YOU. SLEEP. STAY. Screening and Discussion

Film Screening and Discussion April 16

Join us for a screening and discussion of YOU. SLEEP. STAY., a feature documentary about Fred, a Deaf, intellectually and developmentally disabled elder who spent over 70 years in Polk State Center before its closure in 2023. Jump to screening registration.

Master Class with the Filmmaker April 17

Screening Date, Time, and Location

Wednesday, April 16 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Charles Library at Temple University
1st Floor Event Space
1900 N. 13th St., Philadelphia, PA 19122 (Please enter through Polett Walk.)
Temple University Maps and Directions

9 am: Doors open / coffee served
9:30 am: Welcome
9:45 am: Film Screening
11:45 am: Panel discussion with filmmaker David Grabias and special guests

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible
Film: captions, live audio description, ASL interpretation
Panel discussion: ASL interpretation, CART captions
Know Before You Go: PDF document with photos and text describes event details, what to expect, how to find your way around the building, restroom and water station locations, accessibility, transportation, and parking. Download the Know Before You Go PDF.

Audio Welcome Message from the Filmmaker

Welcome Message Transcript

Hello, Philadelphia. I'm David Grabias and I'm coming to town on April 16 to share my new feature documentary, YOU. SLEEP. STAY.

The film tells the story of Fred,an elderly Deaf man with an intellectual disability who lived for over 70 years at a state institution that's now being closed.

YOU. SLEEP. STAY. immerses you in Fred's world and follows his brother's search for a new home.

I'll be screening the film at Temple University on April 16th and hosting a master class at the Scribe Video Center on April 17.

I'm so excited to share Fred's story with you, and I hope to see you at one or both events.

Thanks.

An elder man wearing glasses looks straight ahead while sitting indoors, backlit by window light

Film Synopsis

YOU. SLEEP. STAY. invites audiences into the world of Fred, a Deaf, intellectually and developmentally disabled elder who has spent over 70 years in Polk State Center in Polk, PA. As the institution is set to close, and Fred prepares to leave the only home he has known since he was a young child, the film immerses viewers in the rhythms of his daily life—his experience of time, his connections with others, and the unique ways he navigates language and community.

More than just an observational portrait, YOU. SLEEP. STAY. offers a deeply felt exploration of what it means to belong, to care, and to bear witness. Through a rich cinematic approach that prioritizes presence and empathy, the film challenges audiences to reflect on the ways we build institutions, forge family bonds, and show up for our communities.

Viewer Advisory

This film includes archival material that reflects historical language used to describe disability. That language is considered offensive today. Though we recognize the difficulty of this language, it is included because it sheds light on the origins of stigma that has been experienced by people with disabilities.

Register for the April 16 Screening

Director Biography

David Grabias is a three-time Emmy nominee whose award-winning documentaries have aired on PBS, HBO, National Geographic, and networks around the world. His work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, PBS, the California Council for the Humanities, the Hartley Foundation, the Humane Society, and the Center for Asian American Media, among others.

David Grabias Biography - Read More

David’s new series NIGHT SHIFT, which uses the stories of people who work at night to explore a variety of social issues, premieres this past Fall on Public Television in the U.S. He just finished producing and directing the documentary series EARTH FOCUS, also for Public Television.

Supported by Sundance, LUSO-FORNIA is David's latest feature documentary. Filmed in California’s Central Valley, the film is an impressionistic vision of the relationship between humanity, nature, and spirituality in dairy country; here, Portuguese immigrants in a small rural town turn to their heritage to find meaning and community, holding an annual religious and cultural celebration that culminates in a “bloodless” bullfight. LUSO-FORNIA will release at the end of 2021.

Previously, David for PBS produced and directed SENTENCED HOME, which focused on the human impact of deportation, and the indie doc CENTRALIA, a revealing portrait of an out-of-control mine fire under a small Pennsylvania town. David also created CRITICAL PATH, an acclaimed interactive archive about the video game medium that was featured at the Sonoma Art Museum. Through the Los Angeles-based production company Artifact Nonfiction, David directs a wide variety of branded content and commercial work in the non-fiction space.

Master Class with Filmmaker David Grabias

Join David Grabias, the award winning filmmaker of YOU. SLEEP. STAY. for a master class at The Scribe Video Center.

Master Class Date, Time, and Location

Thursday, April 17 from 6 pm to 8 pm
Scribe Video Center, 3908 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Using as primary inspiration the filmmakers’ experiences during the creative development, production, and post-production of YOU. SLEEP. STAY., Director David Grabias will lead a conversation about the nature of agency, collaboration, point of view, and communication. How do you make films with and for individuals who do not communicate in ways that are conventionally understood? How do we consider and define “agency” in the filmmaker-subject relationship? On a more tactical level, how do you think about the physical positionality of the camera, and what does it mean to look at someone? What does accessibility really mean, and how can we incorporate that ideal into the very being and form of a film itself?