Film, TV, Radio

Between 2009 and 2010 a short documentary film was made about my life and disability. It is called Something to tell you . Making the film was hard work for me. Filming went for a few months longer than I expected. I was also trying to start a new relationship. There was a large amount of filming. I felt it was intruding on my life. When I saw the finished film I was happy with it. The film has been a success. It has been shown many times. It has won awards. It is showing this Friday in Melbourne.

I went to see the film J Edgar. It is a story about the life of J Edgar Hoover. He was a powerful American man who helped start the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is an organisation that investigates possible crimes and actual crimes. The actor Leonardo di Caprio plays J Edgar. He is fantastic in the role. The film is directed by Clint Eastwood. We see Edgar's personal and professional life. The film shows both his good and bad qualities. I really liked the film. I recommend people go see it. *may contain spoilers

The film Dolphin Tale is about a female dolphin called Winter. A young boy called Sawyer helps Winter on the beach. She is trapped in ropes and has injured her tail. The doctors at the zoo must cut her tail. A doctor is able to make her a new tail. Kyle was hurt in a war. He cannot move his right leg. He needs help walking. Winter helps him feel happier about his life. People who work at the zoo think no one will visit a dolphin with a disability. But they are wrong. People come to visit and swim with Winter.

Gregory House and Sheldon Cooper are popular television characters. They are from the shows House and The Big Bang Theory. Both characters are brilliant scientists. But they are often mean and uncaring to the people around them. They reject close relationships with other people. Some fans of the shows suggest the characters might have Asperger's syndrome. I do not think this is correct. I believe the shows are just using old stereotypes. Both House and Cooper are examples of the "nutty professor" stereotype.

I never dreamed of being a television presenter. But now I am a presenter on No Limits. It is a television show about disability. It is a lot of fun being involved in the show. It has also taught me a lot. I especially enjoy interviewing guests. It is great to share their stories. It is important to give people with a disability a voice. The show helps teach people about disability. I hope it will help change the way other people think and behave.

Watching movies can be relaxing and entertaining. But as a blind person it can be difficult. I can miss important information. It is important to have any visual elements described to you. This is called audio description. I have watched DVDs that have audio description. It makes a big difference. It really helps me understand the movie. It does not cost much to add audio description to a film. I believe that Australians deserve wider access to audio described films.

It is rare to see people with a disability on Australian television. DiVine headed to last week's Logie Awards to investigate. We asked people from the television industry what they thought about disability on television. Many people said there needs to be more people with a disability on our screens. Some said that it needs to start with the writers. Producers also need to start hiring actors with a disability.

There have been many characters with disabilities in movies. They have appeared in a wide variety of different films. I particularly like action films. Disability often enhances and defines a superhero character. Many superhero characters have vision impairment. Others have lost a limb. Others have serious illnesses that lead them to become superheroes. Some films explore how society can disable people. Many films featuring people with a disability are based on true stories. Some have won Academy Awards. What are your favourite films featuring people with a disability? And what films do you not like?

The Social Network is an interesting movie. It is based on the history of Facebook. It shows how the creator of Facebook became very rich yet lost his friends. Not all of the film is true. But it is a film that will make you think. The film made me think about how social networks are not any different to real life. You need to treat people well. I also realised any anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Glee is a popular television show. It features many different teenagers. Some characters in the show have disabilities. It is good to see characters with a disability on television. But the wheelchair user on the show does not have a disability in real life. An actor with a disability should have got the part. A woman with Down syndrome only has a very limited role. I also do not like how people with a disability are treated on the show. For example, a Deaf choir were not able to perform a whole song.