Talks @
KEYNOTES & Workshops
Disability on Screen
Ten Films That Shook the World
Four annual keynotes exploring the portrayal of diversity in movies and the impact of movies on public attitudes. Launched at the Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity.
Frames of Mind: Images of Disability in Visual Storytelling
Murderous villain, inspiring hero, pitiable victim, vulnerable cypher -- stereotypes of people with cognitive and intellectual impairment have long plagued our flickering screens. Yet in recent years progress has been made in the popular media and in the culture at large. In our exploration we will consider current ads and movies that impart a sense of personal agency, emotional nuance and dimensionality to characters with limited mental functioning. How can casting choices, collaborative storytelling approaches and critical contextualizations help create accurate images of these lives? From cinematography to lighting to costume design, in what ways does the visual strategy credibly capture both limitation and empowerment? Glimpse what goes into making realistic representations of people with cognitive/intellectual disability that can change public attitudes and foster meaningful inclusion.