arts
defiant lives
T
he new documentary
Defiant Lives tells the
story of the disability
rights movement in Australia,
the United States and Britain.
The latest offering from director
Sarah Barton (No Limits, Untold
Desires), Defiant Lives features
interviews with more than 30
people as well as archival footage
to show how disabled activists
have changed the world over
the last 40 years. Sarah spoke to
Anthea Skinner about her film.
“After I finished working on No differences between the experiences
Limits I wanted to make something of people with disability in Australia,
about disability that was more Britain and the United States. “The
considered and well-researched,” way each country treats people
Sarah explains, “so after a couple with disability actually reflects the
of false starts I settled on making a prevailing socio-political structure of
film about disability activism. The that society,” she says. “As (Australian
Churchill Fellowship I received in 2010 activist) Julia Haraksin says, in Australia
allowed me to make a film with a more it’s all about a ‘fair go’, in America they
international focus as I was able to have a culture of individual civil rights
prominence in the disability community travel to the UK and the US and record and in the United Kingdom they have
for her ground-breaking film on sex interviews with activists there. When the Welfare State which came in after
and disability, Untold Desires (1994), I came home I continued recording World War 2 and is constantly under
which won both an AFI Award and a interviews with Australian activists.” attack but still provides a safety net of
Logie for best documentary. She was sorts for people. This understanding
also the founding director of the long- the disability community, Sarah found is something I hope comes through
running television show No Limits, an that she learnt a lot while filming in the film so people can understand
experience which inspired her to make Defiant Lives. “The whole experience why things are different in different
Defiant Lives. of making this film was a huge learning countries.”
curve for me,” she says, “I’m learning
all the time. Sometimes you realise that years in the disability community,
your ideas or behaviour are ableist and Sarah has seen a lot of changes in
you need to be ready to acknowledge the way people think about disability.
that and make changes. You have “In 1994 there was no interest in
to be humble and ready to admit disability at all,” she says, “The only
mistakes. Hopefully however there are reason we got Untold Desires made
no big mistakes of that kind in the film. was because it was about sex and we
We certainly tested the film with key all know that SBS is obsessed with
people to make sure that the film was sex, god love them. In 2003 when I
a good reflection of the movement. started making No Limits there was
An activist wrote to me today saying talk of developing a UN convention on
‘I think you have made the film we have the rights of people with disabilities.
dreamed of’ which was such a lovely I didn’t really understand what that
thing to hear. I hope they are right and meant for ordinary people but it was
that the film has a long life showing an important step and has led to real
people about disability rights.” change for people and recognition of
rights for disabled people.”
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Sarah Barton first came to
arts
Despite her long association with
The film also demonstrates the
After working for more than 20
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