

JOHN:
Getting to know the participants and their families so we could share the stories of young adults on the spectrum finding meaningful jobs.

LAURA:
Extraordinary Ventures connected us with young adults on the spectrum who have specific challenges. We were able to build relationships of trust with the young adults and/or their families. Without that trust and cooperation, we couldn’t have had the opportunity to tell their intimate stories.

2. Prior to making Extraordinary People, did you personally know anyone with autism? If so, tell us a little bit more about that relationship.

JOHN:

I had no close adult connections with people on the spectrum. I had a close childhood
friend with autism, but I was more concerned with all his cool toys then the fact that he couldn’t lace his own shoes. I never noticed that he had motor skill and speech problems. We drew pictures together after school, watched movies and I watched him conduct to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony many times. I probably recognized he had a talent or interest I didn’t share, but it didn’t matter. I thought I had a pretty good grasp about autism until I started interviewing adults on the spectrum. I realized my understanding was incomplete.

LAURA:

As a professor, I’ve worked with high-functioning college students on the spectrum, but
I’ve never worked with low-functioning young adults on the spectrum. I remember John’s childhood friend, who changed his name to Zubin, after the conductor Zubin
Mehta. John and Zubin were regularly play buddies because both their parents were new to town and shared babysitting gigs. They were kind to each other and patient.

3. How did making this film change your perspective of individuals with autism? 

JOHN:
It reaffirmed my outlook that, as individuals, we all have our own obstacles and challenges — much like my childhood friend. No two people with autism are the same. 

LAURA:
Educating ourselves about the reality of autism at home or at work expands our understanding of what we can do alone or in a community to offer meaningful opportunities to individuals on the spectrum.

4. What was the single most memorable moment of making this film? 

JOHN:

The basketball 10 year celebration; watching the participants we'd been filming as they interacted with the community.

Another powerful moment was the Extraordinary People screening in Chapel Hill — enjoying the participants, family, and Extraordinary Ventures employees interact. 

LAURA:
Hearing from parents that they would like people not to rush to judgment as things observed in public aren’t always what they seem.

Watching Natalie, non-speaking with extreme social anxieties, walk into a Friday evening
group social at Extraordinary Ventures. She picked up a ping pong paddle, returned John’s serve and smiled.

5. What do you want people to take away from the film?

JOHN & LAURA:

What we are taking away from the film, and hoping other people will take away is:

while we all have our own challenges, people on the spectrum often have a really difficult time finding a place in life. We know that a meaningful job gives us a sense of place, a sense of worth and value. Hopefully, the film shows six unique individuals on the spectrum, and we can walk out of the film feeling we have a deeper understanding of the diverse adults on the spectrum and how community can help people lead their best lives. 

Interested in hosting a private screening of Extraordinary People?

We can get you set up!