Shooting Beauty

By Virginia Prescott on Wednesday, July 15, 2009.

Disabled people have been the subject of photographs--as Diane Arbus famously showed in the 1960s--but rarely photographers themselves.

Boston-based fashion photographer Courtney Kent happened upon a group of people in wheelchairs at a dance club. Curious, she later photographed the group at a Cerebal Palsy Day program in Massachusetts. Courtney got beyond her own disquieted feelings, rigged up some cameras and taught 27 people with various disabilities how to shoot.

Courtney's now husband, filmmaker George Kachadorian, followed her work with the group, eventually landing them a show at an important Cambridge gallery. The resulting documentary, Shooting Beauty, is playing at the Maine International Film Festival, which wraps up this weekend at the Music Hall of Portsmouth. George Kachadorian joined us to talk about the making of the film.

The Maine International Film Festival's website

SHOOTING BEAUTY trailer from George Kachadorian on Vimeo.

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Idea Smackdown: Round III

About us

Word of Mouth is all about what's new. Online and on-air, the show looks at our fascinating and ever-changing world, and puts the latest ideas under a microscope. Word of Mouth investigates everything from science and technology, to health and the environment, to new trends in popular culture. The show airs Monday through Thursday at noon and is hosted by Virginia Prescott.