6 Films On Disability
Since cinema has existed, this art has wanted to echo all kinds of problems, situations and life experiences. One of them is disability. Today we invite you to discover 6 films on disability that make us think about the impact of this difficulty on the life of the person and on his environment.
According to updated data (2020) from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one billion people suffer from some type of disability worldwide. This represents 15% of the population. Disability can be of different types – sensory, mental, intellectual or physical – and its degrees vary greatly from person to person.
Through the films that we offer, we discover each of these handicaps. We also speak of “functional diversity”.
Thanks to cinema, we discover stories – some real and others not (but they could be) – of people who have had to face, from an early age, living conditions or complicated situations. We invite you to watch the films listed below, as they all carry a valuable message.
Intouchables, a French classic on disability (2011)
Untouchables is already considered a classic in disability films. It’s a French film that tells the story of a quadriplegic millionaire who decides to hire a personal assistant. This is how he meets Driss, an immigrant from a slum who has just been released from prison.
A film full of humor, irony and many messages to reflect on life and difficulties. You absolutely must see it!
A Wonderful History of Time (2014)
The Theory of Everything is an English film that shows us the life of the famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. We take a journey through his childhood, adolescence and adulthood, and we discover his relationship with his first wife, Jane.
It is a film that allows us to appreciate the struggle of this great scientist throughout his life. His beginnings in research, his discoveries and all the strength he acquired to face the difficulties of his disease, ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
We also see the less friendly part, that of personal conflicts. We see the passionate scientist, but also the person who suffers from the advance of the disease.
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Champions (2018)
If you want a good dose of humor and energy, you can’t help but see Champions . This film tells the story of Marco, a first division basketball coach who loses his job and suddenly finds himself faced with the legal obligation to coach a team whose members have an intellectual disability.
What starts out as a frustrating experience for Marco ends up turning into an unforgettable experience full of learning. Watch this fun movie!
An exceptional man (2001)
This film is based on real events. It tells the story of John Forbes, an outstanding mathematician at work.
Forbes has schizophrenia associated with a very marked psychotic image. However, that did not prevent him from developing his career and getting a Nobel Prize. It is an American dramatic film, which offers us a beautiful lesson in life.
100 meters, a Spanish disability film (2016)
100 meters is a Spanish film starring Dani Rovira. It tells the story of Ramón, a thirty-year-old father whose life is turned upside down when he is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Despite this new diagnosis, Ramón decides to take on a new challenge: to complete the most difficult sporting event on the planet.
With the help of his grumpy stepfather, with whom he inevitably gets along, they both embark on a journey of personal development. 100 meters is a film full of emotions and above all a lot of dark humor that will make you smile.
This is also found in the most difficult situations. Because this is how we are, magical and contradictory.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Another one of the must-see disability films is this French film based on a novel and a true story. It tells the story of Jean Dominique, a man who suffers a rare neurological accident which imprisons him in a wheelchair.
He is diagnosed with cloister syndrome, a very strange and rare disorder in which the subject is not able to move their body except for the eyelids. In this case, Jean Dominique can only move his left eyelid. Thanks to this, he manages to write his own novel.
Disability and inclusion
Disability is a condition that imposes very specific conditions on the person who experiences it . In this sense, if we want an increasingly inclusive society, we need to make all types of groups visible, whether inside or outside the cinema, and to realize that all realities can contribute to society.
Diversity is a source of wealth for a flexible and welcoming environment. Cinema is another way to get closer to these realities, and to connect with the stories of people who have had to face complicated life situations, which, in many cases, have allowed them to develop their resilience.
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