Having been in a wheelchair since she was six years old, actress and comedian Santina Muha was accustomed to people treating her differently or thinking differently about her due to being in a wheelchair. COVID brought with it, amongst other things, an idea to Santina and filmmaker Jacob Reed (directed episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and UCB Comedy Originals). An idea to make a film hoping to open people’s minds and eyes.
During the pandemic, people worked from home and went to school online. Zoom became the way for people to teach, learn and have meetings. It even became the way people “saw” each other or kept in touch. So people really became talking heads in little boxes on a screen. Something dawned on Santina and Jacob Reed as a result. They saw the possibility of making a film out of it. A social experiment with the aim of educating able bodied people.
A film, that premiered at Slamdance, in which Santina would meet up online with people who did not know her and have discussions. Meeting her online they could not see that Santina was in a wheelchair. All kinds of people – male, female, young, old, etc. Then, after the discussion, they were asked to describe Santina and what they thought of her. Then it would be revealed that she was in a wheelchair to see if their opinion of her changed. The results are very interesting indeed.
Shot entirely over video chat, Full Picture shows how unconsciously we adjust our thinking once we find out someone is in a wheelchair. Feelings of guilt and pity surface. Different standards emerge.