Canadian premiere

Bodies on Hold

This film explores the ethical implications of watching people at risk on screen. Analyzing migration documentaries and investigating in Philadelphia, it examines how temporal precarity is created without human subjects. Bodies on Hold prompts reflection on our relationship with such images and the resulting responsibilities, questioning our position as spectators facing human vulnerability. By blending visual analysis and philosophical reflection, Anat Dan confronts us with our own role in consuming and producing images of suffering, challenging our perceptions of distance and involvement in global crises.

Directed by

Anat Dan

2024 | 12 min | English

Featured selection

Ethnofest (Athens)

Filmmaker’s country : United States
Country of filming : United States

*The screening will be followed by a discussion with Miguel Sorto, Lisa Mélinand and Martine Bédard.

Miguel Sorto is the driving force behind the FICAM project. A multidisciplinary artist, he has focused more on documentary filmmaking in recent years. He is, among other things, the director of two short and medium-length adapted films: Boccia.qc.ca and 10 km/h. It was while making these films that he became aware of the lack of structures for screening films for people living with disabilities, and this was the starting point for the creation of FICAM.

Lisa Andrée Mélinand, a doctoral student in film studies under the supervision of Santiago Hidalgo and research assistant to Caroline Martin, is dedicated to accessibility and inclusion in film and media, with a particular focus on disabled, racialized and LGBTQIA2+ people. As a racialized, neuroatypical and oral deaf non-signing person, she brings a unique perspective to her research. Her studies in France led her to envision therapeutic, inclusive, accessible and ecological cinema, a concept at the heart of her doctoral thesis. She aspires to create a streaming site adapted to the needs of disabled audiences. During her master’s degree, Lisa became aware of the challenges of accessibility in cinema, motivating her to promote a more inclusive industry. She initiated a tutoring program at Université Paul Valéry Montpellier III, including educational video vignettes and a day-long screening-meeting with Dr. Jean Victor Leblanc, to discuss the role of cinema in the representation of psychic disorders. Lisa is determined to continue her research, with the aim of enriching cinema for all.

Martine Bédard lost her vision suddenly nearly seven years ago and has since become actively involved in defending the rights of people living with visual impairments. A passionate advocate for culture, she is fully committed to making it inclusive and accessible to all. Today, she serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the Regroupement des aveugles et amblyopes du Montréal métropolitain (RAAMM), where she works to build a more accessible daily life for people with visual disabilities.