PRINCE OF A STORY: Documentary features Sahuarita track coach

Joe Prince is on his way to shine in the spotlight as he attends the elite 2008 San Diego Black Film Festival on Friday with filmmakers Richard Knapp and Dave Verwys.

The two movie makers captured Prince’s true story in a 34-minute documentary, telling the uplifting story of a man diagnosed with autism, beating the odds to become an All-American track star, later to be struck down with cancer.

Prince, a Sahuarita High School teacher and track coach, got the opportunity to tell his moving story after area media professional Verwys, and his co-director/production partner, Knapp, formerly employed by Green Valley Recreation and now working in Las Vegas, read a copy of his book, “Liberation Saturday.”

Verwys first met Knapp in 1995 in Vail, Colo., where he was working in television. Knapp walked into the station, they struck up a friendship with mutual film interests and the rest is history.

It was a local Realtor, Susan Derlein, who was working with Prince when he bought his home, who introduced the filmmakers to the book, even before they met Prince.

“Normally we are commissioned to make films, but once we read the book and discussed it and then talked to Joe, it was a no-brainer,” Knapp said. “We decided to finance it ourselves.”

In the director’s words:

”This is a story of Joe Prince. A mild form of autism separated Joe from other children his age. He was viewed as slow and a behavior problem. Raised by illiterate grandparents in East Palo Alto, Calif., his strong family and a neighborhood of truly dedicated people ensured that he received an education.”

“At the age of 20, Joe faced cancer. He nearly lost his life. Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith coached Joe’s high school track team and convinced him that he had the talent to compete at the highest level.”

“While being treated for cancer, he trained with Olympic gold medalist Maxie Parks and ran for the United States at meets in Eastern Europe.”

“Dreams of running in the Olympics ended with the boycott of the 1980 games.”

“Through it all, Joe earned his degree. He currently teaches special education classes and coaches high school track in Arizona.”

““Liberation Saturday” is a candid glimpse into the life of a very special man, told by Joe Prince and the people who know him best.”

“My first thought on being the subject of a documentary was laced with skepticism,” Prince says. “My natural response as a rule is to avoid dialogue with outsiders.”

Prince, Knapp and Verwys, as well as local metal sculptor, Dave Voisard, who drove the group to Joe’s California’s roots and worked on the film’s audio, set out last year to interview the people behind Prince’s success.

“Over the course of making this film, I have experienced a series of emotions from being conscious of who I am to being doleful to being appreciative of life,” Prince added.

“We were very aware of taking Joe out of his comfort zone,” Knapp said. “In the 14 months we worked on this, there wasn’t a day that went by that we didn’t have conversations about the project. We had other jobs, but it became part of our lives.”

The filmmakers interviewed so many of the people who took the young Prince under their wing, including former Harlem Globetrotter Nate Branch, who along with Prince, also did the music for the film.

One of the most telling tales of the entire film, which the directors feature on the film’s Web site (www.liberationsaturday.com) is a paragraph penned by Prince many years ago before working in Sahuarita, that they say “tells it all.”

“This is probably going to be the hardest letter I’ll ever have to write. I’ve been receiving Supplemental Security Income checks for the past six years.

I no longer feel that I am disabled since I just got a job as a bank teller with First National Bank of Arizona.

Please help me to help myself. I’ve decided that I am not going to let the government take away my life again. Yes, I have been down on my luck, but the best thing you can do for me at this time in my life is not to send me any more checks.”

Sincerely,

Joe Prince

Knapp, Verwys and Prince will introduce their film “Liberation Saturday” at the festival 6 p.m., Friday, at United Artists Theaters, Horton Plaza, in San Diego.

All three have hopes that a major filmmaker or top-notch actor will see the film as a bigger production.

“Joe’s story is certainly worth it,” Knapp said. “He’s too modest to know it, but he’s truly a remarkable human being.”

rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740