A sudden bereavement throws Luke, a fiercely independent young man with Down syndrome, into a group home—a daunting new environment where he finds unexpected support from his feisty, streetwise caretaker and a local heir dealing with his own demons. As friendships bloom, Luke’s frustration and disappointment with his new home soon turns to wonder when he discovers a way out and begins to explore the surrounding countryside. But as long-buried secrets are revealed, Luke treads dangerously close to disaster. My Feral Heart is a beautifully realized narrative, bolstered by strong performances, distinctive cinematography,and a deeply evocative score.
A group of young adults with Down syndrome embark on a demanding trip through the Indian Himalayas accompanied by their typically abled brothers and sisters. Unresolved conflicts and the complexities of growing up with a differently abled siblings come to the surface, while a heartwarming and special closeness develops among the group’s members as they deal with formidable physical and emotional challenges. The difficult trials and poignant relationships set against the richly colorful backdrop of India open new horizons and deepen our understanding of adults with disabilities and their families.
An astonishing journey as seen through the eyes of 26-year-old Sergio Aznárez Rosado, who was born both blind and autistic yet lives a life packed with adventure. Over the course of 30 days, Sergio embarks on a 1,300-kilometer tandem bike ride with his brother, Juan Manuel, who pilots the bicycle. Together, they traverse desert and high mountains, starting in Cuenca in central Spain and finishing in one of the most remote villages in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. This documentary immerses us in Sergio’s seemingly unreachable world.
A radically different vision of filmmaking. This silent film follows Olga, a teenager with hearing impairment, who is lured from Central America to New York City under the false promise of attending a Christian sign language school. Once she arrives, Olga finds herself a slave to an international criminal syndicate. Forced to sell “I am deaf” trinkets on the subway, Olga is trapped inside a nightmare that will not end while we, the audience, are trapped with her. Based on a true story, The Voice of the Voiceless shatters our ideas about film, storytelling, and sound.
A day in the life of a bookstore owner—a father, husband, small business owner, and paraplegic—showing the store’s magnetic appeal to the community.
Follow the Texas School for the Deaf Rangers’ road to success, as the only high school football team serving students with hearing impairments takes on a competitive league.
America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have created a new population of American veterans: service members so severely wounded they would have died in previous wars, but who survive because of advanced medical technology. Sgt. Nick Mendes was paralyzed from the neck down by an IED and suffers from PTSD. American Veteran follows his recovery and sometimes harrowing, sometimes romantic, and often surprisingly funny life.
Former Canadian radio host Andy Barrie finds new voice in battling Parkinson’s Disease.
ANNA follows the actions and interactions of Anna, a young woman on the Autism Spectrum, and what happens when her routine is unexpectedly interrupted. Anna enjoys living a life of rigorous routine and her condition is made easier by her ability to control the little details of her day, which give her a sense of regularity. When someone unintentionally sits on her seat on her morning bus, her day is sent spinning out of control. This is a story about how Anna copes with unplanned changes to her day.
Eleven-year-old Michi lives in an orphanage, where he fights every day to win the respect of his peers. When he happens to find his biological father’s address, Michi can’t believe his luck, but when they meet and Michi discovers that his father, Tom, has dwarfism, Michi is relentlessly bullied and flees the orphanage to move in with Tom. While Michi tries to hide his embarrassment and shame, Tom is forced to confront both fatherhood and his disability head-on. As Michi and Tom learn about each other, they discover they have more in common than most sons and fathers, and can even see each other at eye level.