I think one of the things that I miss about being sighted is the true ability to watch any movie. I never had to consider whether or not the movie had audio description before. If I wanted to watch something, regardless of release year, streaming service, cable channel, physical media, or whether the movie was a major release or an independent film festival title, I had brazen access to all of it. Despite being a billion dollar industry, Hollywood just isn’t that interested in courting and cultivating blind cinephiles. Despite that, there are blind cinephiles.
As a blind film critic, I’m getting screener offers, which is great because most of the major critics are worried so much about their likes and views that a small movie like Happy Campers flies totally under the radar. I know the filmmaker wouldn like to see a review from a major critic with wide reach, but they’ve got me, and my largely blind or visually impaired audience. The thing about that is, this film doesn’t have audio description. Happy Campers is a real indie of a documentary. it has been to a few festivals, but not the major ones that are frequented by locals and those in competition. The reality, is that many of these smaller festivals have a hard time attracting major critics because their publications aren’t funding the trip. Thus, a PR campaign with screener links is the best way to reach an audience that might decide to post a review of this instead of watching Michael Keaton do his thing again in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Happy Campers is from director Amy Nicholson, is about a somewhat shantytown vacation spot that blue collar Americans have spent generations frequenting, and now faces development, and thus imminent destruction. This utopia is given a fond farewell from those who have spent years of their lives here, and now face a future with a broken set of friendships from neighbors they likely won’t see again, and memories that will be left to history, told as stories passed down. It’s a little slice of life, ideal Americana, the crossroads between busy and nothing at all. Amy perfectly sits back and lets the residents tell the story themselves, and even without audio description, I can tell how heartbroken everyone is. Whether they have a possum in their kitchen,n or a toilet in a tree, these people aren’t ready to give it up.
The problem with the lack of description is that as a critic, I’m expected to come to some grand final resolution, and I’m not really in the mood to use my typical “unwatchable” on a film of this magnitude whose director may not even know what audio description is. I’d rather educate, and motivate for the future. But for every shot Amy takes of the environment, the surroundings, the various homes, and even the people, I have no idea what any of it looks like. Whether they have a naked room, an outdoor shower, or they’re growing dill in a garden, my only pathway into this movie are the words spoken by the actors. This is a voyeuristic documentary, taking it all in instead of using a talking head formula. occasionally, there’s an aside to the camera with a short story or some emotions, but the rest is all deeply ambiguous.
Cart is subjective, but cinema is communal and universal. Whether you are a major studio title, or an indie documentary, everyone can have that ability to enjoy the director’s unique perspective, and their artistic vision in storytelling. So, Amy, I truly wish your documentary the best as it appears on VOD, and I think sighted audiences will enjoy a look at something they likely had no idea even existed. But for a blind and visually impaired audience that requires accessibility, I’m hoping that by giving this grace, you look into it for your follow up feature. of course, it would be lovely to have it on this documentary, but it would be even better to have it on all of your future films as they traverse the festivals of America. This did have closed captioning, so you’re halfway to the promised land. But, sadly, most titles have closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing, while significantly less take the time to explore audio description.
No Final Grade Given
