One of the wonderful things about Slamdance Film Festival is that it has a section of films that it labels “Unstoppable”. These are films that focus on overcoming barriers, often involving physical or other disabilities. The films may be about such barriers, or made by people facing them.
The Tallest Dwarf, directed by Julie Forrest Wyman, won Honorable Mention in the section. Wyman, whose form of dwarfism does not make her as small as we think of dwarfism, but she does find a kindred community among the Little People of America group. In the film she allows people with dwarfism to share some of the difficulties they have faced. The film examines the history of dwarfism, controversies over medical interventions (and the involvement in eugenics), and the importance for people to be seen and accepted. The Tallest Dwarf will play on PBS Independent Lens in April.
Back on Track, directed by Peter Tkac, looks at a group of men and women who play wheelchair basketball. They have come to be in wheelchairs in different ways, but by being able to participate in the sport, they find purpose and community that adds far more to their lives than a won-loss record.
Brailled It, directed by Salome Cummins, Isaiah Gauthier, David Grabias, Christopher Morgan, and Brendon Schulze, was filmed by contestants at the finals of the Braille Challenge, an academic competition for the blind and visually impaired. The contestants (a grade schooler, junior high student, and high school students) had cameras they wore on their chests. We see them with family, with other competitors, and in competition. It is a difficult competition, and they are often critical of their performance. These are young people whose life may be complicated because of their visual problems, but they are certainly not overcome.
