(Dis)ability and Existentialism

Abstract

What is the meaning of life - my life?Each one of us suffer from this universal state of being in an existential crisis in our lives. According to an existential philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, "Existence precedes essence." Sartre believed that any meaning that our lives have, is given to it by us. But what happens when we forget our own selves (such as in case of Alzheimer's), and how do we make our lives more meaningful when we have physical limitations to enjoying our lives?

The purpose of this paper is to look at (dis)abilities through an existential lens and the portrayal of the same in cinema. Through this paper, we will discuss movies like A Moment to Remember (2004, Dir.: John H. Lee)  that deal with the lives of intellectually disabled characters. Sparsh (1980, Dir.: Sai Paranjpye) is a Hindi feature film that beautifully depicts the life of a visually impaired person. Films like these not only address the complexities of living with a disability, but also express and acknowledge the emotional and perceptive division between the worlds of an abled and a differently abled person.