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Crutch

CRUTCH (2020) is an unrated documentary and has a run time of 98 minutes. This film will screen at Cinema Touching Disability on Saturday, October 15, 2022.

Just added! Saturday evening, meet us outside the Drafthouse at 5:45 for a pre-show performance by Bill Shannon, star of CRUTCH! Bill will also join us following his film for an audience Q&A.

Synopsis

CRUTCH chronicles the gravity defying life of Bill Shannon, an internationally renowned artist, breakdancer and skate punk—on crutches.

Two decades of exclusive access, plus a lifetime of archival footage, depict Bill from his early years to his rise as an award-winning dancer and cutting-edge performance artist whose work finds outlet at prestigious venues worldwide.

CRUTCH documents Bill’s extraordinary journey: the history of his medical odyssey and his struggles with chronic pain, the evolution of his crutch dancing and skating, his rise to become a world-renowned performance artist, and his transformation from an angry skate punk to an international hero.

CRUTCH also dives into Bill’s provocative street performances, in which he exposes the hidden world of assumptions disabled people encounter in public, on a daily basis. While the film questions his early exploitation of strangers’ good Samaritan impulses, it also marvels at Bill’s ability to create solutions and empower others to navigate similar challenges.

From childhood “cripple” to international provocateur, CRUTCH is an emotional story of a one-of-a-kind artist’s struggle to be understood.

Trailer

Further Reading

• CRUTCH homepage