Director: James Lebrecht, Nicole Newnham
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 106
minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: -
Description: Down the road from
Woodstock, a revolution blossomed at a ramshackle summer camp for teenagers
with disabilities, transforming their lives and igniting a landmark movement.
Review: At a summer
camp run by hippies, a crucial civil rights movement in the United States
germinated some fifty years ago; that of the disabled. Camp Jened was one of
the first places where disabled people could come together without any stigma. The
young people who attended this camp felt for the first time that they were
valued as complete individuals. It was they who later went on to lead
demonstrations and protests to enforce equal rights for disabled people.
Indeed, the many archival images of 1971 summer camp
reveal an incredible experience of freedom among the young people. Some of
those interviewed describe the summer camp as their Woodstock. At the camp, the
young people get first loves and have long discussion about the problems they
experience because of their disabilities.
“Crip Camp” makes extensive use of historical
material. The footage of the protest is particularly impressive. Of particular
note is the moment when a group of disabled pepple entrench themselves in a
government building for over twenty days to ensue that a law is passed
establishing their equality. “Crip Camp” shines light on a civil rights movement
that has been largely invisibly until now. It is more or less normal today for
most buildings to be wheelchair friendly, but “Crip Camp” shows how arduous the
fight was to make this happen. An incredibly shocking scene makes it clear why
this was so important. This is a news report from the 1970s about Willowbrook,
a kind of hospital for the disabled. These images are pure horror. Emaciated patients
lie everywhere, tucked away with no real help.
“Crip Camp” is an engaging documentary with a positive
message. It shows how steadfast people brought about real change in the U.S.
Rating: 4/
5
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