This episode discusses alcoholism and domestic violence.

Christy Brown was born in Dublin, Ireland on the 5th of June 1932. Born into a large (very large) family, Christy and his brothers and sisters made do with what they had, but Christy's talent for writing, painting and poetry brought him the kind of fame that nobody thought he could achieve.

Born with cerebral palsy, Christy Brown was seen as a burden on his family and somebody who would never achieve anything of note. That is until he started showing the world what he could do with only his left foot.

Yes, that's right, Film-Ability is covering My Left Foot this week, the Oscar-winning biopic of Irish author, poet and painter, Christy Brown. The first of many biopics no doubt to be covered on the podcast, My Left Foot gives an account of Christy Brown's life which showcased Sir Daniel Day-Lewis' talent as an actor as well as highlighted an icon of Irish culture, putting both in the spotlight.

However, as most biopics often do, there is somewhat of a sugarcoating of reality, focusing on Brown's desire for a romantic relationship instead of his achievements. Not to mention some of the darker aspects of his life.

So, join me this week as I discuss My Left Foot, perhaps the first high-profile biopic to encourage other actors to take on the role of a famous disabled person in order to get a chance to win an Oscar.

Film-Ability is hosted by Joel Fisher, author of Film-Ability: A History of Disability in Cinema, which is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback.

Contact:

Bluesky - search for 'film-ability'

Instagram - search for 'film_ability'

E-mail - film-ability@outlook.com

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/simple-miracle⁠⁠

License code: J45OOWS3TE9TSJ1J

Relaxing Guitar Loop V5 by IdoBerg, via Pixabay