Sun 14 Dec 14:00
‘Suddenly, I find myself feeling sick…’
Marking the 30th anniversary of Todd Haynes’ psychological drama Safe (1995), this screening is an opportunity to explore the representation of disabled women within melodrama.
Carol White (Julianne Moore), a Southern Californian housewife, begins experiencing disorienting symptoms: headaches, congestion, dry cough, nosebleeds, vomiting and trouble breathing. Dismissed by the people around her and deteriorating with every passing day, Safe is a thoughtful and unnerving representation of what it is to be sick under neoliberal capitalism.
Florence Grieve, co-curator of Crip Melodrama: She's Hysterical touring season, writes:
"Rather than play into the ableist misogyny that invented the idea of hysteria, instead, Safe exposes it to the audience. Carol is a hysterical woman, but it is not ‘all in her head’.
The ‘hysterical’ woman is a staple of melodrama. She is emotional, unstable, defiant, and often, disabled. This familiar character reflects our culture’s understanding of sick women. Placing the stereotype of the hysterical woman under the microscope, Safe is a perfect title to examine disabled women in the genre."
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This screening will be introduced by Crip Melodrama: She's Hysterical touring season co-curator Florence Grieve.
After the screening, Florence will be hosting a discussion which will explore the ways disabled women are portrayed as burdens, as dramatic devices and as a key plot line within the genre of melodrama.
The discussion will features BSL interpretation and live captioning.
- Please note: Safe on Sun 14 Dec 14:00 is a Relaxed Visit.
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Please note: this film features bright flashes of light.