You.Sleep.Stay. invites audiences into the world of Fred Ashabugh, a deaf, intellectually and developmentally disabled senior who has spent over 70 years at a state institution in rural Pennsylvania. When the facility is slated for closure, Fred faces leaving the only home he has known since he was a young child. Meanwhile, his brother John must navigate bureaucracy and come to terms with the traumas of the past as he searches for a new place for Fred to live.
In 1951, 10-year-old Fred needed full-time specialized attention that his working middle-class parents could not provide. With no community services or support in existence at the time, Fred's pediatrician recommended that he be placed in a state-run institution. Afraid for his safety and at a loss for how else to care for him, the Ashbaughs sent their son to the Polk Institution for the Feeble Minded in northwest Pennsylvania where he remained for several decades. But now, as the facility is set to close by the end of the year under order from the Pennsylvania governor, the question emerges how to prepare someone with Fred's needs and abilities for a monumental life-change. To do so, a specialized communications team is brought in, revealing that Fred may understand more than anyone previously realized.
Following Fred through his final year at Polk and into the next phase of his life, and presenting original documentation, the film explores the institution's history and development along with reflections of the people and environment around him. Accompanying Fred through the relocation process as his brother searches for a new place for him to live, the film spends time with him and comes to understand who he is and what home means to him. Ultimately, Fred's deeply personal and intimate journey sheds light on the forgotten story of the fight for the rights of the intellectually disabled, a struggle that transformed not only conditions at Polk but throughout the United States and the world.
More than just an observational portrait, You.Sleep.Stay. offers a deeply felt and thoroughly immersive exploration of what it means to communicate, to care, and to bear witness. It is a story of home and family; brotherhood and responsibility; and the role filmmakers play in shaping— not just reflecting— reality.
Filmmaker's Statement: "From the outset, it was clear that developing a means of communication was at the core of our building a relationship with Fred— and that our relationship would become the film. As a result, our efforts to connect with Fred are key elements in the film, taking place in front of the lens. Fred becomes an active collaborator, showing us where to aim the camera and how; he touches the lens and points to things to draw our attention. He wants to be seen and to show us what he sees. Over time, we developed a deep emotional bond with Fred, and we hope the film gives the audience that same experience with him, one full of discovery, joy, and love."— David Grabias
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