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In the wake of famous 1969 counterculture festival Woodstock in upstate New York, Camp Jened hosted their own wild getaways. Teenagers with disabilities spent their summers escaping their parents’ overbearing care and widespread societal prejudices to discover themselves, express opinions freely, and have lots of fun at the same time.

Synopsis

In the wake of famous 1969 counterculture festival Woodstock in upstate New York, Camp Jened hosted their own wild getaways. Teenagers with disabilities spent their summers escaping their parents’ overbearing care and widespread societal prejudices to discover themselves, express opinions freely, and have lots of fun at the same time. From this group of friends grew a collective of revolutionary activists who boldly celebrated each other’s differences, provided support, and stood together to fight for their rights in a world failing to make room for them. Directors Nicole Newnham and ex-camper Jim LeBrecht capture the spirit, music, and budding activism of 1970’s youth in this playful yet deeply moving documentary, and invite us on a journey through the widely overlooked formation of a disability rights movement that continues to this day. 

 “I wanna see a feisty group of disabled people all around the world. A group of people who will not accept ‘no’ without asking why.... If you don’t respect yourself and if you don’t demand what you believe in for yourself, you’re not gonna get it.” - Judy Heumann, Activist and Camp Counsellor, Crip Camp

Courtesy of Netflix

Winner, Audience Award: US Documentary, Sundance Film Festival 2020

UK Advisory (12A)

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Credits

Nicole Newnham

Director

Nicole Newnham is a documentary producer and director, Sundance Film Festival alumnus and four time Emmy-nominee. She recently produced the breakthrough virtual reality experience, Collisions, directed by artist Lynette Wallworth. Among her films are The Revolutionary Optimists, winner of the Sundance Hilton Sustainability Award, and Sentenced Home. Both films aired on PBS’ series Independent Lens. Nicole instigated, co-produced and directed the acclaimed documentary The Rape of Europa, about the Nazi war on European culture, which was nominated for a WGA award and shortlisted for the Academy Award. She is known for working to achieve concrete impact from the power of the stories she tells, and co-founded a story and data-mapping platform for youth - linked to The Revolutionary Optimists, own communities, called Map Your World (www.mapyourworld.org).

Jim LeBrecht

Director

Jim LeBrecht is the founder of Berkeley Sound Artists (BSA), an audio postproduction house. Films that he has mixed have screened at film festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, Telluride and Berlin. Credits include Unrest, The Force, Audrie and Daisy, The Waiting Room, The Devil and Daniel Johnston and We Were Here. LeBrecht started his career in the theater as the resident sound designer at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre for 10 years. He’s also designed sound for the American Conservatory Theatre, The Public Theater in NY, La Jolla Playhouse and the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. Jim co-authored (with Deena Kaye) the book Sound and Music for the Theatre: the art and technique of design. Now in it’s 4th edition, the book is used all over the world as a textbook. Jim’s work as a disabled rights advocate began in his teens as a member of Disabled in Action, a pioneering disability rights group. While at UC, San Diego, he helped found the Disabled Students Union. Jim is currently a board member at the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, a leading organization working for the rights of the disabled through education, legislation and litigation.