Filmmaker in Wheelchair Denied Red Carpet Access

posted on Apr 08 by Admin in the Disability Discrimination category

Imagine getting all dressed up for the Cannes Film Festival, awaiting your moment to shine for your work, then just as you are about to approach the red carpet you’re stopped and told to go through the back entrance. That is exactly what happened to filmmaker Sean Marckos, not just once, but two years in a row. Sean Marckos has muscular dystrophy which requires him to use a wheelchair. Marckos says he has the entire event on film of him with his colleague being turned away at the Cannes Film Festival in France and told to go through a back entrance away from the paparazzi.

“They didn’t want me next to the beautiful people like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie,” said Marckos.

Marie-Pierre Hauville, Cannes Festival spokesperson, denied these claims immediately, saying Marckos is doing this to stir up publicity for his next film.

“There are 50 steps up the red carpet at the Palais,” she added. “It would be way too dangerous to install a ramp. We’ve looked into it.”

Both incidents have sparked Marckos into a movement against all prejudice, including but not limited to discrimination against those with disabilities. In addition, he plans to make a film which will include a scene of him being rejected at the Cannes Festival. Marckos wants to break down people’s judgmental opinions about others with the film titled Just Imagine.

“Everyone, in one way or another, has been discriminated against based on the image they project,” Marckos said, “Everyone perceives people based on what they see.” From April 26 to May 3, Marckos is running a campaign called Reflexions to raise awareness about image discrimination. Supporters of the campaign include several disability advocacy groups, environmentalist David Suzuki, and US actors Danny Glover and Verne Troy.

For more information, visit http://reflexionscampaign.com/campaign2010.