Synopsis: 18 year old Rebecca Saunders has had to grow up fast - helping to take care of her younger siblings and hold the family together in the wake of her Mom's illness.

 

Bio: Craig Slattery was born in Australia. He works as a film editor for BBC2’s Culture Show. He has two more films (Pierced Off and Self Serve) in his credit. 

 

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Synopsis: 37 year old Japanish Kimi Okamoto, suffers from transitory amnesia, due to a car accident she’s had when she was ten. In spite of not being able to remember the simplest facts of her life and watching her past fading away, she gives birth to a boy. The film focuses on her huge effort to understand the micro world of her little boy, his reactions when he plays or cries. In these extremely difficult circumstances, the woman- with a helping hand from her mother and her husband- manages to overcome her disability. An amazing film from Japan, about the power of the maternal love.

 

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Synopsis: The real and imaginary life of Antoine, a boy detective who runs, drives, makes decisions, hosts radio shows and adores simultaneous telephone conversations. Over the course of two years he uses a mini-boom microphone to discover and capture the sounds surrounding him. In this manner he co-created the sound track of this film.

 

 

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Synopsis: Four love stories of blind lovers, from the excellent point of view of the new director Juraj Lehotsky. Real life meets surrealism, a film shot with an exceptional aesthetic flavor and stands between documentary and fiction. A surprising movie from Slovakia, a sentimental labyrinth, full of sensibility and human feelings which challenges us to re-event the true meaning of happiness.

 

 

 

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Synopsis: An intimate and transformational feature documentary about the true face of war today. Meet Tomas Young, 25 years old, paralyzed from a bullet to his spine - wounded after serving in Iraq for less than a week. Body of War is Tomas' coming home story as he evolves into a new person, coming to terms with his disability and finding his own unique and passionate voice against the war. Body of War is a naked and honest portrayal of what it's like inside the body, heart and soul of this extraordinary and heroic young man.

 

Bios: For the past 29 years, through his popular show The Phil Donahue Show, Phil Donahue has been taking on a broad range of issues (human behavior, politico-social and major international events). He is the driving force behind the talk show and has played host to leading figures from all over the world. He has won more than twenty Emmys. 

 

 

 

 

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Synopsis: Lenny loves music and dancing, but has always felt out of place in hearing discos because of her disability. Now she is travelling to Holland to attend her first "deaf rave", a ground-breaking, multi-sensory music event specially designed for the hard of hearing, using a vibrating dance floor and special sign-dancers, a place where the Dj’s and the clubbers are all deaf. This is her unique chance to see her dream come true, to fell the music and be "lost" in her own world.

 

 

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Synopsis: In front of the microphone in a bar on the outskirts of Sofia, Dessy, a singer who can’t see and never could, tells a story of happiness, fear, hope, dreams, and her unbiased vision of the world around us. She stands in front of the microphone, calm and focused, while the clients enthusiastically demand more and more songs. Between two sets she tells us what she loves, what she fears, what she dreams of and how she "sees" the big events in the world.

 

 

 

 

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Synopsis: David and Eddie are street performers struggling to get by in a seaside town. The Cost of Living follows them as they work, argue, fail at romance and fall out with old friends, in a film that is part dance film, part drama. All of the stories are about how we value ourselves and other people. The Cost of Living is the fourth film by DV8, and is choreographed and directed by Lloyd Newson. DV8’s work is about taking risks aesthetically and communicating ideas and feelings clearly and unpretentiously.

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Synopsis: Survival in an urban environment, forces us to declare ourselves an endangered species. Ecology is not just animals and Nature. Andreas Kouzelis’s words is an incentive for a collective activation, so as the material profits will stop undermining the future. Let us give a chance to humanity to live in a better world.

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Synopsis: Gabriele Viti, grown up in a little village in Arezzo district, never perceived himself as "different" because of his disability. Gabriele decides to fight for acknowledgement of a disabled person’s sexual right by writing the book "The disabled person’s Kamasutra" and attending Conferences on the subject. At the same time, in the film Gabriele reveals his sexual exploration, from the first relationship with a "normal" girl to the appointment in Rome with a French escort.

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Synopsis: Rafat, a young boy with a disability, tries to include himself in a group of kids that has as a meeting point the courtyard of a block of buildings. The director’s discreet look focuses with sensibility on the desire of the young boy to become a part of this world and his efforts to develop relationships with the kids. An excellent film from Poland.

 

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Synopsis: In a suburb of Paris, a Greek sculptοr, Filo, married to Marina, has devoted himself to his art for fifty years now. An unexpected event will change things and only love will provide solutions and a new meaning to their lives.

 

 

 

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Synopsis: A story of eight "perfect babies", each given a grim diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as toddlers, whose grieving families fight prejudice, misinformation, and despair to get their children well again. Filmed in thirteen locations across the United States, this hour-long documentary is an ensemble piece, presenting elements of each family's long, emotional journey through home videos, photographs and medical reports; as well as interviews with the families, the children’s' doctors, therapists and friends. Commentary on these remarkable stories is provided by a courageous group of doctors all working to rewrite the future for ASD afflicted children by accepting a surprisingly controversial premise: autistic children can recover.

Finding the words examines new methods in the treatment of autism. Dr. Andrew Wakefield, a hero for many families in Great Britain, today faces charges from the medical community regarding his use of unorthodox methods for treating autism.

 

 

Bio: Elisabeth Horn is a producer and director. Her company undertakes major productions for clients that include Apple Computer, Gap, Stanford University, Oracle, Tandem, et al.  

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Synopsis: Director Todd Herman showcases three poems by black disabled writer Leroy Moore. Using an extremely poetic and lyrical way, Herman combines his cinematic skills with Moore’s poetry, taking a head-on look at issues of a disabled body image and its sexuality. With naked honesty, and through poetry, the film combines social critique and a comment on the stereotypes prevalent in disability imagery. Α potent film which sees beyond the barriers between disability and sexuality.

 

 

 

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Synopsis: Hammoudi is a twelve year old boy from Palestine, victim of an Israeli mine. He tells his personal story, from the moment that he lost his two legs, till today, where with no fear he can see his future from a positive point of view. A movie without contrived elations of emotion, which underlines the strength of a young boy, a victim of war, to claim for his life with equal terms.

 

 

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Synopsis: The story of Samuel and four other families who have children with disabilities, including autism, schizophrenia and cerebral palsy. An extraordinary, realistic chronicle of the struggle waged by these families but also of the joy they derive. The director admitted that it was through his son that he was forced to face his prejudices head-on. 'When I saw people who didn’t look like me, or talk like me... I often saw them as less smart, less capable, and not worth getting to know. Is that how the world would see Samuel?'

 

 

 

 

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Synopsis: May 2007. Gill Rossellini is in Turin to present a sailing race with a disabled athletes’ team. What he still doesn’t know is that this is the last days before his final act of his main challenge. The duel against disease and many surgical procedures. Dreaming, social commitment and his memories are the best keys to escape from his situation and to play the game with fate all the way to the end.

 

  

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Synopsis: Lou is a little boy who only sees through his heart. He was born blind and mentally different, something that has forced his parents to adjust to a new reality. But beyond all this, Lou is a little prince, cute, mischievous and full of humor. The audience is offered the opportunity to follow Lou’s six first years, through the eyes of the filmmaker, his father. 

 

 

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Synopsis: Neurologist Jack Kessler had just moved with his family to Chicago, when he received a phone call that would forever change his life. His daughter Allison, had fallen while skiing, crushing her spinal cord and leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Kessler shifted the focus of his research to begin looking for a cure for spinal cord injuries using embryonic stem cells. A film that underlines Kessler’s efforts in the wake of President Bush’s veto of a bill enabling special funding for stem cell research.

 

 

  

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Synopsis: Professional musician and political activist before the accident that marked his life, nowadays he expresses his disappointment and passion through the songs he writes, using a special computer that is activated with his voice. With his songs, funny but sometimes cheesy, Robert creates a metaphor for his life through music. Religion and faith, sex and lovers, family and exclusive nurses, everything comes together within his personal musical puzzle.

 

Bio: Suzanne Girot has directed a number of documentaries: Havana Bienal, Let our People Grow (on the medical use of marijuana), The Ultimate Dive (on the "art" of finding interesting objects in the trash), Girl Beat-Power of the Drum (on a Brazilian percussion group consisting only of women). In Mister Spazzman, she explores the therapeutic method of music, with her brother-in-law as the protagonist.

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Synopsis: An extremely sensitive animation movie from France, where a little girl describes the personality and the reactions of her autistic brother. A very cleverly written script, from the interesting point of view of a child-observer, who with her own eyes analyses and eventually makes her own personal comment about autism.

 

 

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Synopsis: Return to roots. Prodigal Sons follows three siblings – a transgender woman, a gay man, and their adopted brother who discovers he’s the grandson of Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth – back to their Montana hometown, where a powerful story of an entire family’s transformation unfolds.

 

Bio: Kimberly Reed is the first woman director who has undergone a sex change operation. She began her career by directing travelogues. For four consecutive years her work has been included in the program of the Independent Film Week in the USA. Prodigal Sons is her first feature-length documentary.

 

 

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Synopsis: A video artist "invades" into the Arty Party, a group of disabled artists, with a view to film their rehearsals. His visit, gradually, is transformed to an experience of life, as he becomes one with the power of expression of the team. A wonderful film with great aesthetic view, a hymn to the arts and the expression beyond mind and body.

 

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Synopsis: A young boy struggles to regain his place in life, after a tragic incident, which took place when he was in first grade. The explosion of a mine in his hands made him blind and cut his two hands. Today in the seventh grade and the best student of the school, he can read Braille alphabet with his lips. His beloved grandmother and his favorite teacher help him to survive and see his life with a positive way. An extremely sensitive film about the pure desire for life, even under the worst circumstances.

 

Bio: Hooshang Mirzaee was born in Iran in 1961. He studied at the IRIB Film Center and then took up painting. With his first film Sazeneh he became recognized as one of the most important young directors in Iran while with Mine he won many international awards including the Gold Remi in the USA.

  

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Synopsis: The dreams of Reja for an academic career, which will save his family from poverty, are suddenly shattered, when a robbery takes place in the small shop where he works in Bangladesh. He is shot in his legs and ends up in a wheel chair, realizing that in his country there is no care and provision for people like him. Through his tragic story, we come face to face with the problems of disabled persons in Bangladesh, where these huge problems do not allow them to find a place in the job market. An excellent film about the human rights of the disabled and their effort to gain what they deserve in daily life. A movie that was shot by disabled people.

 

Bios: Apart from being a director, Alex Richardson is also a cameraman and editor. This is his first film dealing with humanitarian issues. 

 

 

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Synopsis: A film about the desire to express the inner self and the search for identity. Lyric images create a micro world poem, a dance of the senses, in a place where the dancers are the poet and the camera. The film contains only one take, something that automatically creates an even more poetic mood in the movie.

 

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Synopsis: Vanessa, a young mother, struggles to raise and give life to her two sons, who were born with disabilities. Ignacio and his brother are not able to see and listen, while having problems of moving as well. Their parents though, choose to see the bright side of life and with their outstanding love manage to give their children a happy and normal life. An extremely sensitive film from Poland, a hymn to love.

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Synopsis: Life in a leper colony in India and the difficulties they are facing in these circumstances, waiting for a brighter future. A raw film which describes the pain and the seediness of the lepers and their effort to be useful to the society.

 

Bio: Deepak Gera, a 42 year-old engineer, heads the biggest theatrical group in Rajasthani with over 90 productions to its credit. He has directed the short film Eyes and Dreams, while Texture of our Souls won the second prize at the SOMS Festival in 2008.  

 

 

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Synopsis: A film that focuses on the beauty of the disabled body, through six women from around the world. Through interviews' key questions, they explain their relationship with their bodies and their love about the arts and sports.

 

Gerald Teufel was born in Vienna, Austria in 1956. Αfter studying German and English literature, philosophy and fine arts, he started working as a journalist for Austrian magazines and the Austrian Broadcasting Company ORF. He created features for the radio and since 1995 he is making documentary films on social matters for television. 

 

 

 

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Synopsis: Born deaf 25 year old Nana Twum-Danso has one main passion in her life - dance. From the age of three, dancing has been the way that she expresses her feelings and emotions, from joy to anger. Brought up in a hearing environment where she wasn’t allowed to sign, dance became an outlet for all the feelings she was unable to articulate. This film follows her on a life-changing journey to Brazil to learn the samba at one of Rio’s best samba schools and perform in the Rio Carnival alongside Brazil’s best sambaistas. A movie full of color and joy, that was shot by disabled people.

 

Bio: Rosa Rogers has directed dozens of documentaries traveling the length and breadth of the world. Her journeys have led her on a unique odyssey from Rio in Brazil to Beijing. Her films have participated in many international festivals, while she was nominated twice for the prestigious One World Media Award.   

 

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Synopsis: When you are caught, unsuspectingly in the Trap, it is almost certain that the end has come. The Trap is a documentary film about the rehabilitation of disabled / handicapped people. A glance at psychiatric institutions (operating as storehouses for human beings) and endangered hostels. All this during Christmas time in the Athens of 2009. Our hero, Dionysis, is 34 years old and lives with his mother. He is a quadriplegic and suffers from slight mental retardation. He loves Sunday "strolls", singing, talking on the phone and secretly drinking coca cola. His future is uncertain. In his own words: "Today’s society is a very tough place to live. Ok, our parents will eventually go but what is there left to see for us children?"

Bio: Marina Danezi was born in Athens, in 1982. She studied mathematics at the University of Athens and drama at the "Delos", under the direction of Demetra Chatoupi. During the last few years, she works as an actress in both theatre and cinema. Her first film was The Pirate οf Time (2008): honorable mention at the 31st Short Film Festival – digi 2008, in Drama, Greece.  

 

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Synopsis: A film about a performance, which took place in Belgrade’s Site z-1 festival in 2007. Performance artist Ioanna Mirka marks on her palms the lines of destiny and afterwards does the same on the scars that cover her face and legs. Her purpose after all is to prove that some signs we got on our bodies end up being simple meaningless signs and nothing more than that.

 

 

 

 

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Synopsis: Visualised through deaf and hearing impaired observance, White Sound explores the notion of a soundless existence. Rania lip-reads conversations in a nightclub, while Phillip feels sound beneath the floor. Filmed on location at the National Art School in East Sydney, White Sound is a space where noise, silence and imagination converge. Sculptor’s decibel piercing welding contrasts to the quiet scraping of print makers burnishing their etching plates. White Sound is recreated in the "mind’s ear".

 

Bio: Sarah Tracton lost her hearing for good at the age of twenty, a fact that allows her to have a powerful "hearing" memory which she also uses in White Sound to explore the idea of living in a world without sound. She can read lips in 68 languages. In 2008 she won the Spirit of SHHH Award for her contribution to raising awareness of issues surrounding deafness. An award winning filmmaker, writer and access advocate, Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. An Enhance TV ATOM Award finalist, White Sound has screened at festivals worldwide.

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