Stand Up

Twenty-three-year-old Vera’s carefree life changes when an accident leaves her using a wheelchair. At a rehabilitation centre, she meets Xander, a young man who has lived with a disability since birth.

Mari Sanders makes an assured feature debut with Stand Up, a refreshingly honest drama that approaches disability from a perspective rarely given such space on screen. Twenty-three-year-old Vera is independent, sociable and hungry for adventure when a freak accident changes everything. During rehabilitation she and is introduced to a circle of disabled friends who have built a life in which disability is neither hidden nor apologised for.

Lucia Zemene gives Vera a lively, emotionally open performance, convincingly conveying her frustration as she struggles with the loss of her former independence and sense of identity. Daan Buringa brings warmth and humour to Xander, while their developing relationship avoids easy sentimentality.

The filmmaker, who himself uses a wheelchair, brings personal experience to the story, while the film’s production design and cinematography make rehabilitation centres, homes and public spaces part of Vera’s changing relationship with the world.

This film is eligible for the Spirit of the Festival Award for Best Film award and Best Screenplay.

This screening is supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,