Callie Truelove (left) and Christopher Knight (right).Photo:Courtesy of Former Prodigy Media
Courtesy of Former Prodigy Media
Christopher Knightis bringing smiles to families across the country with a heartwarming new documentary.
Knight, 65, best known for his time on the beloved sitcomThe Brady Bunch, has found a new role as a partner withFormer Prodigy Media, which last year launched its first movieTruelove: The Film, a documentary about people with a genetic disorder called Williams Syndrome.
“We didn’t start out making a movie that would be an awareness piece for Williams syndrome, but we’re grateful that it can be used in that way,” Knight tells PEOPLE.
Truelove: The Film poster.Courtesy of Former Prodigy Media
“She melted my heart. she melted my wife’s heart,” Knight says of first meeting Callie. “She’s just miraculous in that regard, in that she brings people together — and it was not just her.”
Knight tells PEOPLE that he did not know about Williams Syndrome before meeting Callie. Upon researching the condition further, he “couldn’t compute” that the condition’s effects display that “our genetic makeup, our personalities, our abilities to get along are also embedded in our DNA.”
TheTrueloveteam set about filming her experiences and meeting others with Williams Syndrome across the country whom she had connected with over social media. The production filmed in 2021, as complications from the COVID-19 pandemic made production difficult due to the high-risk nature of people with the disorder.
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Truelove: The Filmlaunched Knight and Viardo’s production company and marked Viardo’s directorial debut. The movie has also received awards at the Beverly Hills Film Festival, California Independent Film Festival and the Awareness Film Fest at LA live.
Callie Truelove, Christopher Knight and Callie’s parents in ‘Truelove: The Movie’.Courtesy of Former Prodigy Media
For Knight, the documentary provides a breath of fresh air to audiences, the film industry and to Former Prodigy Media, which also released an animated narrative film titledThe Inventorin September.
“It’s an extension of a struggle that was laid in front of me from my childhood that is represented in [The Brady Bunch],” Knight says, recalling that his mother thought his iconic show “was simple and banal” for its friendly depiction of the fictional family.
“And I, as a 12 year old, would ask her, ‘What’s wrong with it? What’s wrong with the family getting along?’ And she really didn’t have any answer, but she didn’t like sweet,” he adds. “But man, living harsh all of the time, it is no way for us to be building societies.”
Truelove: The Filmis available now on video-on-demand and is streaming on YouTube, Tubi and Plex Friday. Those interested in learning more about Williams Syndrome can visit theWilliams Syndrome Association’s website for more information.
source: people.com
