Award-Winning Artists With Disability Reveal The Challenges of Independence in New Documentary on World Down Syndrome Day
LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Digby Webster and Tracie Sammut might have made waves in the art and TV world – but successes aside, both face an uncertain future.
Digby Webster, a widely exhibited visual artist, was born with a genetic disorder known as Down syndrome.
Tracie Sammut, an actress who has featured in classic Australian TV shows as Home & Away and GP, and received a prestigious Logie Award for Special Achievement in 1993, shares this disability.
Digby, 30, and Tracie, 39, still live at home in Sydney, Australia in the care of their families, who are anxiously watching as they take their first tentative steps towards independence.
The trio's journey is revealed in a new feature documentary, Flying Solo, directed by Australian-American filmmaker Ehsan Knopf, premiering online on March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day.
Flying Solo follows Digby, Tracie and their friend and aspiring actor Tom, 36, over the course of four years as they pursue their new lives, juggling their passions with new responsibilities.
Digby tackles fundamental skills such as money management and cooking, even undertaking a new job as he prepares for his latest exhibition.
Meanwhile Tracie takes Tom under her wing and train him as an actor.
But for Tom – now living on his own – pursuing his dreams proves an uphill battle as he finds himself struggling with time-management, household chores and depression.
The film, made in close collaboration with the subjects, captures their hopes and the hurdles they – like many people with intellectual disabilities – hit along the way.
It features frank discussions about disability by the subjects and their friends and families, as well as inspirational scenes of mentorship and friendship.
A social impact film, Flying Solo pulls back the curtain on the unexpected strengths of disability, revealing the unique contributions people with conditions like Down syndrome can make to society.
It also aims to inspire change around a chronic lack of access to supported accommodation, which maximizes independence for people with disabilities.
"People with disabilities need to be heard," Digby Webster said.
"I hope the film will show people a different kind of world and also help create a more open and inclusive community."
Flying Solo premieres on March 21 on Vimeo On Demand and Amazon Prime. Visit the website or watch the trailer. The full film is available upon request.
Media Contact:
Ehsan Knopf
[email protected]
+12137050486
SOURCE Digby Webster and Tracie Sammut
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