How My Life Changed, a 2023 short by Australian filmmaker Bella Hill, sits within the Focus on Ability festival as a thoughtful look at identity and change. Rather than offering a single story, the film draws attention to themes many of our audiences recognise: autism, congenital and medical disability, chronic illness, dyslexia, mental health and the way young people are seen. It questions stereotypes and stigma while making space for different viewpoints and lived experience. Quiet and direct in tone, the film invites viewers to rethink assumptions about teenagers and disability, and to notice the small shifts that can reshape a life.
Hi, I'm Bella, I'm documenting, because I can, and I'm bored. I've been chronically ill for a year and a half, because I'll, I have a list of illnesses. I have way too much free time on my hands, so I'm documenting how my life has changed with these disabilities. This is a very humorous video to hide the pain, please don't cancel me, haha, haha. How things have changed, I'm going to do it a little fast because of time limits. I have both a heater and a fan in my room at all times, why? Because I have temperature regulation issues and it helps me with them. Beanbag, so I don't sit in bed all day, but I double door anyway, should work on that. My bed is now against this wall, it was once against that wall, why? So paramedics can't access my room better. I stubble up to my hits once and the paramedics had to move my bed to get in. A desk to do school work. Heater blankets so I don't get caught. Cats, because they're my best friends. Walking stick, because I need to walk. Hospital box with supplies in, if I need to go to the hospital. Grippy socks, so I don't whoop, slip, ouch. Random bags for stuff. Unpacking forks, crippling amount of coloring books. Moving on. School. Because of my chronic fatigue, I've had to change schools. Because I physically could not go in to my normal school. Now I'm on an online school. And I'll be completing year 11 and 12 there. What I could eat has changed. I went through a couple restricted diets to see if those would help me. Spoiler, it didn't. I did find some intolerances though and I found out how much I hate diets. I also learned what helps me, such as electrolyte drinks. And now my mum has to buy them for me. How and when I eat has changed as well. Because I used to have three square meals. But now I'm eating multiple small meals a day. I have a lot of pills and supplements. I have pain meds, focus meds, stomach meds, sleep meds, supplements. I wish that said supplements. And you know, salt tablets for salt. I don't really know what I'm doing anymore. They stop me from going more sick. Good English that. Mental health. From chronic health issues you do lose friends. And your work and your life. One minute your life just becomes still and people move on because you can't keep up with them anymore. And you can end up blaming yourself or your illness. But nothing changes from that. Mental health is a difficult subject. And each person is affected differently. The important thing is to have a nice support around you. I go to therapy and I know it's helped. And I know it will continue to help me. And I tell an adult if I'm unstable. Or a close friend. And I don't regret having meltdowns. Of course in a safe place. To work through those really strong emotions. And I always ask more questions when I'm struggling. Whether it's struggling to understand myself or understand someone else. I probably can't go further into mental health without stepping on some boundaries. But I can say I do have a different outlook on life now. And I'm happy to have a support team around me. So I want to thank them. From this video I hope you realise that things change when you get sick. And I hope that you realise you can still be happy with it. Thank you for watching. I know this video is kind of childish and very light. That is because I am a child. Deal with it.
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How My Life Changed by Bella Hill (2023)
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How My Life Changed
by Bella Hill - OPEN ENTRANT DOCUMENTARIES
