Sullivan Entertainment who market this film contacted me to say the video is available from them on video and DVD www.sullivan-ent.com
They also sent this information:
Under the Piano is based on the true story of the extraordinary bond between two sisters - Dolly and Henrietta - initially highlighted by the ABC documentary 20/20. When Teri Rawson, who now works at Sullivan Entertainment in Canada, saw this documentary she immediately knew the story had enormous dramatic potential.
Henrietta was born an autistic savant; though her mental and emotional faculties never fully developed, she possesses an amazing gift for memorisation and for music. Her sister Dolly - who was born with a paralysed arm - has stuck steadfastly by Henrietta’s side for over 60 years.
Since childhood, Dolly protected Henrietta’s fragile personality from their domineering mother - a former opera star - who could not or would not accept or understand her autistic daughter’s problems. Together, Dolly and Henrietta achieved more than they could separately. Says Dolly of her sister “She fed me what I needed and that was purpose. And I fed into her what she needed, which was protection and nurturing. We were crucial to each other.”
“It was clear to me that there was a story there,” Teri recalls of her first impressions of the story, “the strong, emotional fight to bring her sister so far in life while dealing with the domineering oppressive influence of the mother. Dolly tried so hard to bring out a human side to Henrietta that nobody believed in except her.”
Following the documentary’s initial broadcast, Teri quickly sought out Dolly and Henrietta and met up with them in New York. This was years before she even knew Kevin Sullivan and Trudy Grant - presidents of Sullivan Entertainment and Sullivan Entertainment International respectively and the eventual executive producers of Under the Piano. Dolly was very eager to share her story and when the 20/20 documentary was broadcast again on Christmas Eve 1993, Teri was able to fend off all other interested producers due to the rapport that she had already developed with the sisters. Teri subsequently brought the story to Kevin and Trudy and this wonderful and sensitive portrayal of Dolly and Henrietta’s story was made.