Artistic Statement
In MONSTROUS ME, I’m exploring the enormous representation gap that exists between the world I live in and the world I see on screen, but to do it in a multi-dimensional way that honors accessibility in a variety of creative ways.
The story of my disability and gender identity is a story I was always reluctant to tell, until recently. The politicization, criminalization and vilification of marginal peoples threatens us all. As we are still three years deep into the pandemic, a mass-disabling event, it is more important than ever that we face how we treat the most vulnerable.
Because my own story covers a wide swath of disabilities and experiences, it is the time for me to speak out about both who I am and what I see.
I hope that by opening up my life in this way, I can help others to understand that disability is not a monolith, identity is multifaceted, and there lies a deep need for intersectional representation.
The story of my disability and gender identity is a story I was always reluctant to tell, until recently. The politicization, criminalization and vilification of marginal peoples threatens us all. As we are still three years deep into the pandemic, a mass-disabling event, it is more important than ever that we face how we treat the most vulnerable.
Because my own story covers a wide swath of disabilities and experiences, it is the time for me to speak out about both who I am and what I see.
I hope that by opening up my life in this way, I can help others to understand that disability is not a monolith, identity is multifaceted, and there lies a deep need for intersectional representation.
MONSTROUS ME is constructed from five parts: I MET MYSELF, ABLEISM & THE REPRESENTATION GAP, EXISTENTIAL ANGUISH, METAMORPHOSIS, and DANCING IN THE INTERSECTIONS. Ariel's journey of self-discovery is mirrored by an evolving array of horror stories and styles.
Ariel’s first-person narration and home videos are blended with archival horror footage and cinema critique into an evocative tapestry of representation.
Audiences will experience the film’s visual arc - beginning with dark gothic dark hues that evoke classic horror and moving into bright contemporary tones, symbolizing the journey from Ariel’s past challenges to their present empowerment.
Sound design plays a pivotal role by leveraging binaural recordings and innovative audio techniques to immerse the audience and allow them to sense the film’s emotional pulse–including copious spaces for silence and reflection.
Ariel’s first-person narration and home videos are blended with archival horror footage and cinema critique into an evocative tapestry of representation.
Audiences will experience the film’s visual arc - beginning with dark gothic dark hues that evoke classic horror and moving into bright contemporary tones, symbolizing the journey from Ariel’s past challenges to their present empowerment.
Sound design plays a pivotal role by leveraging binaural recordings and innovative audio techniques to immerse the audience and allow them to sense the film’s emotional pulse–including copious spaces for silence and reflection.
Many of our key team members are part of the disabled, d/Deaf, hard of hearing, neuro-diverse and English-language-learner audiences, and their creative and technical input is invaluable.
Producer and Accessibility Coordinator Kiah Amara, (IndieVisible Films) has ensured that each aspects of production is friendly to all team members. Kiah, along with other field experts including the Social Audio Description Collective, is also overseeing the integrated creative captioning in all versions of the film, and a separate creative audio description track, including haptic suits to appeal to a wider audience within the disability community.