all eyes on us is a 25 min documentary directed by Eelyn Lee (Eelyn Lee productions) and a group of talented young people from the Olympic host boroughs.
The film follows the journey of four inspirational performers as they train to perform in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Stephen, Lauren, Johnnie and David trained for four months in preparation for this 'once in a lifetime' experience.
The film is a prime example of not only what young people can achieve, but also the value and power of arts participation for disabled people.
all eyes on us presents an exclusive and empowering glimpse of hope and optimism, and change in perception in the advent of the Paralympic Games. It also reinforces the value of participating and also shows the UK as a leader in Disability Arts.
Working with young people
With the aim of developing young people's skills and cultural experiences, using London 2012 as their inspiration, A New Direction commissioned Eelyn lee Productions to produce a film exploring disability and access to cultural participation working with a group of talented young film makers from the Olympic host boroughs.
The young film makers, made up of Jacqui Adeniji-Williams, Shajna Begum, Muzzammil Hashmi, Sandy Abdelrahman, and other young photographers, were granted unique access to film the rehearsals for the Paralympic opening ceremony, giving the film its unique perspective, as no other external filming was permitted.
For the young people working on the film, some of whom are deaf and disabled, the experience has informed and validated their identities as filmmakers in their own local area.
New Learning Resource!
Accompanying the film is a set of resource materials that provide prompts for classroom discussions, facts and figures about disability, historical context about the Games and disability in the arts more widely (available on the right hand side of the page). Though our target is Key Stages 3 and 4, the resource may also be useful for other Key Stages, including primary (with some adaptation to the discussions).
Download Learning Resource - all eyes on us
The Paralympic Games and the Opening Ceremony aimed to change the way we view disabled people. We want this film, that captures exactly that, to be seen as widely as possible and hope the discussions that follow motivate, inspire and remind us of the value of London 2012.
Watch the full film with English subtitles
For more about the film go to www.alleyesonus.org
