A woman born with a rare physical disability tries to find other people like her while combating ableism in society in Is There Anybody Out There? Ella Glendining was born without hip joints, and very small femurs, and Ella's disability is so rare that there aren't even proper statistics. Ella joins various online groups to find other people with a similar condition to hers while also learning of the attempts made to “cure” people of these disabilities.
Is There Anybody Out There? synopsis
Is There Anybody Out There? is a documentary directed by Ella Glendining about her experiences trying to learn more about her rare physical disability and if she can find anyone else that has it. During her search, Ella discovers that many parents are primarily concerned with finding surgical options for their disabled kids. Ella learns of Dr. Dror Paley, who specializes in limb-lengthening operations, often performed when the patient is still a toddler. However, Ella believes that these solutions come from an ableist mindset that a disability must be cured instead of something that you learn to live with.
My Thoughts on Is There Anybody Out There?
While the film is primarily about Ella Glendining's journey of self-discovery, Is There Anybody Out There? does end up tackling the enormous scope of disability and how it has been viewed by society for a while. This includes Ella talking to her best friend Naomi, who is on the autistic spectrum and has experienced a different level of ableism, often involving receiving benefits. Ultimately, Is Anybody Out There? ends up being a very inspirational documentary, where you realize that society is slow to accommodate disabled people and that “normal” is just a statistical concept.
