Written by OSU Writing Intern: Gwen Wojtkun

On Feb. 15, Art Possible Ohio hosted a ReelAbilities film,  I Am Irani, accompanied by an open mic night at Columbus-based venue The Citadel. People gathered in the intimate space and opened themselves to a night of self-love and acceptance. 

ReelAbilities Film Festival Columbus is a groundbreaking film festival that promotes awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with different abilities through the easily accessible art form of film. Each ReelAbilities film highlights the unique perspectives and talents of artists with disabilities and shows us what it truly means to be human.

“ReelAbilities films are essential to normalizing disability in the film industry, whether that means sharing stories about individuals with disabilities, highlighting disability societal issues in film, and/or celebrating the presence of artists, actors, writers, producers with disabilities,” said Megan Fitze, executive director of Art Possible Ohio.

Film Overview

I Am Irani is a short film about Iranian photographer Farhad and his wife Mahsa, who decided to leave Iran due to difficulties. Farhad was born with Treacher-Collins Syndrome (TCS), a rare genetic disorder that affects his facial structure development. As Farhad notes in his film, TCS has made him stand out all his life, but he can rise above the challenges that set him apart. 

I had the opportunity to attend this event and see for myself the unique impact of a ReelAbilities film. I Am Irani was an uplifting story, one that emphasizes art does not discriminate against those with disabilities; in fact, it allows everyone the ability to be creative and express themselves. Although Farhad’s story showcased constant mistreatment and prejudice because he did not fit society’s expectations, it also showed his ability to rise above and become something more than anyone ever expected.

Open Mic Highlights

While the film took viewers on the journey of Farhad learning to love and accept himself despite what others may think, the open mic event served a similar purpose. Just as Farhad vulnerably shared his experiences in the film, open-mic participants were encouraged to embrace their voices and share their truths with others. 

Following the film, Cynthia Amoah hosted a self-love-themed open mic. Amoah, a Ghanaian-American spoken word poet, national speaker, and APO teaching artist, began the session by sharing an original piece. 

Before having others share their work, she gave everyone a prompt: “What word comes to mind when we think of self-love?” During the discussion, people shared words like dancing, reading, intentionality, and acceptance, emphasizing Amoah’s point that self-love expresses itself differently for each individual and is equally important. 

One open mic participant shared what they called a “heart song.” As she explained, a heart song is when she takes the words or actions of those around her and creates a song. For her performance, she took the words previously shared after Amoah’s prompt and assembled a beautiful song. 

“Love is me, love is you,” she sang. “Love is everything we can do.”

My Thoughts

Throughout the night, more people shared their work and opened themselves up to others in an expressive way of self-love. As someone who had never been to an open mic before, it was incredible to see so many people share their work with strangers. I can only imagine how much strength and courage it took to stand in front of everyone and share something so personal.

But this open mic was truly something special. Amoah created a welcoming environment and encouraged people to constantly support one another through verbal expressions and “the spirit of the snap,” as she called it. 

As Amoah said, “The greatest way to find your voice is to use it,” and this night let everyone in attendance find their voice and use it for themselves. 

As Amoah said, “The greatest way to find your voice is to use it,” and this night let everyone in attendance find their voice and use it for themselves. 

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see your own ReelAbilities Film Festival Columbus film! Come join Art Possible Ohio on March 22 at Urban Arts Space for an exclusive showing of being michelle. For more information on the event, click here.