Safe + Discussion

<b>This screening will have a short 5-minute introduction and will be followed by a post-screening discussion with Crip Melodrama curator, Charlie Little.</b> <i>"Suddenly, I find myself feeling sick…"</i> Marking the 30th anniversary of Todd Haynes’ psychological drama <i>Safe</i> (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. Rather than play into the ableist misogyny that invented the idea of hysteria, instead, <i>Safe</i> 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. This screening will be introduced by Crip Melodrama curator, Charlie Little. After the screening, join Charlie Little for a post-film discussion which will explore the ways disabled women are portrayed as burdens, as dramatic devices and as a key plotline within the genre of melodrama. Examining the portrayal of Carol White more closely – why do we not see her as disabled? The discussion will consider how accessible programming can bring disabled women in melodrama to new audiences. <i>Independent Cinema Office presents Crip Melodrama: She’s Hysterical, programmed by disabled curators Emily Simmons, Charlie Little and Florence Grieve.</i> <b>Accessibility</b> This film will be shown with on-screen descriptive subtitles and optional audio description is available. The introduction and post-screening discussion will have live captioning and BSL/English interpretation available. <i>Access note: This film features bright flashes of light.</i> <i>This season is supported by BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery as part of BFI FAN’s Too Much: Melodrama on Film.</i>DramaPT1H59M152025-11-15
Julianne Moore
Xander Berkeley
Peter Friedman
Todd Haynes
Lauren Zalaznick
Christine Vachon
Safe + Discussion"Safe + Discussion"

Showtimes

November 15, 2:30 pm

Filmhouse Cinema