Left Behind

Director Anna Toomey in person for a Q&A with film participant Kareem Weaver.

The gripping new feature documentary Left Behind tells the story of five tenacious mothers determined to establish the first public school in New York City for children with dyslexia.

Dyslexia impacts one in five children worldwide, yet while 20% of the population has this learning difference, a staggering 48% of incarcerated individuals are dyslexic. Families without financial means often lack access to essential testing and tailored curricula that their children desperately need. In a city like New York, where 70% of students are Black and Brown, around 200,000 children are left without the support they need to thrive. Kareem Weaver, who heads the Education Committee for the NAACP in Oakland, CA, and a key figure in our film, calls this the defining civil rights issue of our time.

Dyslexia is not a barrier to success; many high-profile dyslexics—including 35% of entrepreneurs,filmmakers, musicians, and actors—prove that. Their unique brain wiring can hinder letter recognition but enhance creativity, risk-taking, and innovative thinking. This film emphasizes the loss of potential brilliance and showcases a group of mothers fighting for equality in our education system. We aim to spark outrage, inspire hope, and ignite a desire for action among viewers

“One of the best truly political documentaries of this or any other year.” – Deadline