FUNKY HIP-HOP MUSIC Copyright Able 2016 # That's right. # (WHOOPS) # You ain't on my swag, on my swag, swag radar. Hey, girlfriends. Call me. Mwah! # You want a piece of me? # Ooh, ooh, ayyy! # Ooh, ooh, ayyy! (LAUGHS) # London, London, L-London, you with me? # I'ma cowa` cowa` Now! Cowabunga with the boom, boom, pow! # You ain't on my swag, on my sw-sw-swag radar. # SMOOTH R & B MUSIC WOMAN: Gigi is a ball of excitement. She really loves the camera, and she likes to be in front of an audience. Gigi's name is Ghaliyah Emotion Cunningham. And the meaning of that name is 'beautiful'. The name and the meaning has really been a part of who she is, because she is beautiful. BRIGHT PIANO MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUES INSECTS CHIRP, INDISTINCT CHATTER I'll take two. Green beans. Hey, don't burn your fingers, man. Here you go. All right. Looking up. Dig right on down in there. There you go. Amen. Get you some wings. Get a piece for Daddy. OK. All right. You gonna finish for me? Are you gonna get you some? Say our prayers. Come on. Hmm. OK. Hmm. OK. Faith. Thank you for God for things for our family. Thank you for all of, um` shooting the video of me in the commercial and PSA. Amen. ALL: Amen. All right. Thank you. Just a` Where's that? I was Christmas shopping. I would. Or I'd see you in the news. (CHUCKLES) ALL CHAT INDISTINCTLY Family is really important to her. We're` We're just like any typical family, you know, but we try to do things together. It` It's important to do that to have structure. I don't know why I got that. I don't know why I got so... I had Gigi. I was 17 years old. I didn't know, you know, that there was any type of disability or anything at that moment. When I looked at her, you know, she kinda looked a little different, and it was just kinda like a strange atmosphere. Everybody was kinda quiet and didn't really say much but kinda like on edge ` like they wanted to tell me something, but they didn't. So I left the hospital, and we came to one of her first appointments, and that was the moment that I received the information that she had Down's syndrome. I cried there. Came home. I cried for a about a week. And finally I just picked myself up and said, you know, 'You can do this. You can do this.' TRANQUIL AMBIENT MUSIC CAR DOOR SHUTS MUSIC CONTINUES MUSIC SWELLS STEAM HISSES She` She has a lot of things that she wants to do. She wants to` She wants a job. She wants to go to college. I'm trying to, kind of, get her out there just a little bit so that she's a little more independent than what she is. BRAKES HISS, SQUEAL ENGINE IDLES Good morning. Morning. FUNKY MUSIC INDISTINCT CHATTER Gigi loves school. She's doesn't like to miss a day, I'll tell you that. FUNKY MUSIC CONTINUES Hi, Ghaliyah. Hey. (TEACHER) READS: Dad rubbed sunscreen on our backs 'and told us to put some on our faces, arms and legs.' BOY: Dad needs to be capitalised. Dad needs to be capitalised. ERICA: Every year we do what's a called an IEP, which is an individualised evaluation for her. Talks about what level she's at and where she needs to be. Ghaliyah, do you see any? Britney needs to be capitalised. ALARM BELL CHIMES, INDISTINCT CHATTER ERICA: Growing up, a lot of kids made fun of her, and she would cry. She didn't understand ` 'Why are these kids being mean to me?' And they would poke fun about, you know, the way that she looked, the way that she talked, and` and a lot of the kids didn't invite her to different things that they were having. And she` she would say, 'Well, Mommy, I want some friends.' INDISTINCT CHATTER The defining moment, when everything just literally finally changed ` her ninth grade in school, uh, as a freshman. And she` she came home, and she s` she was crying, and it was a different form of bullying that I think that she had experienced before. She was just kinda` kinda depressed a little bit where she kinda sat in her room, and` and then I would try to uplift her spirits and talk to her about bullying. We enquired about DVDs, so we sat down and we watched that so that she could understand ` this is what happens, and this is what you can do. And from that moment, it was just like she made a` a decision on her own that, you know, 'I'm not gonna let them affect me any more.' FUNKY DRUMBEAT, BEATBOXING # OK. # BEATBOXING CONTINUES A lot of bullying stopped, I mean, with Gigi going around on Facebook, or that population, and how people with` like, kids with prob` serious problems has been` I don't know. She's affected a lot of people, and she's made me` I look up to her, honest. It be people who think they up there, but the whole time they doing worse than other people. Try` But they all be trying to bully people, but I feel like if somebody bully you, you just heat 'em back. (LAUGHS) And then y'all gon' be equal. Heat 'em back. ALL LAUGH LAUGHTER, INDISTINCT CHATTER I am sassy. (SCREAMS) Oh my God! The good thing about her, you know, having her disorder or whatever, she, like, put her mind to anything. Like, can't nobody tell her she can't do nothing. That's the good thing about it. And she's very smart. She's very smart. Yeah. Yeah, smart. And... it's pretty important to make sure, like, when you're doing the photos and different things like that to kinda keep` keep up on social media. Cos, see, if you look up here, you have your` your actual business card with all your contact information. 'Social media has been really great with getting Gigi's name out there.' 'She became, like, a viral sensation, like, pretty much overnight 'to where different social sites, like The Huffington Post, BlackDoctor.org, 'uh, Tea & Breakfast. 'Somehow it ended up clear over in Italy. 'I mean, it wa` it was` The feedback and the comments were really` were really positive.' So, what I` what we've pulled up here is the Helen Wells Agency, and that's the actual agency that we'll go to on Friday. That's right. And we'll` And we'll get to meet with some` some people there, and they'll, kind of, go over with you on, uh, modelling techniques, photo shoots and different things that, you know, most models go through, you know, to secure an agent. You'd be happy doing that? And giving it a go and seeing what it's all about? I think you can do it. OK, Mommy. Yeah, I think you can do it. Yes, Mommy. She wanted to model, and I said, 'OK, well, let me figure out what we need to do to get this started.' I found a guy that was from Project Capture, which was willing to shoot a portfolio for her. So when she did that, it just kinda did something for her` her self-esteem and her confidence, because after it was all done, she said, 'Well, Mommy,' she said, 'this was the best time of my life.' STRONG ELECTRONIC MUSIC MUSIC PEAKS (SMOOCHES) MUSIC CONTINUES UPBEAT MUSIC, CHEERING MAN: Gigi is a vibrant, happy 17-year-old young lady ` smart, funny, confident ` from Danville, Illinois. She is an aspiring model, actor and has recently modelled with Project Capture in Changing the Face of Beauty. Look at her go! CHEERING, APPLAUSE WOMAN: That is a strut! ERICA: She just recently did a catwalk with the Global Down Syndrome Foundation in Denver, Colorado. She was not nervous at all. When they called her name, she just flipped a switch, and, like, she just became this different person. And she strutted, and she moved her hips, and she smiled, and she did her twirl, and the crowd stood up for her, and they were yelling and clapping and hollering. To see her up there on that stage, like, I cried, because, you know, this is` I` she's gonna always be my baby girl. ELECTRONIC MUSIC LINGERS I` I don't want Down's syndrome to define who she is or what it is that she's destined to be. That's just, like, my` I don't want her to` to feel like 'because I have Down's syndrome that I can't` I can't do this, I can't do that.' Yes, you can. We don't use the word in this household 'you cannot'. You` You can. You may not be able to do it just right that very first time, but you will eventually get there. You may just do it at a` at a slower rate, but you can do it. So when she starts different activities or different things, you know, I make sure that she finishes 'em ` all the way through. You wanna do boys or some are girls? Change the fights. Mekhi is wonderful. Growing up, he didn't quite understand what Down's syndrome was. He couldn't` He couldn't understand that ` 'Well, why does she get so much attention, 'or why does she get this, and why does she get that?' So I had to explain to him, 'You know, it's not that she's getting any extra attention. 'You know, I try to, you know, make sure both of you have the same amount of attention, 'but she just requires a little more help.' You throw punches with this button right here. You flick it up, down, move around like this. CONTROLLER CLICKS REFLECTIVE ELECTRONIC MUSIC We've actually lived here for about 12 years, and a lot has changed. When we first got here, the neighbourhood was really full, and we had a lot of neighbours, but with different jobs changing, a lot of people have moved out of town. I can remember a time when I was younger that we could play outside and we didn't have to worry about the shootings and kids being picked up by strangers and different things like that. And it's not just here. It's` It's pretty much everywhere. REFLECTIVE ELECTRONIC MUSIC CONTINUES So, are you excited about tonight? You are? So is David a pretty` a pretty nice guy? Pretty nice guy? And does he have any brothers or any sisters? 'I am really nervous about Gigi dating. I'm really overprotective, 'so to see her be interested in boys...' And we` we've had the talk, and... So I` I'm learning to` to kinda let go a little bit. Aw, babe. Mwah! You're going on your first date. Yes. All right. Make sure you have a fantastic time and enjoy yourself, OK? All right. Mwah. You have a good time, girl. I love you. Love you too. All right. See you soon. OK? OK. All right. You ready? OK. Yeah, Ghaliyah was actually 3 years old when I came into her life. It was` It was different but, I don't know, something special about her that I just I always had admired and loved. DOOR CREAKS Her growing up, I don't know, just seemed like ` pshh! I don't know. We just here now. I don't know. It's been a long time coming. I been watching her evolve from a little tyke to the beautiful, you know what I'm saying, young lady that she is now, coming into her own. And it's been, actually, an adventure ` something adorable, something that I admire. And I actually... look, uh` look, uh... take pride in. LIGHT-HEARTED MUSIC WOMAN: Hello. You kids having a good night? Yeah. Follow me. BOTH CHUCKLE So, are you guys ready? Yes. All right. What can I get ya? Chicken strips. OK. French fries, yeah. OK. This is my first time going to Garfield's. BOTH LAUGH I mean, every time Derek be hearing this in the classroom, he be like` he be like, 'Ohh, you talk about every boy in the class.' 'You talk about every boy.' (LAUGHS) You were talking about all boys. You cares about me? I know I'm lazy. (CHUCKLES) I'm not mad. I'm not mad. I'm happy. Yeah. Right? Right. Yeah, we're cool. Hmm. LAID-BACK ELECTRONIC MUSIC Are you ready for dance class? OK. INDISTINCT CHATTER FUNKY MUSIC Hey, girls. GIRLS: Hey, Gigi! Hey, Gigi! All right, let's do Don't Let Your Mouth Talk. ALL CHANT: Don't let your mouth talk; let your body talk! Don't let your mouth talk; let your body talk! Don't let your mouth talk; let your body talk! GIRL: And again! Don't let your mouth talk; let your body talk! Don't let your mouth talk; let your body talk! Don't let your mouth talk; let your body talk! Pretty on my right side, and I was pretty on my left! I was so darn pretty, I couldn't stand myself! Oooooh-wee! Those pretty girls... (ALL SPEAK INDISTINCTLY) They have a lot of energy. That's a lot of energy. And I'm Tammie. This is Tierra ` good Coach Tierra. This is Coach Becky. ALL: Seven, eight, nine... When I first met Gigi, I seen her on Facebook, and I said, 'I want this little girl.' Gigi is awesome. Yeah. She's an awesome little girl. I love her. She n` She never gets mad. She never shows` She's a lovable person. Yeah, she shows each kid respect and love. And I'm so proud of her. She has a beautiful spirit. I really love her mom for letting her... ...participate with us. ...you know, do the thing` yeah, participate and get into other things, you know? Her mom, she's not lacking in nothing. I mean, she's just up on Gigi like, 'Yes.' ALL SHOUT PLAYFULLY Now twerk! # Ah, ooh, ooh, ah, ah, # eh, eh, turn up. # Ooh, ooh, ah, ah, # eh, eh, turn up. # Yeah! (LAUGHS) LAID-BACK MUSIC READS: Step two ` in a mixing bowl, mix the graham crackers... But I still wanna talk to you a little about` both of you about the importance of being able to learn how to cook, because that way, when you get a little older and you dec` you venture off and decide to get your own place, you'll need to know how to cook food for yourself. So do you think it's important to know how to cook just in case if you decide to live on your own? But when you're` when you're putting your pot on the stove, if I'm walking past here, what's gonna happen? You'll bump into it. OK, so which way to you need to turn the eye? OK. Good. Just shake it in there. 'So, this week we are having a family dinner, 'and my brothers and sisters are coming into town. Then we'll break bread together.' You two helped me, so... Gigi` Gigi made the macaroni. Mmm. So, you going to see, uh, Helen Wells for... Modelling agency. Ah, OK. Big time. Yeah. What you wanna toast to? And what else? You gonna toast to family. Family? Family. You wanna toast to family? Well, let's do that. We'll toast to family. I'll toast with my water. Ah! I'll toast with my hand. There you go. (LAUGHS) < We love you too. We love you too, Gigi. Love you! MEKHI: Why does she have to be older than me? OK, we can take that one. Here, put these in your suitcase too. And you can have... Around a little bit. > All right. We are off. Yeah, we going in the` in the red truck. All right. Love you too. All right. Take care. All right. Have fun. OK. AMBIENT MUSIC 82 miles. What you doing? Mm? What you doing? AMBIENT MUSIC SWELLS Helen Wells Agency started 35 years ago. I think everybody thinks we have a very honest agency and, uh, have wonderful, wonderful talent. We've watched a lot of changes. It used to be if you were a model or if you were gonna do a TV commercial, you had to be slim, but now the person that gets the job is the everyday-looking person. Hi. I'm Helen Wells. And I'm Erica. Erica. Nice to see you, Gigi. And so do you wanna be a model? Is that why you came to see me? Uh-huh. (CHUCKLES) Do your own thing, walking down the runway, right? > (LAUGHS) > (VIDEO) MAN: ...young lady ` smart, funny, confident ` from Danville, Illinois. I'm Gigi. Oh, that is awesome. You are so right. I think your mom has instilled great ideas in you. Thank you. > Gigi, let's go downstairs and get some pictures taken. What do you think? All right. We'll do that. CAMERA SNAPS And can you give me a really big smile? Perfect. All right. Let me get a couple. CAMERA SNAPS Awesome. Let me get one more. Perfect. Perfect. She is darling. Oh, I love that attitude. I` I think that's awesome. It doesn't sound like a child who's had` ever had a problem or ever felt that she was different. It's great. Perfect. CAMERA SNAPS There you go. Perfect. Love it. Let me get two. I think we're good. All right! She's great, huh? You did a great job. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! I'm excited to get through the images and get 'em up for ya. Mwah! I would like to thank you for just allowing us to meet with you today. This has been an awesome experience, and we look forward to working with you in the future. Thank you so much. I think` I think it was our honour, not yours, (LAUGHS) because we haven't seen a girl like this for a long time that's got all the knowing what she wants to do and is sure she's gonna get there, and this is great. Gigi has just been signed to Helen Wells Agency, and we are just so overjoyed that she was actually considered, you know, for` to pursue her modelling career, and it is just a proud` a proud moment right now. So, um, we're happy. Gigi, are you s` are you happy? Yes? Excited? Does that make you feel good? The success. We'll have to share all the great news with our family and friends when we get back home. All right. Congratulations, baby. Love you. Mwah! PHONE RINGS Hey, babe. Hello. Hey. Hey, how you doin'? She got signed. She got signed to the Helen Wells Agency. What?! BOTH: Yes. She got signed to the Helen Wells Agency. Y'all serious? Yes, we're serious. Well, we just wanted to call and give you the good news. So we'll see you` Know what I'm saying, y'all serious? Yes. So we'll ca` We'll s` Well, that's` Huh? That's excellent. I` I'm so proud of y'all. Thank you. UPLIFTING R & B MUSIC You never set limits on a kid, because you never know if they're` if they will exceed 'em. And so far, she has, you know, just soared. UPLIFTING MUSIC CONTINUES Captions by Imogen Staines. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2016