Leshu Torchin
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eltorchin.bsky.social
Leshu Torchin
@eltorchin.bsky.social
80 followers 48 following 9 posts
Film and Media Studies academic, swan enthusiastic, animal lover.
Talk to me about politics, labour, culture, disability, mockumentary, documentary, and more. I contain multitudes.
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eltorchin.bsky.social
I watched the lovely Out of My Mind (Amber Sealy, 2024) streaming on Disney +. I shared my thoughts on FB and share them here in screen shots with Alt Text provided.
Text in image reads: I'm really glad I made time to watch Out of My Mind (Amanda Sealy, 2024) today. It tells the story of Melody (Phoebe-Rae Taylor) a pre-teen with cerebral palsy, who is both a wheelchair user and non speaking (although I've just learned the actor does speak). The story is in part about her being mainstreamed in school so she can attend the 6th grade and the challenges she faces from mean girls and a dismissive teacher. More broadly, it also covers the frustrations of having a disability from the smaller annoyances (butts in her face as people neglect to notice her, those who are overly attentive and condescending, the impatience of those who do not want to wait for her to communicate) to the larger challenges (affording necessary assistive technology, meetings the demands of unthinking assessors who will determine whether Melody even merits the assistive technology of mechanised speech). Overall, I really appreciated how it was a pre-teen film that also leaned into disability justice as it highlighted the multiple forms of exclusion that disabled people face, and the disabling qualities of those exclusions. In fact, it was almost hard to watch at some points because the injustice of it all (not just the unkindness of snide pre-teens or a history teacher) felt intolerable and wrong. Admittedly the challenge I had is because watching injustice really triggers me, but I think others might feel this too. And as on Disney as maybe it will also help cultivate disability justice in young people whilst also giving a fun story and appealing characters. Text continues and is closed out by a still from the film depicting a pre-teen white girl with long brown hair. She sits in her wheelchair on the set of a quiz show. A ginger boy is visible in the background. But the text: Also cool: There were some Access Coordinators listed in the credits so I'll need to follow this up for my research. This also makes me feel better about watching this instead of doing some more pressing things that I didn't feel up to doing because I'm fighting a cold. Quick Side note: Although they were good with dealing with the disabling aspects of society and its infrastructures, it did stop short of dealing with the problems of travel. They briefly touched on it but because she misses her flight, there's no dealing with how an airport would have treated a wheel chair user and their wheelchair. I mean, if they wanted to go full force they could show how she'd likely be forced out of her chair, which would go in the hold where some numpty would break it. But when I saw almost twenty minutes were left, I figured they wouldn't address this issue. (For those interested in knowing more about flying whilst disabled, check out Sophie Morgan's Fight to Fly on Channel 4).
December 7, 2024 at 10:53 AM
eltorchin.bsky.social
I have decided to post some film “reviews” here.
Comments about the brilliant Memoirs of a Snail (Adam Elliot, 2024). All his work is brilliant. This is no different.
Photos of text read: Last night I watched Memoirs of a Snail (Adam Elliot, 2024). I adore Elliot’s work; Harvie Krumpet (2003) and Mary and Max (2009) are also wonderful. With his animation and storytelling he manages a blend of pathos and humour that is painful yet beautiful. I’ll confess that Snail told such a painful story of loss(es) I sometimes had to look away because I think I was more emotionally prepared for a Hallmark Christmas movie last night but really wanted to watch this. This film tells the story of Grace Pudel (voiced by Sarah Snook). It begins with her as a lonely adult woman and hoarder who recounts the story of her life to her favourite snail, Sylvia. And what a life filled with loss— from the loss of parents to being put in care and separated from her beloved twin brother. There are happy connections and aspects but the grief is omnipresent as the overall film explores how life is an accumulation of loss that we manage nonetheless through the connections and adventures we have as we, like snails, move forward (time gives us no alternative). The text continues on the next image. The commentary continues and is closed out by as still from the film depicting two (animated) children, a boy with a black eye and a girl wearing a hat with snail eyes. They are reading books on a sofa. The boy reads Lord of the Flies whilst the girl reads Lifecycle of a Snail. My text: Somehow, a message of that kind might seem facile in another film but here it is earned because of its willingness to address the pain rather than suggest everything is just a matter of getting on with things. I’d like to be more analytical but I’m still at the moment where even thinking about this film has me starting to cry. I possibly still need to because I was struggling to distance myself last night and emotionally protect myself. That was a stupid move since the wonder of Elliot’s work is linked to fully submitting to his work and taking in the small joys of animated detail that come through the sadness and moments of despair. So: highly recommended but be emotionally ready so you can fully immerse yourself.
December 7, 2024 at 10:46 AM
eltorchin.bsky.social
This week in WTF Wolf & Badger
November 18, 2024 at 1:31 PM
eltorchin.bsky.social
Hard not to take this one personally, Duolingo
November 16, 2024 at 9:57 AM