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Movie review: Unique documentary 'Dina' follows an autistic couple preparing for marriage
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"Dina" follows the romantic relationship between two autistic adults who live in Pennsylvania. It is currently screening at the Broadway in Salt Lake City. - photo by Josh Terry
"DINA" 3 stars Dina Buno, Scott Levin; unrated; Broadway

Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles unique documentary Dina tells the story of Dina Buno, a 49-year-old widow preparing for her second marriage. Dina is autistic and suffers from a smorgasbord her mothers term of health issues. Her tragic romantic past has made her new relationship that much more stressful, yet she remains determined to forge ahead into her new life.

Her fiance, Scott Levin, is also autistic and works as a greeter at a local Walmart. Hes never lived away from his parents, and one of Dinas early stages sees him move out of their townhouse into Dinas humble apartment.

Dinas surface narrative follows Dina and Scott as they adjust to their new life together and prepare for their upcoming nuptials. We watch them go to the movies, take the bus together and go about their morning and evening routines. Most of the focus is on Dina as she goes about her days visiting family and friends and running various errands in preparation for the wedding (Dina is on disability and doesnt work). We also see Scott getting up early for his job and watch him arrange produce at the Walmart garden center.

As the marriage approaches, various sequences including a key stretch during a quick overnight trip to Ocean Beach, New Jersey (Scotts first time seeing the ocean) gradually reveal the tension that underlies the couple's plans: Scott is resisting sexual intimacy from Dina, who is nine years removed from the death of her first husband and still recovering from a violent episode that took place in a subsequent relationship.

This tension drives much of the rest of the film, as the progress to and through the wedding is peppered with Dinas vocal frustrations. For example, in one scene she complains to her married friends about Scotts lack of affection during a double date at a miniature golfing park while Scott lingers awkwardly behind her.

There is a sweetness and a tenderness to many scenes that celebrates the innocence of the films autistic subjects, but at times Dina feels almost too intimate. Dina herself is an open book, more than happy to voice her opinions, but those around her including her fiance dont always seem so unabashed (during Dinas bachelorette party, a male stripper dances against one of her reluctant married friends in one of the films more cringe-worthy moments).

In the age of reality television and self-aggrandizing social media, the notion of having a camera follow your every move seems completely routine, if not exactly natural even as you lounge on your honeymoon with your new husband in a private 10-foot-tall bathtub shaped like a cocktail glass. But Dina has a way of making this transparency feel especially raw.

Dina is shot in washed-out, desaturated tones, frequently in pastels, which seem to reflect the conditions of the couple's humble Pennsylvania circumstances. The film is very quiet and matter-of-fact and barely feels like a documentary. There are no breakaway interviews, no voiceovers, no contextual titles, nothing to suggest what you are seeing isnt a regular, staged film performed by actors. Youre not even clear about Dina and Scotts autism or Dinas romantic past until well into the film.

Overall, Dina is very well executed, though some audiences may find it a little too intimate for their own tastes. It is a compelling portrait of a determined woman, and the more we learn about her past, the more determined we realize she is.

Dina is not rated, but would likely draw a PG-13 for some sexual content; running time: 103 minutes.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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