Category: Musings on documentary films

  • Call for First Nation/Indigenous/Aboriginal artists with disabilities for Unfinished Business

    Listen to this post: From UnfinishedBusiness.net.au, this is a call for First Nation/Indigenous/Aboriginal artists with disabilities from around the world to contribute to an artistic project called Unfinished Business. Before looking on their website, please note that you may come across images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are deceased. Check out more than 30 captioned…

  • Documentary Review: When Billy Broke His Head…and Other Tales of Wonder

    Listen to this post: Before the first minute of the film is up, Billy hits my favorite and snark-tastic line ever: “this ain’t exactly your inspirational cripple story.” Not two minutes later, he’s at an ADAPT-organized civil disobedience event in Chicago. You see the gorgeousness of the disability community: different ethnicities, genders, ages, types of…

  • The Odd Bird blog–check it out!

    Listen to this post: I’ve heard things like, “She is one odd bird” to describe someone who’s different. But it doesn’t often come out in a positive way. Probably, it’s not meant to. Some folks take strange pleasure in pointing out others who they think are weirdos, pieces of work, and odd birds. I got on the…

  • Conductor James DePreist and “My Country” ADA documentary

    Listen to this post: I run into people who say something is accessible to people with disabilities when it so very much isn’t. For instance, a building might have ten stairs to the front door and no elevator, but it’s called accessible. (You know, just have some folks carry disabled people in who can’t walk…

  • Critique of PBS’s “Best Kept Secret” autism documentary

    Listen to this post: In September, 2013, PBS released “Best Kept Secret.” You can check out info around the film at www.pbs.org/pov/bestkeptsecret. The film is now streamable on some paid sites. But I’m not writing this to recommend the film. Because I actually don’t recommend it. PBS’s brief synopsis: “In ‘Best Kept Secret,’ Janet Mino, who has taught a…