At the Sundance Film Festival in January, I had the privilege of watching Crip Camp, a documentary film that premieres today on Netflix. It’s about building a community in spite of a world that excludes you; that often tries hard to deny your humanity or ignore your very existence. It’s about how that community birthed a disability revolution and won many of the hard-earned rights we take for granted today. And it’s also about falling in love and being a teenager and finding yourself for the first time.
It was, for me, the most important and moving film I have seen in the last ten years. It was what I have heard so many of you tell me the experience of watching Unrest was for you. For ninety minutes straight, I could not stop weeping in joy, anger, laughter and self-recognition.
And this is why I am so excited to invite you to two special events this Saturday:
Screening: An online screening of Crip Camp for the #MEAction community
- When: 12pm PST (3pm EST / 7pm London)
- Where: Netflix (with the Netflix Party Google Chrome add-on)
Virtual Q&A: Q&A and discussion with the co-directors, Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht, and disability rights activist Judy Heumann. Hosted by Jennifer Brea.
- When: 2pm PST (5pm EST / 9pm London)
- Where: Bluejeans and Facebook Live
In this uncertain world, with the challenges and losses we will face in the coming weeks and months, community is more important than ever. The world is being reminded in the most painful way possible how important accessibility, access to healthcare, a social safety net, and the means to live a life of independence and dignity are.
Whether or not you are able to join us this Saturday, as we think about how we might support and care for one another, our ME community, and continue fighting for ourselves and fighting for our brothers and sisters with chronic illnesses and disabiltiies, I hope you will all take a trip to Crip Camp. Then, I hope we can think and talk and brainstorm in the months to come about we can all carry, together, that love and fire forward.
Stay home. Keep your distance. Wear a mask. Wash your hands! Stay safe.
With love,
Jennifer Brea
Executive Director
#MEAction
