Acsexybility, Doc About the Sexuality of the Disabled, Now on VOD
ACSEXYBILITY, the award winning Brazilian documentary about the sexuality of people with disabilities is now available to stream on VOD.
Through the participants’ discussions with the director, Acsexybility addresses a variety of topics such as flirting, kissing, dating, masturbation, ableism and, of course, sex from the perspective of disabled individuals. And now, after making the film festival rounds where it won Best Documentary at NewFest and Best Director at the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, it is available for streaming in the comfort of your own home.
The film’s director, Daniel Gonçalves, does a fantastic job of not only discussing a topic which we as a society barely ever address, but he does so in the most inclusive way possible. People of all gender identities and sexualities are represented in this feature and the broad spectrum of disabilities are also well represented by the participants.
The stories are eye opening and educational while simultaneously giving the viewer pause to think about not only the experiences of these individuals but also the ableist bias which we walk through life with, as masterfully pointed out by Tuca, one of the subjects. Other stories that particularly resonate for this viewer include that of Giovanni, a dwarf who shares his experience of being objectified as a sexual curiosity by many of his partners, Cida, a blind woman who learns to stand up for herself against a would be predator that just assumed she had no other options for companionship as a disabled person and Joao Paulo, a proud gay man and bearish cutie who celebrates his body for its differences as a street performer and advocate for himself and others like him.
Every story shared in this feature is beautifully presented and provides lots of food for thought. Interspersed throughout the feature are sexual vignettes including one where a dominatrix in a wheelchair is catered to by her four adoring and very sexy pups. There is also a throughline that includes a ceremonial prayer/ acknowledgement to disabled people that have come before who were brutalized, sacrificed, killed and hidden away from the public by our less tolerant forebearers, another fact that we don’t like to acknowledge or address in our society.
In the end, Acsexybility’s greatest strength is giving a much-needed voice to people with disabilities who are talking about things that society does not expect them to. It is the film’s intent to change the idea that all disabled people are somehow asexual and devoid of desires. As the film asserts, desire and sexuality are for everyone. We are all worthy of and deserve the pleasure we seek.
Do yourself a favor and check out Acsexybility, now available from Breaking Glass Pictures on VOD.
