Disability in the “How to Dance in Ohio” Film

Dancing at the Prom

How to Dance in Ohio is a 2015 documentary film directed by Alexandra Shiva. The film tells how girls with autism struggle with society’s difficulties in making it to their high school prom. It is a positive story that touches on the everyday challenges that people with disabilities gradually cope with. The film is directly related to disability and touches on the most critical aspects of it (Shiva). Autism is a central theme that the teens themselves tell. This is the most crucial feature of the film – telling the story from a person with a disability, not from someone else’s perspective.

Autism is a barrier to communication, but the teens successfully deal with it and choose to dress for the dance. Each character is a whole person with a job or studies and hobbies. The film uses formal language that does not burden the characters with disabilities (Ray-Subramanian, 89). Instead, their role is “being unable to participate in daily life” or as “atmosphere” (Shiva). The girl actresses in the film have disabilities, and the psychologist Dr. Emilio Amigo is their companion in overcoming social difficulties.

When I watched the film, I was surprised by how the characters were shown. Since the film is about disability on the part of the girls themselves, I grudgingly immersed myself in it and tried to understand them. I learned that mild or high-functioning disabilities are often not noticed by people, allowing them to cope with their daily routines. The film ties into one of the topics we’ve been exploring recently, the perception of disability in society. I saw a healthy family relationship, and it pleased me: the characters live a full life, which is fully reflected in the film.

Gifts

Emmanuel’s Gift is a film directed by Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern in 2005. It is a documentary that tells the real-life story of Emmanuel, who was born with a deformed right leg. The film deals directly with how disability is perceived in society and the difficulties people face. The main character gradually changes the attitude of Ghanaian people toward people with disabilities: he buys wheelchairs and provides equal opportunities through his own experience (Lax and Stern). Thus, disability and the rights of people with it are the film’s central themes.

The main character is a person with an actual disability, and his disability is shown as a burden. However, he copes with it and reveals the idea of how much society needs to accept the capabilities of people with disabilities. To Emmanuel, the correct language is used (Oprah Winfrey uses inclusive words without demeaning the man) and the wrong language when showing footage of people from Ghana (Lax and Stern). This further emphasizes that not all countries are fully aware of how much people with disabilities can suffer.

After watching the movie, I learned how strong people with disabilities could be. Emmanuel struck me with his tenacity, will, and courage to improve the lives of the people of Ghana. I think the man can be called a hero because he changed how people with disabilities are viewed. The film is closely connected to the idea of the need for people to be inspired. I think it’s essential to help people find solutions and realize their desires.

Personality and Mind

Of Two Minds is a 2012 documentary film directed by Lisa Klein and Doug Blash. It is the story of how Tina Klein, the filmmaker’s sister, copes with daily challenges while suffering from bipolar disorder (Klein and Blush). The theme of disability is central to the film because the entire plot centers around untruthfulness based on mental illness. In many ways, it is a revelatory documentary about how different people with bipolar disorder develop strategies to integrate into everyday life.

The film creates an immediate awareness of how the illness manifests itself: the characters talk about their unique experiences in school, medical care, and work. Each character does have a mental illness, and Makeup Girl Cheri is shown as a strong character for whom the disease is her worst enemy, and she seeks alternatives to overcome it (Klein and Blush). Carlton is given the role of sexual victim and has to learn to communicate anew with the help of his wife. Liz is also a victim of sexual abuse who tries to combine her everyday life and the effects of her illness. Each character is unique because they recognize and accept their disease without giving it up.

I watched the film with the certainty that it would be a documentary without interviews because I hadn’t read the synopsis. But I learned how willing people with mental disabilities are to share their experiences because they understand the gravity of even ordinary cases. I want to have the same openness and empathy. I noticed that the film related to a theme about the stereotypes that people with mental disabilities face. The interviews helped me see that many perceptions are inaccurate, and we need to look for alternatives.

Works Cited

Klein, Lisa, and Blush, Doug. Of Two Minds. Docurama Films, 2012.

Lax, Lisa, and Stern, Nancy. Emmanuel’s Gift. Alchemy / Millennium, 2005.

Ray-Subramanian, Corey. “Person-First Language.” Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, 2013.

Shiva, Alexandra. How to Dance in Ohio. Gidalya Pictures, 2015.

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