As the son of parents who both live with cerebral palsy, Victoria filmmaker Cory Thibert had never seen a family like his depicted in movies.
So, he set out to make his own.
His coming-of-age film, Mildlife, which premieres in Canada at the upcoming Victoria Film Festival, is based on that lived experience: growing up in low-income housing, struggling with identity and depression, and finding an outlet as a drummer in a “screamo” band.
Thibert wanted his first narrative feature to be “deeply personal”.
“My parents are people with flaws, challenging family dynamics and annoying quirks like everyone else. It can be hard to grow up as a caregiver to one’s parents. I wanted to explore the realities of that while also showing the deep love that exists.”
Mildlife follows Lawrence, a fictional version of Thibert, who must navigate a tough decision when his girlfriend wants them to leave their hometown. In that decision, Lawrence faces giving up a caregiver role to his parents.
All the while, Lawrence wrestles with reality.
“It took me a long time to learn that my family and our economic situation was not a thing of shame, but a byproduct of a deeply ableist society that lacks systems and resources to support a family like mine,” he said.
In bringing the message to life, Thibert wanted to hire actors who live with cerebral palsy and to avoid the same “harmful tropes” he sees used “over and over again.”
“Often, disabled characters are used to tell an inspirational story of overcoming disability or pushing through adversity to achieve something great. This presents the narrative that disabled people must be exceptional in order to be worth telling stories about,” he said.
Adam Grant Warren, an award-winning playwright and performer who is currently an associate artist with All Bodies Dance Project and co-artistic director of Glitch Theatre in Vancouver, plays the father in the film, Jim.
The mother, Karen, was played by Lianne Crowe. Crowe grew up in Victoria and moved to Vancouver to join Theatre Terrific due to a lack of local acting opportunities for people with disabilities. She has performed with Theatre Terrific for more than 38 years.
“I want to challenge what the lives of families with disabilities look like,” Thibert said. “Many people don’t even realize people who live with cerebral palsy can have children.”
He also wanted to highlight the uniqueness of how cerebral palsy – a group of permanent movement and posture disorders – is experienced from person to person.
Then, there was getting the tone right.
“Some audiences still brace themselves for something overly emotional when they see a character with a disability on screen in a way they don’t with other characters. Or, they imagine that it makes things inherently heavier.
“I want to challenge that. Mildlife has a youthful energy,” he said, “with house shows and failed stick ‘n poke tattoos.”
The 85-minute low-budget comedy drama premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival in New York in October, where it received an honourable mention for Impact in Fiction Filmmaking.
Thibert, who has been writing, producing and performing theatre productions for over 16 years, hopes that the audience will relate to Lawrence, the protagonist, who at first moves through life on autopilot and the limits of his own life experience.
His journey of self-discovery is transformative, echoed in real life for Thibert, who learned something about himself through the process of creating the film.
In fictionalizing a version of his younger self, Thibert said he was able to work through undiagnosed depression that began at a young age. In writing the film, his support system, offering “unconditional love”, became apparent, even if it was “imperfect and messy at times.”
Those relationships, in family and in the art community, remain a stabilizing force in his life.
His brother, Gary, for example, did sound and music for Mildlife, and his best friend since age 13, Tony Adams, plays a leading role.
“Everyone who worked on this film came together and really threw themselves into this project.
“It’s a film about love and was truly made with a lot of love.”
Mildlife plays at the Victoria Film Festival on Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at 2657 Quadra St. The show is for ages 19+. Tickets are available through victoriafilmfestival.com. Learn more at mildlifefilm.ca.