Spellbound and Beyond: How One Documentary Sparked a Generation of Spellers
When the lights dimmed in American theaters in the spring of 2003 for the release of Spellbound, no one imagined the ripple effect the modest documentary would have on Indian-American households. Chronicling eight middle-school contestants at the 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee, the film was funny, suspenseful, and unexpectedly inspiring. For thousands of Indian-origin parents…