BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE
August 12, 2001

Action!
By Elizabeth Barchas

Family matters for filmmaker

First-time filmmakers often become particularly attached to their work, but Nancy Fliesler didn't really have a choice. Her debut documentary, "Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown," which screens at the Museum of Fine Arts Thursday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at noon, chronicles the everyday adventures of a developmentally disabled married couple, Kris and Marni Jamieson. Marni happens to be Fliesler's sister.

"I've always thought Marni was an interesting person, and I tried to tell her story in the past through writing, but I felt that it was not really coming across," Fliesler says. "So I thought maybe the way to do it is to just show it, so people can see for themselves that she's a multidimensional person."

Because the subject was so personal, Fliesler broke with documentary tradition and chose not to use any narration and to keep interviews to a minimum. "I've seen a number of films about mentally disabled people that kind of look at them like, 'Oh, aren't they cute?' or 'Isn't this sad?' and I wanted to get away from those ideas," she says. "I wanted them to be shown as mature adults, man and wife, living as normal a life as they can."

Since Fliesler is a part of that life, she takes her turn in front of the camera. An especially compelling scene, she says, is an impromptu interview with Marni, who grabbed the camera one morning and turned it on her sister in a role reversal.

Fliesler will field questions from audience members at both MFA screenings, and the Jamiesons will be on hand Saturday to speak about the film. Tickets are $8, or $7 for MFA members, seniors, and students.