SIFF: The Ride Ahead

Samuel Habib is an adventurous, cool, 20-year-old disabled guy who says things like, “Taking risks makes me feel proud, powerful, confident, bold.” He doesn’t want much for his adult life, just to “move into my own place, get married, and maybe have kids.” The Ride Ahead documents three years of Samuel’s search for how he can achieve things that feel so daunting for disabled folks; security, independence, and girlfriends. With the help of his father, filmmaker Daniel Habib, Sam outfits his chair with two video cameras, enabling the audience to see Samuel’s actual point-of-view and how people interact with him. Samuel tells his own story, in his own voice, with the assistance of lovely animation by Xilia Faye and Ben Luce. The question of how to live a great life as a disabled badass propels Samuel to interview leading disability activists and advocates Judy Heumann, Bob Williams, Keith Jones, Ali Stroker, Maysoon Zayid, Andrew Peterson, and Lydia X.Y. Brown.