Carpe Diem, directed by Stephanie Pedersen (Australia, 2023), arrives in our program as a vivid contribution to the Focus on Ability International Short Film Festival. This short explores themes of sensory, intellectual and physical disability, touching on blindness, Down syndrome, wheelchair use, mental health, sport and music. It challenges common stereotypes and the stigma that often misjudges people with disability, inviting viewers to consider different viewpoints and perceptions. The film sits comfortably among works that celebrate capability and resilience, and will prompt conversation about inclusion, prejudice and how society sees young adults and adults living with varied ability.
I really believed in these people and what they can do. I started this project to create awareness and appreciation and bring value towards other people's lives and really see difference in society. I believe it's a moving piece that can inspire other people and hopefully change the way that people or society looks at people who live with a disability. I present to you a documentary series that I've never been so proud of, titled Carpe Diem, which has deeply moved me and I hope it can move you as well. Thank you. There was a time in my life where I suffered a major illness and that required me to be in hospital. One time it was eight weeks at a time and I was laying in the hospital bed, I couldn't move. And that led to some pretty dark expressions. I felt very vulnerable and I was at the mercy of a lot of other people and I laid in that hospital bed for about eight weeks at a time, that was my longest time. I think people misunderstand the things that I can do, what I'm able to do, despite the fact that I am disabled. People think that you're in a wheelchair, you have a disability, that you can't do anything but what they don't understand is all the things you can and they still have trouble getting that concept. Beauty for me is having a positive body image, both on the inside and on the outside. So I project positivity, I project appeal and that plays a massive role in every part of my life, in every single day. Be happy, be friendly, that's the best advice I could give you. Your heart will not be broken. Do I ever feel misjudged? Absolutely, many times in society. People have all sorts of conceptions or not knowing what to do around a person who has a disability or some point of difference. In your dreams, unspoken, your heart will not be broken. I think you can deal better with people who are blind or with disabilities by being more accepting and less judgemental of people in general. I define beauty as something pure and simple and absolutely trustful, something that's untainted and not complex. I say with my mind's eye, by that I mean I'm not distracted by all the artificial material appearances of things, I look at a person from the inside out and that's where the beauty is, the originess of what people bring to the world, their own human strengths and qualities and things that people do and say. Have I ever created something I consider beautiful? There's a song that I've recently just about finished writing and it really resonates because it reflects where I am at the moment in a time of transition and life change. And it's a song of reassurance and hope for others as well that's really quite pure and beautiful. This will bring your dreams to life, so you may thrive. I don't think you can put a measure on it, the fact that she was born so prematurely. We've had an intensity of a relationship that is different to the relationships that I have with anyone else and it's a love that I don't have with anyone else. Beauty is always an interpretation by the individual, but beauty from my point of view comes from within. Unfortunately, if your appearance doesn't fit the mould, you're not perceived as beautiful on the outside. People with Down's Syndrome are judged because of their appearance as having Down's Syndrome. People don't look to see, has she got light hair? Has she got dark hair? Is she tall? Is she thin? No, that's not beauty. People with Down's Syndrome don't get the opportunity initially to show their beauty. Kate has always disliked having Down's Syndrome and we've gone through periods where she's asked the question, why do I have to have Down's Syndrome? Kate is judged by her appearance, so she's trying to change it.
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Carpe Diem by Stephanie Pedersen (2023)
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Carpe Diem
by Stephanie Pedersen - OPEN ENTRANT DOCUMENTARIES
