Moscow's 2nd International Disability Awareness Film Festival Selects 14 for Awards
By Denise Roza, Executive Director, Perspektiva (droza@online.ru)
"How does a blind person see the world? How does a deaf person hear music? What happens when a person with Down Syndrome falls madly in love? And how can a person with cerebral palsy make a comedy about his life?
Enter a world that is right next to you, but that you don't even know exists - a world of love, humor, joy, triumph and inspiration -- everything that you don't expect!"
This was the public invitation to attend the Second International Disability Awareness Film Festival, "Breaking Down Barriers," held November 11-14, 2004 at the Salyut Theater in Moscow.
The film festival was organized by Perspektiva, a Russian non-governmental organization that for over a decade has provided support to help people with disabilities live full and fulfilling lives. The festival showcased 112 films: features, documentaries, public service announcements and animation. The films from over 20 countries, including Russia, the US, Canada, Iran, Georgia, France, Hungary and India, competed for 14 awards . The awards were selected by a distinguished jury of Russian film makers and critics, chaired by the documentary film maker Sergei Govorukhin. "'Breaking Down Barriers' is a key cultural event not only for people with disabilities in Russia, but for everyone who loves film," said Mr. Govorukhin. "These works are changing the way viewers see the world and their neighbors. I'm honored to chair the jury."
A special program of disability-related films about and for children was held on November 13 and 14. The "Breaking Down Barriers" festival also screened two Oscar winning films: Ghenghis Blues, the story of a blind blues artist who joined in a Tuva festival of a specialty group of throat-singers, and King Gimp, a documentary about the life of a young artist with cerebral palsy.
Along with screenings of films, the Festival included workshops, discussion groups, meetings with foreign and Russian film makers and their heroes. And for the first time in Russia, state-of-the-art equipment provided "verbal sub-titles" (audio description), demonstrating how people with visual impairments can gain greater access to film. All the films were shown with Russian sub-titles.
Awards
Grand Prix: "A Letter to My Mother," by Algis Arlauska of Spain, recounting the true story of Reuben David Gonzales Gallego, a boy with cerebral palsy who was brought up in Russian orphanages, came to adulthood under Perestroika, finally found his mother in Prague and later moved with her to Spain, their country of origin. Reuben David, now 35, earned the Russian version of the Booker prize for "White on Black," his autobiography, considered to be Russia's first honest appraisal of the conditions of life for its disabled citizens.
Audience favorite: "About Love," Tofik Shakhverdiev, Russia
Public Service Announcement: "A Georgian Song," Cultural Disability Center, "Tanadgoma," Georgia
Short Documentary: "Like a Butterfly," (Jak Motyl), Ewa Pieta, Poland
Long Documentary: "King Gimp," Bill Whiteford, USA
Short Feature: Tie-- "Click Three Times," Victoria Sampson, USA, and " The Key to the Stars," Pierre-Louis Levacher, France
Full Length Feature: "Secret Love," (Stille Liebe), Christoph Schaub, Switzerland
About Disabled Children & Youth: "About Love"
About Disability for Children: "The Tale of the Czar's Decree," Anna Kulygina, Russia
Disability Art & Culture: "The Art of Riva Lehrer," Sharon Snyder, USA
Experimental Films: Tie--"Harvie Krumper," Adam Eliot, Australia, and " Frida Kahlo's Corset," Liz Crow, Great Britain
Comedy: "Gregor's Greatest Invention," (Gregor's groesste Einfindnung), Johannes Kiefer, Germany
Romance: "I will not leave you until I die," Maciej Adamek, Poland
Most Uplifting: "Walk this Way," Kathryn Vander, USA
Disability in Russia
There are an estimated 15 million disabled people in Russia, including nearly 700,000 children and young adults. Despite the enormous number of people with disabilities, they are still isolated from the mainstream community. Less than 10 percent of disabled people are employed, and less than half of disabled children and young adults receive an education. Physical barriers, as well as barriers of policy and attitude, continue to make this population virtually invisible. The Second International Disability Film Awareness Festival "Breaking Down Barriers" opens the door to this invisible world and invites us to enter. The festival organizers, funders and participants hope that the films will help the non-disabled community to finally realize that we all live in one world.
The Second International Disability Awareness Film Festival was made possible by generous support from the City of Moscow, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the World Disability Institute, the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Russia, the United State Agency for International Development, the Assistance to Russian Orphans Program of IREX, Noble Gibbons, American Express, Nestle and Nestle Clearwater, Coca Cola, Korkunov and many private donors. Informational support was provided by Radio Rossiya, Ekho Moskvy, Govorit Moskva , ASI, The Moscow Times, and Passport Magazine.
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