Date
Sunday, October 6, 2024
Time
1:30 pm
Event Details
All films are shown at The Harkin Institute, 2800 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311
Due to the nature of the festival, ableism content warnings apply to a number of films.
Founded in New York City in 2007, ReelAbilities is dedicated to screening films created by and about people with disabilities. In 2012, ReelAbilities began their Affiliate Festivals Program, making it possible for organizations like the Des Moines Art Center and The Harkin Institute to host ReelAbilites festivals in cities all over the world. The 2024, Des Moines festival will be a “Taste of ReelAbilities”, screening three feature films. All film screenings will be followed by a conversation with individuals from the disability community related to the specific content of the films. All films will provide open captions and have audio description capabilities.
This program is supported by the Principal® Foundation
Films were selected with the participation of the following Advisory Committee members: Lisa Donnelly, Kevin Ha, Tyler Leech, Sadie Logemann, Anna Mundy, Abby Niederhauser, Monty Nyberg, Jen Schwartz, and Nisha Suresh
Sunday, October 6 / 1:30 pm
Film: Name Me Lawand, 2022
Documentary / 1 hour 31 minutes / not rated
Language: English
Director: Edward Lovelace
Lawand is a young Kurdish boy, deaf since birth. After a treacherous journey and a year in a Dunkirk refugee camp, the help of a deaf volunteer brings his family to Derby, where Lawand joins the Royal School for the Deaf. As he grows older, the film follows his dramatic progress learning British Sign Language, revealing a bright, charismatic, and inquisitive boy who discovers friendship and a new way to express himself.