Disability Studies

A wondrous and important film about the necessity of intimate human contact for every human being. Evelien, spastic from birth, and only knowing disappointing sexual experiences, is taking the first steps on her quest for intimacy. After a lifetime of mostly clinical forms of touch, she sets out to claim sexual pleasure. On her journey, Evelien discovers new parts of her body and self, as she gradually opens to the needs and desires she has been suppressing, having been told sexual touch shouldn’t matter due to her disability.

AS FAR AS THEY CAN RUN

An intimate, unflinching look at children with intellectual disabilities in rural Pakistan who have been deemed "useless" by their communities. A searing "verité" portrait of three young teenagers who manage to find some acceptance and a place in society through sports. As Far As They Can Run is a moving documentary that offers an insightful window into the world of Special Olympics and the impact this event has on a community.

HER SOCIALIST SMILE

Though her life generated voluminous literature, most people ignore the fact that iconic deaf-blind author Helen Keller (1880–1968) was one of the most passionate socialist advocates of her time. Continuing his work of patient and insightful political filmmaking, director John Gianvito (Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind) resurrects Keller's radical views, which have been largely suppressed or sanitized over the years.

BUDDY

Whether grabbing a sheet of paper from a printer, helping to push in a syringe, or comforting a veteran with PTSD while he sleeps, Buddy, the incredible new documentary from legendary filmmaker Heddy Honigmann is a beautifully composed, heartwarming portrait of six amazing service dogs and their heroic owners that explores the close bond between animal and human.

HEAVEN IS A TRAFFIC JAM ON THE 405

2018 Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary Short Subject, Heaven is an extraordinary documentary, a portrait of artist Mindy Alper, whose astonishing body of work – drawings and sculptures of powerful psychological clarity – reveals a lifetime of struggle with debilitating mental illness.

INGELORE

Combining first person accounts, archival footage, and simple recreations, Ingelore is a mesmerizing documentary about a remarkable woman, Ingelore Herz Honigstein, who, born in 1924, narrates her heartbreaking and inspiring story of living as an outcast in Nazi Germany not only as a Jew, but also as a deaf woman.

MY VOICE, MY LIFE

Academy Award winning filmmaker Ruby Yang’s My Voice, My Life follows a group of students from underprivileged families who are cast in a musical theater performance. A moving story about the importance of art education in our schools.

STARTING POINT

A pilot program in which female prisoners work at a nursing home for the elderly and disabled while serving out their sentences.

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