Directed by Samuel Habib, The Ride Ahead follows the 21-year-old as he is clamouring to move out of his parent’s home. But, having been born with a rare genetic disorder called GNA01 Neurodevelopmental Disorder, his life is fraught with challenges and requires round-the-clock care from his family and nurses. Nevertheless, Habib ventures out on a road trip to interview disability rights pioneers and advocates in an effort to receive advice on moving forward and charting his own path. After all, as Habib reminds us, “No one tells you how to be an adult, let alone an adult with a disability.”
Told entirely from Habib’s perspective (and even—mostly—his line of sight), The Ride Ahead empowers a young man who’s determined to begin his life. This is a young man who has dreams and aspirations, yet feels consistently limited by the systems and people that surround him. To others, he’s a disabled person that needs our help (or even pity). But to Habib and his family, he’s a young man that wants to experience all the joys and challenges of adulthood.
With each conversation, Habib taps into the very things that give life to young men and women his age. What does it take to live out on your own? Finding work? Sex and relationships? Each one of these questions reveal the heart of a man who views independence as the goal.
This is his story, no matter what stigmas are put upon him by others.
But therein lies the true beauty of The Ride Ahead. By watching Habib seek out advice as to how he can finally step into his life, the film empowers the young man while subsequently exposing the disgrace placed upon him by those who can’t see past his wheelchair. (The conversation with a woman in the airport who treats him as a child is particularly maddening.) Beautiful, moving and very funny, Habib reminds the viewer that ‘normal’ can be a toxic term, especially when it limits those who have so much life to live.
The Ride Ahead is screening at HotDocs ’24. For more information, click here.
