Sam Habib loves tattoos. Like lots of other people in their twenties, he’s also interested in dating, and he’s getting ready to live on his own. It's why he and his father visited several of his mentors across the U.S. in the documentary film he and his dad produced, called “The Ride Ahead.”
The film is showing at Red River Theaters in Concord until Dec. 12. It follows Sam, who has cerebral palsy, as he prepares to enter college.
The mentors he meets up with in the film also have disabilities like him. At one recent showing, Sam said he’s specifically sought advice on how they’ve found love or manage school and work, instead of focusing on how they're inspirational.
“I don’t like that movies and stories about people with disabilities are often about curing or saving or even killing the person because they have a disability,” Sam said. “Or you will see someone with a disability have an awesome talent at something, and people will be inspired and respond to the talent.”
The film shows the challenges Sam faces while traveling – like airports mismanaging his wheelchair and interacting with people who talk down to him like he’s 3. (Sam is 21 in the film.)
We also see Sam bond with his brothers, learn more about sex and relationships, and get inked with a new tattoo on his right arm, featuring stars, trees and a camping tent. (He also has a Red Sox tattoo on his left arm.)
“Young people with disabilities who have seen the film so far, have told me they have the same questions as I do about dating, sex, moving out of their family’s home, how to respond when people talk down to them, work and college,” Sam said. “That means a lot to me.”
The film took roughly four years to complete and features animation and production by people who are disabled. Dan Habib, Sam’s father, said they wanted to include them from start to finish on the project.
“You can create really beautiful things when you have [a] diverse crew,” Dan Habib said.
Sam said he wants people to stop talking down to disabled people and that the film can help people understand how to talk to people with communication challenges.
“All of my schools have been inclusive and that made a big impact on my education and led to my life now as a filmmaker,” Sam said. “Our film will let people learn from disability role models about how to live a full life with a disability as they transition to adulthood.”