G Whiz

You may have seen Gannet Hosa-Betonte at art events around San Francisco. Gawky, laughing, with a cap of curly brown hair, he's prone to shouting, "Achoo!" in the midst of sober slide shows and literary readings. Gannet has Mowat-Wilson syndrome, a genetic disability that leaves him completely reliant on caregivers. He is unable to verbalize his needs, suffers from mild cerebral palsy, and has a hard time seeing -- but he is also a lover of music and sounds of all kinds. When Gannet graduated from public high school special education at the age of 22, his mother decided to set him up in a Mission District apartment with round-the-clock caregivers. Rather than hiring institutional staff, Gannet's mother sought out a local artist named Colter Jacobsen, who had been working part-time at the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Jacobsen, Donal Mosher, and Amanda Eicher, all artists and musicians, became Gannet's caregiving family, taking him to concerts, galleries, and movies. In the documentary The Key of G, filmmaker Robert Arnold follows Gannet's transition from his mother's house to the Mission apartment, and the struggles and joys of the interdependent household. Beautifully shot, and full of scenes of the Mission district, The Key of G is an inspiring San Francisco story. It screens with Cross Your Eyes Keep Them Wide, a documentary about Creativity Explored.
Thu., Jan. 24, 7 & 8:40 p.m., 2008