Embracing ‘otherness’ at The Other Film Festival
“I liken social change to the shifting of tectonic plates underneath the earth’s surface. The process is incredibly slow but when the plates collide the results are life-altering earthquakes and tsunamis. Social change does occur, but it occurs far too slowly. I’m an impatient man. I want to see real change in my lifetime, and I want The Other Film Festival to act as an agent for that change. I want complete cinema access for people with disabilities to be taken for granted in the future.”
This impassioned opening address from festival director Rick Randall kicked off five days of films, forum discussions and after-parties at the 2010 edition of the The Other Film Festival; a fully-accessible (i.e. accommodating every body ) festival of new cinema by, with and about people with a disability; the 4 th since its 2004 inception.
The program featured short and feature-length films, and documentaries, from an astounding array of global perspectives – from up and down the Americas, across the UK and Europe, and down through South Korea, India and Australia. All of the films explored a common theme of what it is like to live with a disability. The appeal of any film festival is being able to front up unprepared with the confidence that you will be able to see a quality selection of interesting films. Some of my highlights included:
Coming Out , a quirky British short-film about a young man who is having difficulty revealing to his mother that he is deaf – the film not only serving as a clever twist on ‘coming out’ as a homosexual, but also expressing the common unwillingness from parents to accept a child with a disability.
Rita , a very confronting Italian film shot from the perspective of a young blind girl who is oblivious to violence which surrounds her. The perspective taken allows for a translucent style, with some shots falling out of frame or focus, creating an intriguing and dark cinematic experience for the audience.
Nobody’s Perfect , a German documentary about a group of people who have been the victim of thalidomide poisoning (the disastrous sedative drug developed in the 1950s that resulted in over ten thousand birth defects in the children of its users). The group are brought together by the film’s director Niko von Glasow (himself a victim of thalidomide poisoning), who attempts to have them all pose naked for a calendar he is producing. The director engages in philosophical discussion with the group, exploring – and ultimately breaking down – the feelings of insecurity and isolation associated with being perceived as different. This documentary was at once uplifting, shocking, sad, and as the festival patron Adam Elliot announced during the closing awards ceremony, it “represented the very ethos of The Other Film Festival .”
The remarkable thing was that despite such a vast spectrum of cultures on screen, there was fluidity across all of the films. The cultural barrier lifted and we were all engrossed in the age-old art of story-telling; of expressing the human condition through art. It is this desire to experience other people’s stories that is the reason why millions of Australians flock to cinemas every weekend. The only difference was that at this particular festival the stories told were the ones that are rarely given a platform to be heard.
Similar to any minority group of people – for example Aborigines, refugees, or the homeless – the most frustrating thing that those with disabilities are confronted with from mainstream society is indifference. People just don’t take any notice. This indifference usually stems from feelings of insecurity; of uncomfortableness, fearing the unfamiliar. The only way to break through those barriers is to put yourself in a position where you are able to engage with ‘the other’.
Through establishing
The Other Film Festival
, Rick Randall and the team have presented to mainstream society an opportunity to engage with and embrace the unheard stories of proud, strong, and brave people. The numbers of people attending the festival have doubled with each program, with Rick declaring that this year, “after taxiing across the runway, the plane has finally taken off”. All the signs are indicating that the next time
The Other Film Festival
hits our screens the scale will be significantly greater. I urge you to join in and embrace this film festival, the rewards are rich and transforming.
The Other Film Festival is currently held every two years at the Melbourne Museum. Keep up to date with details of the next festival here .
Article written by Ryan Nance / Photography by Jorge De Araujo ( click here for website )
Tags: Antonio Piazza , Arts Access Victoria , australian film , Coming Out , Louis Neethling , Melbourne Museum , Niko von glasow , Nobody's Perfect , Rick Randall , Rita , The Other Film Festival 2010