Sue Austin’s underwater wheelchair is a blow for freedom

The Adelaide Film Festival runs a remarkable underwater cinematic spectacle which turns disability inside out and upside down
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Sue Austin after the performance.

The pool is almost in darkness. A line of performers, women in red and men in white, move out along the edge. This is the Restless Theatre Company and we dimly perceive a connection with disability. They dance slowly, arms and torsos moving, the scarlet cloth almost Roman. The women move to the edge of the pool, are brought back again and again by the men, against their will.

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David Tiley was the Editor of Screenhub from 2005 until he became Content Lead for Film in 2021 with a special interest in policy. He is a writer in screen media with a long career in educational programs, documentary, and government funding, with a side order in script editing. He values curiosity, humour and objectivity in support of Australian visions and the art of storytelling.