Photo by Gary Dean Clarke/@garydeanclarke
Three and a half years after the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, a new documentary reveals the dire conditions faced by a group of working-age wheelchair users at the Coler Nursing and Rehabilitation Care Center, run by the government, in New York City.
Fire through dry grass was produced by wheelchair users who lived through those conditions, the Reality Poets, a group of talented artists, and New Mobility’s 2021 People of the Year. It was co-directed by Jay Molina, a Coler-based reality poet, and award-winning New York-based director Alexis Neophytides. The film follows the men and women who make up the Reality Poets (Jay, Vince, Var, Frances, Tito and Shannon) as they face the daily dangers of living in an institution with limited access to care, lack of personal protective equipment and the rampant spread of a deadly virus.
As the pandemic rages on, deaths within Coler skyrocket and continued lockdowns produce prison-like conditions for residents. The Reality Poets fight back, rallying support from their local community, lobbying elected officials, and going after hospital administration to try to increase the safety and dignity of residents and staff at Coler and nursing homes around the country.
The film is both a disturbing reminder of the disregard those in power showed for the lives of nursing home residents during the COVID-19 outbreak and a motivating reminder of the power of community organizing.
Fire through dry grass It premiered at the Black Star Film festival, where it won the jury award for best feature-length documentary. You can stream the full documentary at PBS.
Fire through dry grass // Trailer of The big chair in Vimeo.
