Article 12 Comes to Youtube
During the past six months Bizchut, The Israel Human Rights Center for People with Disabilities, with the support of OSF, has produced 5 movie clips about Article 12 that have been uploaded to Youtube. The aim of the clips is to talk about the complex issues of legal capacity and supported decision-making through personal stories that catch the interest of the viewer. In order to bring different perspectives, the 5 movies focus on different aspects of Article 12 – the negative elements of guardianship and the positive elements of supported decision-making. Here is a short description of each one of the clips.
English subtitles can be accessed through the wheel at the moment of the screen.
Horesh – This film describes the tension between parents and their children around the issue of guardianship. On the one hand there is Horesh’s father who, all his life, has taught Horesh that he can do anything he wants to, but finds it hard to give him his freedom. On the other hand there is Horesh who wants to be independent but holds back from making decisions without his father’s approval. Editing this movie clip was very difficult as we wanted to present both voices in a balanced way, ensure that the audience feels the tension and doesn’t necessarily reach a conclusion about which path is the right one.
Three stories – This movie brings the stories of three people who suffered tremendous hardship as a result of their guardianship arrangements. Our aim was to illustrate, from a number of angles, the heavy price paid by individuals who have external guardians without introducing any discussion of alternatives. The movie attempts to emphasize the severity of depriving someone of their freedom through the appointment of a guardian.
Alex – Alex was willing to be recorded under a false name. In the beginning we refused to do this as we felt it was important to bring stories of people who were willing to reveal their identity. But Alex’s story and Alex himself were so impressive that in the end we agreed to record him speaking and use illustrative filming that would accompany his words. In retrospect, in light of the anonymity, Alex agreed to share complicated details from his story including a suicide attempt, a result of having been appointed with a guardian and forced a live in a hostel against his wishes. Alex now lectures in trainings on guardianship given to professionals in Israel.
Dana – This is the first movie we made and it brings the story of release from guardianship in favour of supported decision-making. The clip shows how supported decision-making allows the provision of personalized responses crafted in line with the needs of a particular individual and how the freedom and freedom of choice this enable, can result in people leading happier lives.
Film about the Pilot – Bizchut’s ‘Article 12’ Pilot which examined how to develop a model for supported decision-making recently came to an end. This movie interviews pilot participants, supporters, parents and professionals who were involved in the project. Through a few stories we try to give a taste of the experience and to demonstrate the practical implications and outcomes of supported decision-making in the day-to-day lives of persons with different disabilities.