or


[09/28/10 - 11:49 AM]
HBO Documentary Monica & David, Chronicling the Event-Filled First Year and Beyond of a Marriage Between Adults with Down Syndrome, Debuts OcT. 14
Said broadcoast coincides with Down Syndrome Awareness Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

[via press release from HBO]

HBO DOCUMENTARY MONICA & DAVID, CHRONICLING THE EVENT-FILLED FIRST YEAR AND BEYOND OF A MARRIAGE BETWEEN ADULTS WITH DOWN SYNDROME, DEBUTS OCT. 14 DURING NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH

In 1983, the life expectancy for people with Down syndrome was 25 years. Today, they can live into their 60s and older.

Blissfully in love, Monica and David are part of a new generation living with Down syndrome, who want what most adults want: love, work and independence. Chronicling their storybook wedding and the challenging start of married life together, the touching documentary MONICA & DAVID debuts THURSDAY, OCT. 14 (8:00-9:15 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO and HBO Latino, during Down Syndrome Awareness Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Other HBO playdates: Oct. 17 (3:45 p.m.), 20 (8:30 a.m., midnight), 23 (9:30 a.m.) and 26 (2:15 p.m.)

Other HBO Latino playdates: Oct. 17 (3:45 p.m.), 20 (8:30 a.m., midnight), 23 (9:30 a.m.) and 26 (2:15 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Oct. 18 (6:00 a.m.) and Nov. 3 (8:00 p.m.) and 6 (6:00 a.m.)

Winner of the Best Documentary Feature award at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, MONICA & DAVID is full of humor, romance and everyday drama. Blending fly-on-the-wall footage and personal interviews, first-time director Alexandra Codina (who is Monica's cousin) explores the complex lives of the newlyweds and the devoted families who support them.

The film begins with the wedding of the thirtysomething couple, in love and full of hope and laughter. By their side are two fearless mothers realizing a lifelong dream of a "normal" life for their adult children as they embark on one of the biggest journeys of their lives.

Monica and David's parents encourage them to develop their own interests, while keeping them close to home and sheltered from the outside world. After the wedding, David moves in with Monica and her mother and stepfather, Maria Elena and Bob, and the couple begins to dream of a more independent life. There is a constant grey line between the young couple's capacity as adults, and questions of just how much assistance they need, and whether their parents are willing to let go.

The mothers' biggest fear is what will happen when they are no longer there to support David and Monica. This concern leads to an epiphany for Maria Elena, who poignantly comments, "As parents, we want people to look upon our children with special needs like anyone else. We want them to be treated with respect and with dignity... And yet, because we want to protect them so much, we are typically the first ones who treat them poorly by subconsciously denying them their rights to have a normal life."

After the honeymoon, the realities of everyday life resurface. When Maria Elena and Bob move just north of Miami, Monica and David are also uprooted, disrupting the routines they rely upon. In the midst of the chaos, David is diagnosed with diabetes, further threatening the couple's dream of autonomy.

Maria Elena and Bob accompany them to Best Buddies, an organization that creates opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, where an employment consultant explains, "Ultimately, it's about independence � independence with support."

Gradually, Monica and David take the first steps towards more independent lives, volunteering for a family friend's charity sale, cultivating friendships in their new community and joining a theater company. And Maria Elena and Bob learn that while they are concerned about the couple's welfare, it's important to let them go out into the world.

"There is a tendency to infantilize people with Down syndrome, but Monica and David's love, and their desire for an adult life, are very real," explains director Alexandra Codina. "Like all issues relating to adults with intellectual disabilities � dating, marriage, housing, employment, education, the future and parents' roles � there is no clear line. But there is a clear right for all individuals to pursue their dreams and potential."

She adds, "Each person living with a disability can have a completely different way of dealing with life's circumstances. What is so exciting is how many people who once would have been overlooked are now able to thrive in a variety of environments, including work and relationships."

Alexandra Codina was named one of the "10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2009" by The Independent.

MONICA & DAVID is an HBO Documentary Films presentation; directed and produced by Alexandra Codina; produced by Deborah Dickson; editors, Mary Mahardt and Paola Gutierrez-Ortiz; cinematographer, David Fenster; cinematographers, Juan Carlos Zaldivar and Abel Klainbaum; composer, Steven Schoenberg. For HBO: senior producer, Nancy Abraham; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.





  [september 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[10/24/25 - 02:30 PM]
Video: First Look at Upcoming New Drama "Memory of a Killer" Starring Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli - Premiering This January on FOX
Dempsey stars as a hitman, Angelo Doyle, leading a dangerous double life while hiding an even deadlier personal secret - he has developed early onset Alzheimer's.

[10/24/25 - 02:02 PM]
"20/20" Is Friday's Most-Watched Newsmagazine Across the Board
In addition, "20/20" posted its best Adults 25-54 in more than four months.

[10/24/25 - 02:01 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 Across the Board, Leading NBC in All Key Demos for the 4th Straight Week
"Nightline" grew year to year across the board: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49.

[10/24/25 - 01:05 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Makes Television History - Rising for Fifth Straight Week
The October 21 episode scored 6.63 million Total Viewers and a 1.38 rating among Adults 18-49, hitting new season highs in both demographics.

[10/24/25 - 08:01 AM]
Netflix Announces "Hollywood Arts," A Brand-New Spinoff of Hit Live-Action, "Victorious," with Daniella Monet Returning as Star and Executive Producer
The series is set to debut on Netflix in 2026, followed by releases on Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

[10/24/25 - 07:14 AM]
FOX Sports Readies for Major League Baseball's 121st World Series Presented by Capital One
Action leads off Friday, October 24, between the National League and current reigning World champion Los Angeles Dodgers and American League champion Toronto Blue Jays from Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App and FOX One.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 9: The Reunion - Official Trailer - Netflix
Denver singles shake up their search for "the one" and step into the pods, braving twists, turns and love triangles to find their soulmate sight unseen.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Experience the Family, the Fun, and the Fantastic! Marvel Studios' "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Lands Exclusively on Disney+ November 5
Continuing the celebration of Marvel's First Family, the announcement was made live from SpaceCon 2025 in San Antonio, where The Fantastic Four: First Steps Immersive Pop-Up Experience invites attendees to step inside the iconic Baxter Building.

[10/24/25 - 06:00 AM]
The CW Network and Xfinity Celebrate 11 Years of the NASCAR Xfinity Series by Presenting the Third Stage of the Championship Race Commercial-Free
Taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, November 1, the commercial-free stage presented by Xfinity was created to thank the loyal race fans who have supported the NASCAR Xfinity Series for more than a decade - helping the series grow through their unwavering enthusiasm, increased viewership, and continued trackside attendance.

[10/23/25 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "As You Stood By" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When two women plot to end an abusive marriage through murder, an unexpected visitor arrives - threatening to shatter everything they've carefully planned.

[10/23/25 - 02:33 PM]
Largest Audience for "NBA Tip-Off" Doubleheader Since 2010 as NBA Returned to NBC and Debuted on Peacock
Tuesday night's audience across NBC and Peacock peaked at 7.1 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a one-point win over the Houston Rockets in double overtime.

[10/23/25 - 02:28 PM]
The 305 Just Got Hotter: "Love & Hip Hop: Miami" Moves to BET Season 7 Premieres Tuesday, November 4 at 8 PM ET/PT
The upcoming seventh season dives deeper than ever into Miami's thriving entertainment scene, following a cast of stars who are rebuilding, rebranding, and redefining success in real time.

[10/23/25 - 01:30 PM]
Critically Acclaimed Noir Thriller, "Dark Winds," to Return to AMC and AMC+ Sunday, February 15
The series' gripping fourth season focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito from the safety of Navajo Nation to the gritty terrain of 1970s Los Angeles in a race against the clock to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.

[10/23/25 - 12:01 PM]
Video: BET+ Releases Trailer for Horror Film "A Demon's Revenge"
In the film, following the bloodshed in Belize, Peaches, played by Jhoné Lucas, delves deeper into Caribbean folklore and the terrifying truth that lurks beneath.

[10/23/25 - 12:00 PM]
FOX Entertainment Acquires Equity Stake in Chain, Forging Strategic Partnership with Experiential Food Phenomenon Co-Founded by B.J. Novak
Included in the investment is a first look development deal through Chain Media.