Crutch

CRUTCH (2020) is an unrated documentary and has a run time of 98 minutes. This film will screen at Cinema Touching Disability on Saturday, October 15, 2022.

Just added! Saturday evening, meet us outside the Drafthouse at 5:45 for a pre-show performance by Bill Shannon, star of CRUTCH! Bill will also join us following his film for an audience Q&A.

Synopsis

A figure in a puffy yellow jacket that obscures his face dances on crutches in front of a curving concrete wall. He is suspended on one crutch, one arm and leg wrapped around it, while his other crutch, arm, and leg unwind in front of him.CRUTCH chronicles the gravity defying life of Bill Shannon, an internationally renowned artist, breakdancer and skate punk—on crutches.

Two decades of exclusive access, plus a lifetime of archival footage, depict Bill from his early years to his rise as an award-winning dancer and cutting-edge performance artist whose work finds outlet at prestigious venues worldwide.

CRUTCH documents Bill’s extraordinary journey: the history of his medical odyssey and his struggles with chronic pain, the evolution of his crutch dancing and skating, his rise to become a world-renowned performance artist, and his transformation from an angry skate punk to an international hero.

CRUTCH also dives into Bill’s provocative street performances, in which he exposes the hidden world of assumptions disabled people encounter in public, on a daily basis. While the film questions his early exploitation of strangers’ good Samaritan impulses, it also marvels at Bill’s ability to create solutions and empower others to navigate similar challenges.

From childhood “cripple” to international provocateur, CRUTCH is an emotional story of a one-of-a-kind artist’s struggle to be understood.

Trailer

Further Reading

Films

The 2022 film lineup:

Imperfect Crutch

Submit to the Film Festival

Click to submit with FilmFreeway

The 2024 Short Film Competition is open.

Regular registration ($40) closes Apr. 5, and extended registration ($60) begins.

The final deadline is Aug. 2.

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