Curation Corner: Authentic Amputees
Curated by Rachel Handler (Docs In Progress/FWD-Doc Fellow)
Introduction by Lissa Deonarain
ID: Cutout of Rachel Handler sitting cross-legged — a woman with long dark hair, a leather jacket and a prosthetic leg. Behind her, color-tinted photos of film stills featuring people with prosthetics, a young boy on the left and a Paralympian on the right.
Welcome to FWD-Doc's Curation Corner, a series of disability media recommendations, curated by disabled filmmakers!
This month, we have a film list curated by fellow Rachel Handler (Docs in Progress x FWD-Doc Filmmakers with Disabilities 2025 cohort) to celebrate both Limb Loss/Limb Difference Awareness Month, as well as the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge (EDFC).
Her list is curated around the theme of Authentic Amputees, . It’s no secret that in media, disabled people are forced into the Evil Cripple trope— associating disability with fear, trauma, danger, revenge. For characters with limb loss/limb differences, it’s often part of their “evil origin story” (think: Captain Hook, Darth Vader, Candyman). Handler says, “We are not the villains, we are not the heroes, we are just people who are learning to adapt.”
She also uses her own work to bring authentic, meaningful stories to the screen. She solo directed a continuous take film for EDFC, and is also directing and producing her first feature documentary, based on her previous short, HOW MUCH AM I WORTH? In the film, three women with disabilities battle archaic insurance policies and denials that are actively trying to destroy their mobility. In New York, Rachel campaigns to change the “one prosthetic per lifetime” policy, as Andrea fights insurance for a wheelchair to work as a nurse. Across the ocean in Norway, expat leg amputee Denise can finally enjoy healthcare without the debilitating price tag.
Check out her film recommendations and thoughts on each below:
Best Foot Forward (2022)
Drama Series
I wish this could be required viewing for parents and kids! Best Foot Forward is a heartwarming, family-friendly Apple TV+ series about 12-year-old Josh Dubin navigating middle school with a prosthetic leg, inspired by Paralympian Josh Sundquist’s memoir. I'm in the Halloween episode, so I'm biased, but it was my favorite episode in the series!
Rising Phoenix (2020)
Documentary
Not every amputee is a Paralympian, and not every Paralympian is an amputee. In this film, elite athletes and insiders reflect on the Paralympic Games and examine how they impact a global understanding of disability, diversity and excellence. Watch on Netflix
The Midnight Club (2022)
Thriller/Horror Series
Many TV shows write a role for an amputee character and then cast a non-disabled actor, claiming they couldn't find any amputees with the talent to play the role. Well, Ruth Codd is one of many incredibly talented amputee actors making her mark. There were many times in this series where her performance truly blew me away.
At a hospice for terminally ill young adults, eight patients come together every night at midnight to tell each other stories - and make a pact that the next of them to die will give the group a sign from the beyond. Watch on Netflix.
Bridgerton — Season Four (2025)
Period Romance Series
There’s much to love about this well-written, well-acted, deeply touching series about friendship, which nails nuances of the Deaf experience in a way that can only be achieved by authentic representation on screen and behind the camera. In the show based on a series of short films, best friends Kate and Michael find their friendship put to the test when the newly engaged Kate struggles to grow at work as a heartbroken Michael battles writer's block. Watch on Netflix.
Work Trip (2026)
Dramedy | Directed by Rachel Handler for Easterseals Disability Film Challenge 2026
As a first-time solo director, I wanted to give myself the extra challenge of making a “oner” — filming the whole thing in one continuous take. I love that this film allowed me to show an amputee using a wheelchair and using a prosthetic leg all in the same day. Mobility aids are tools to help us navigate the world efficiently and with the least amount of pain — and they shouldn't put you into medical debt! Watch the film now on Youtube.
Stay tuned for more editions of Curation Corner as we honor the many robust and diverse identities within the disability community.
