13th Jul 2021
Ben Lewin to write and direct Keshet Studios' Sylvia and the President
Disability pioneer’s true story to be produced by Keshet Studios and White Lodge Productions, in association with Such Much Films
Keshet Studios and White Lodge Productions, in association with Such Much Films, will develop and produce writer/director Ben Lewin’s next feature Sylvia and the President. Producers Judi Levine and Danielle Avissar, who brought the project to the US-based studio of Keshet International, will produce alongside Keshet Studios’ Mandy Tagger Brockey and Adi Ezroni.
Sylvia and the President is the remarkable true story of a marginalized group of people and their fight for equality. At the age of 21, outspoken Sylvia Flexer – who walked with the aid of crutches – was elected president of the League of the Physically Handicapped. It was the height of the Great Depression and, like Sylvia, the majority of the members had been affected by polio.
Following their efforts to highlight government discrimination against disabled workers in New York, Sylvia and 34 other members of the League rode all night on a flatbed truck to Washington to lobby President Roosevelt himself – who was still hiding the extent of his own disability from the public – and staged the first-ever sit-in protest in a government building.
As Sylvia explained to reporters at the time, “They class us as unemployables, despite the fact that our members include… teachers, chemists… and others who are professionally skilled.” League members, she said, were “sick of the humiliation of poor jobs at best [and] often no work at all.” They were also tired of “getting the same old stock phrases that the handicapped have been getting for years.” They wanted, she said, “not sympathy, but a concrete plan to end discrimination.”
Produced by Keshet Studios and White Lodge Productions in association with Such Much Films, Sylvia and the President will be written and directed by Ben Lewin (The Sessions, The Catcher was a Spy). Keshet Studios’ Mandy Tagger Brockey and Adi Ezroni produce, alongside Judi Levine (The Sessions, Falling for Figaro) and Danielle Avissar. The feature will be executive produced by Peter Traugott (Keshet Studios), Alon Strutzman (Keshet International), Avi Nir (Keshet Media Group) and Dr. Ori Allon (White Lodge Productions). This new feature retelling the true story of disability pioneer Sylvia Flexer is part of Keshet Studios’ co-development slate with White Lodge Productions.
Ben Lewin comments, “I am proud to be working with Keshet Studios on a subject of such social significance and emotional resonance. At its center is a kick-ass young heroine who faced off against the Cripple-in-Chief himself, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Like Sylvia Flexer, I also grew up with polio and understand, at a very personal level, her hatred of charity, her relentlessness and her need for justice. I cannot help but feel that this story and I are beshert – namely, meant for each other.”
Peter Traugott, President of Keshet Studios says, “Here at Keshet Studios, we’ve always been drawn to compelling stories that are not only entertaining, but that are about important issues, stories with potential for positive change. At a time when ableism is still being debated and equal rights for those with disabilities are still being fought for, this real-life story retelling the birth of the disability movement here in the United States feels like it needs to be brought to screen, and we are thrilled to be making that happen with Ben, Judi and Danielle, alongside White Lodge Productions.”
White Lodge Productions’ Dr. Ori Allon says, “White Lodge Productions was founded with the mission of creating compelling content that resonates. The determination of this relatively small group of people to fight against society’s depiction of who they are, and their decision to take their future into their own hands, is nothing short of inspiring. So, it’s a privilege to shed light on the courage and perseverance of the people behind the disability rights movement.”
Known for her passion for stories that bring complex, female characters to the fore, Such Much Films’ Judi Levine commented, “As soon as I heard about Sylvia and the League, I knew this courageous woman and her fight to change the world view of people with disabilities had to be told, and that writer/director Ben Lewin would draw on his personal experiences and his wry sensibilities to bring this powerful story to the screen. Collaborating with the talented team at Keshet Studios is icing on the cake!”
Keshet Studios’ Mandy Tagger Brockey and Adi Ezroni add, “We are so excited to be working with Ben, Judi and Danielle on Sylvia and the President. They infuse this project with their passion and Ben’s own personal experiences of living with polio are sure to bring something extra special to this true story. We just love the juxtaposition of a young woman like Sylvia taking on the establishment, including President Roosevelt himself – a successful, privileged man who had clearly experienced discrimination first-hand because he put so much effort into hiding his disability – to fight for the rights of disabled workers across America.”
Ben Lewin’s career as a writer/director includes award-winning feature films, TV movies, mini- series, documentaries and episodic television. Among his achievements is the international hit The Sessions (Helen Hunt, John Hawkes), Please Stand By (Toni Collette, Dakota Fanning), The Catcher was a Spy (Paul Rudd, Paul Giamatti) and Falling for Figaro (Joanna Lumley, Danielle Macdonald) due for release in 2021.
Producer Judi Levine has had an extensive career in feature films, mini-series and documentaries. Her film The Sessions won numerous international awards, including Audience Awards at the Sundance and San Sebastian film festivals, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for its cast. Her recent productions include the Australian/Scottish co-production Falling for Figaro and How to Please a Woman which is currently in post-production and due for release in 2022.
Danielle Avissar is an experienced brand specialist. Spotting, growing and securing relationships between creative agencies and brand clients like Amazon, JetBlue and Calvin Klein. Danielle has turned her vision to Sylvia and The President, bringing years of experience and growth to the film, driving the project forward from development to distribution.
Keshet Studios, the US-based production studio of Keshet International, has quickly established its film unit based in New York with its first two features – The Sound of Silence (2019) and Save Yourselves! (2020) – which both received their World Premieres at the Sundance Film Festival in the US dramatic competition, before being successfully released internationally. With recent successes including the critically acclaimed Our Boys (HBO); Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector (NBC); The Baker and the Beauty (ABC), Keshet Studios has more than a dozen projects at various stages of development or production, including limited and returning series, short-form dramas, and feature-length films. It is currently in production with straight-to-series orders for Echo 3 (based on Keshet’s When Heroes Fly) from Apple TV, and La Brea from NBC.