“I think I’m taking it better than I thought I would” “What did the neurologist say?” “The, uh.. the neurologist, I think… is pretty sure I have Parkinson’s. I’m pretty sure I have Parkinson’s. I have so many of the symptoms.” In Third Act, filmmaker Tadashi Nakamura depicts a poignant portrait of his father, Robert [click to continue...]
“I became an advocate without knowing it at first. I was thrust into it, but that was okay.” Marlee Matlin found herself as an advocate and role model early on in her career within the entertainment industry. When Matlin starred in “Children of a Lesser God” in 1986, many other deaf individuals were finally seeing [click to continue...]
At face value, “Life After” starts with a story about Elizabeth Bouvia, a disabled woman from California who sought the right to die in 1983. However, Bouvia’s impact – and “Life After” as a result – is about so much more, including: the lack of accessible, affordable, quality healthcare; ableist views portraying disabled people in [click to continue...]
While the new documentary film “Deaf President Now!” covers an important event from disability rights history, its recent premiere highlights that Deaf and other disabled individuals are continuing to fight to not be treated as “less than.” “Deaf President Now!” tells the story of the 1988 eight-day protest against a 124-year-old history of only hiring [click to continue...]
“Inspiration porn” is a striking phrase to begin a short film, and it sets a bold tone for “View From the Floor.” Narrator and filmmaker Mindie Lind describes it as “this idea that our main characterization as people with disabilities is that we are inspirational to others.” Alongside co-director Megan Griffiths, Lind offers us a [click to continue...]
In the short film “Unholy,” writer/director Daisy Friedman artfully showcases Noa, a young adult with short bowel syndrome who uses a feeding tube while not being able to eat any solid food, as an individual who can manage the physical aspects of her disability but is confronting how her disability affects other areas of her [click to continue...]
The aptly titled documentary short film “The Reality of Hope” highlights the incredible reach of human kindness, community, and possibility. The film, primarily filmed inside virtual reality, opens by welcoming us to Furality, a virtual world and haven for like-minded people created by virtual reality creator and music composer, Hiyu, who was diagnosed with kidney failure at the [click to continue...]
Content Warning: Discussions of suicide/suicidal ideation “Good luck selling your house once there’s been a suicide in it!” Just barely 3 minutes in, and viewers are slapped with this line when protagonist Jo bitterly shouts it at her (now ex-) boyfriend as she storms out of a cafe while patrons and waitstaff look on, aghast. [click to continue...]
On the surface, writer/director Chelsea Christer’s short film “Out for Delivery” adds a comedic, yet realistic, lens to what it means for someone to choose to die with dignity. As viewers delve deeper, however, Christer’s film showcases the importance of having human connections in a world where it is so easy to be isolated. In [click to continue...]
Writer/Director Joanna Fernandez’s short film “The Things We Keep” examines the impact of Alzheimer’s and OCD through the genre of horror, allowing viewers to learn how both Alzheimer’s and OCD affect not only the individual, but their family members as well. Fernandez creates a powerful narrative while using both horror and magical realism as a [click to continue...]
