About this Short Film
Lead of a Limb (Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen, Finland, 2015) is an intimate first‑person short that follows a pianist and dancer reflecting on life with a paralysed right hand after a childhood neck fracture at a level crossing. The film adopts a calm, contemplative tone as she describes adapting repertoire, using touch and movement creatively, and the unusual, pleasurable sensations she experiences in the affected limb. Rather than medicalising her body, the film offers a personal, sensory perspective on embodiment and artistic practice, gently challenging assumptions about limitation and difference. Audiences interested in music, dance, lived experience and disability culture will find it revealing and thought‑provoking — a fitting piece for the Focus on Ability programme.
Film Details
Film Transcript
My hand was paralysed as a child when I got a neck fracture in a level crossing accident. My injured right hand feels more comfortable than my left, which I use more and which can become strained. My right hand is much more relaxed than any other part of my body. When I want to relax I can move the feeling of relaxation from the injured hand to the rest of the body. As a dancer I use the paralysed hand.
I have unique sensations in my hand, as if someone is caressing me from the inside. These pleasant sensations affect the entire body. Stroking my hand produces a lightning-fast pleasurable electric shock. The sensitivity of my hand is not displeasure; people consider an impaired body part to be limited by its very nature. People say that I survived cleverly with my injured hand and they admire that my flesh doesn't bother me. My injured hand is the best part of my body; it's a source of inspiration.
Filmmaker
Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Jenni-Juulia Wallinheimo-Heimonen.
Unique Exposition.