Dan keplinger biography
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King Gimp
1999 American film
| King Gimp | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Susan Hannah Hadary William A. Whiteford [1] |
| Written by | Dan Keplinger |
| Produced by | Susan Hannah Hadary |
| Starring | Paul Hungerford Dan Keplinger |
| Edited by | Geof Bartz |
Production | MedSchool Maryland Productions |
| Distributed by | HBO University of Maryland Video Press |
Release date | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
King Gimp is a 1999 documentary that was awarded the 2000 Oscar for Best Short Subject Documentary[2] and 2000 Peabody Award.[3]King Gimp follows the life of artist Dan Keplinger of Towson, Maryland, who has cerebral palsy. Filmmakers Susan Hannah Hadary and William A. Whiteford, of the University of Maryland Video Press and Tapestry International Productions produced the film. Geof Bartz, A.C.E. edited the final version.
The journey begins
[edit]Keplinger was 13 when the filmmakers met hi
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Excerpts from Dan Keplinger's "King Gimp" Thoughts on My Life
If I could change one thing about my disability, it would be the way I speak. When the world cannot understand my words, I'm assumed to be deaf or retarded. People think I don't have any thoughts or emotions. I hear people talking about me in front of me, sure that I cannot make decisions for myself, that I can't think for myself. My thoughts race through my mind, slowed to a near standstill when I begin to talk. It's a frustration that never goes away.
One summer, I must have been about ten, Kennedy Institute starts fixing a communication board for me. My psyche has probably never healed from the experience of trying to use a communication device. There were times when I would cry not wanting to use it and being told to. It finally ended up in the attic.
Just before I went to college, Maryland Rehab tried a new greatly improved communication system. Yes, it was smaller, yes it had a voice. But, it was still not th
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Dan Keplinger
Artist Dan Keplinger (born 19 January 1973) was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary short, King Gimp.[1][2][3] Born with cerebral palsy,[2] he lives in Towson, Maryland, where he continues to paint.
Education
[edit]After attending a school for disabled children, he was mainstreamed into Parkville High School in Maryland at age 16.[2] He is a 1998 graduate of Towson University with a major in mass communication.
Keplinger visits schools as a guest motivational speaker.[2]
The name King Gimp
[edit]According to The Baltimore Sun, "King Gimp was the name neighbors gave him as a child because his house was on the top of a hill and he liked to roll down it in his wheelchair. A fighting spirit, he calls himself." He explained to a huge audience that "gimp" means fighting spirit to him, when he was featured in a Super Bowl ad for Cingular Wireless in 2001.[citation needed]