Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy (Alice Elliott, 2007)
This is a very moving film, and I can see why it was judged best doc. It shadows in simple, verite style, the lives of two severely women who for over 30+ years have been struggling to lead independent lives. It is one of those films that is just really difficult to watch, but makes you thankful that your life is so easy, and fills you with glowing admiration for the strength and drive of the remarkable people on screen. It also generates a large share of injustice and anger at how the disabled are treated as second-class citizens in this country. I was fuming at the ridiculous Medicare/medicaid restrictions on their lives which basically make them prisoners in their own home, and the consistent drive to institutionalize them. But the heart and joy of Elliott’s film comes from the beautifully supportive and symbiotic relationship between Diana (who has down syndrome and a lower IQ) and Kathy (cerebral palsy since birth, unable to speak, but with a degree in English and able to communicate through a tube, and with a sign on her wheelchair that says “Pat my head and I’ll bite your hand!” 
), who form a remarkable bond that transcends their individual ailments. For years they have been fighting for their independence, advocating on behalf of others (we see them lobbying Illinois Senators in Washington) and running away from an uncaring system, and the tragedy of Elliott’s film is that she catches them at the tail-end of this battle, weakened by depleted funds and physical frailty, but undaunted and unified to the last. Highly recommended.
