170. Crip Camp; - A Disability Revolution; movie review

 

 

CRIP CAMP - A DISABILITY REVOLUTION

Cert 12A

107 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, moderate sex references

Crip Camp - A Disability Revolution made me wonder whether I had missed a huge opportunity.

A few years ago, I offered work experience to a prospective young journalist who had quite severe cerebral palsy.

He was accompanied by a facilitator/carer and stayed with us for a week and inquired about another one.

We had such demand for work experience that I didn't think it was fair that he had preferential treatment but Crip Camp showed me how inspired it would have been to have given him a greater chance and possibly add a different dimension to our team.

James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham's film begins with a eulogy to a holiday scheme for disabled young people in the early 70s and then uses this as a springboard to highlight the fight for equal rights.

Lebrecht was a 15-year-old who attended Camp Jened which was run by hippies and was aimed at teenagers with the whole gamut of disabilities.

They suddenly had the freedom to do what they wanted to do and were encouraged to do so.

Offering myriad games, art and inadvertently romance, Camp Jened gave them the confidence to go forward and, sure enough, that is exactly what they did.

Crip (I hate writing that word) Camp has footage from the time, demonstrating the inclusivity of the many activities.

It then moves on to the fierce campaigning by many of those who had been at the camp to demand changes in the law surrounding access for disabled people to mainstream schools and then wider institutions.

The ingenuity and determination of their battle would be admirable even if they didn't have physical barriers.

Among the leaders was Judy Heumann who is now an internationally recognised leader in the disability community.

Judy saw that the civil rights movement applied just as keenly to disabled people as it did towards ethnic minorities and was relentless in fighting their corner.

She is interviewed at length and appears to have mellowed since her days of leading one of the most effective pressure groups America has ever seen.

While she was far from alone, she encapsulates the spirit of the time. United they were never going to be defeated.

That is what makes this such a tremendously uplifting film.

Reasons to watch: Uplifting and illuminating

Reasons to avoid: Arguments are repeated

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8.5/10

Did you know? It was not until 1990 that the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, legally prohibiting discrimination on account of disability, and mandating disability access in all buildings and public areas

The final word. Nicole Newnham: 'We want people to see that it is possible to change things and make the world a better place for everyone.  This film shows that a small committed group of people can make a huge difference. We need to ask ourselves, when this is over, how will we rebuild the society that we want to see?" Slate

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