Ride Above (2022)
Tempête
The film takes place at a racehorse stable over the first 20 years of the current century. The main character, Zoe, lives for horses, and her greatest dream is to become a jockey, just like her father.
Unfortunately, as a result of an accident caused by a frightened horse, the girl suffers a spinal fracture in the lumbar region and a spinal cord injury. Paralyzed from the waist down, she sees no future for herself and can no longer bear the sight of horses.
After a period of despair, the protagonist discovers a new passion for swimming, which strengthens her enough to sit in the saddle again. Over time, her horseback riding becomes indistinguishable from how it was before the accident, and she wins the most prestigious races on her beloved steed.
This film clearly shows that even when confined to a wheelchair, one should not give up on their dreams. Hard work and the help of the right people can make it possible to succeed in many fields that might initially seem inaccessible to those with disabilities.
A family film where the main character is Dylan, a teenage boy and a promising soccer player. Unfortunately, just before the most important soccer tournament of his life, he has an accident and suffers a spinal cord injury. Paralyzed from the waist down (paraplegia), he is forced to use a wheelchair, but he refuses to give up on his greatest passion—soccer. He comes up with the idea that since his legs are paralyzed, he will play using his hands while lying on the wheelchair. He manages to participate in the long-awaited soccer tournament and helps his team win the coveted cup. However, this turns out to be just another painful realization that he will never be a professional soccer player.
This film is the American version of the worldwide hit French production "The Intouchables" from 2011. All the main plot points are identical to the original, but this version lacks the incredible atmosphere of the original. Even casting well-known actors like Nicole Kidman and Kevin Hart didn't help much. While there are a few humorous and novel moments, they couldn't change the final assessment, which hovers around mediocrity.
A 26-year-old woman with a rather quirky sense of fashion, who cannot hold down a job for long, takes a six-month position as a caregiver for the wealthiest family in the area. Initially, her relationship with the paralyzed 30-year-old son of her employers is very cold, but over time a sincere friendship develops between them. After a few months, the girl accidentally discovers that her charge has scheduled an assisted suicide in a Swiss clinic. The employers' son cannot imagine living with quadriplegia after a spinal cord injury in the cervical region and has made this desperate decision. However, he promised his mother to stay with them for these six months. The girl takes it upon herself to convince the young man to change his decision about assisted suicide by showing him the attractions that even a person with quadriplegia can enjoy.
The main character of this British production is Dr. Guttmann, who was the first to not treat people with spinal cord injuries as vegetables doomed to spend their lives lying in bed.
A French comedy that charmed millions of viewers worldwide!
Carrie and Mike are engaged and seen as an inseparable couple, but Carrie doesn't see a future together and considers ending the relationship. Just as she's about to have a serious conversation with Mike, an accident happens. A reckless dive into the water leaves Mike completely paralyzed due to a spinal injury at the C5/C6 level of the cervical spine. The young man loses hope and cannot come to terms with his fate. Everyone expects Carrie not to leave her fiancé in the face of such a tragedy, but feeling lost herself, she decides to move to New York, where she believes she can find a future in the fashion industry. There, she meets Kilroy, an older man who will soon significantly change Carrie's life, and she will have to make a very difficult choice. Despite great hesitation, she decides to return to her hometown and reconcile with her former lover. The film is an adaptation of Ann Packer's novel.
This film won an Oscar in 2005 for Best Foreign Language Film. It vividly portrays the struggles and dreams of a person with a spinal cord injury and quadriplegia.
Two friends working in the police force are both in love with the same woman. For one of them, she is his wife, and he is the one who is unfortunately shot by the other during a routine police intervention. The bullet hits his spine and damages his spinal cord. The medical diagnosis is clear: a wheelchair for life.
A homeless man dies in a hospital. No one seems to care except for Dr. Luthan (Hugh Grant). Soon, he uncovers an illegal human experimentation project aimed at regenerating damaged spinal cords.
The main characters of this American film are three people with disabilities who decide to start their sexual lives by visiting a brothel founded by a fellow disabled person. The film clearly highlights the issue of excluding people with various disabilities from an important aspect of human life: sexual intimacy. An additional challenge often faced is the lack of understanding of these needs by close family members, upon whom the disabled are dependent in their daily lives.
This film is based on the true story of a man who contracted an incurable disease while in Kenya. The main character, Robin, lived a dream life: handsome, attractive, charming, a successful young man who caught the attention of women and was on the brink of a promising career. Unfortunately, he contracted polio, a disease that attacks the spinal cord. The debilitating illness confined Robin to a hospital bed and eventually led to paralysis and dependence on a respirator. Robin, in agreement with his wife, decides to spend the rest of his life outside the hospital, which outrages much of the medical staff. Through his determination and the support of his friends, he manages to live not only outside the medical facility but also travel around the area and even take a trip to Spain.