CAPTIVES OF CARE

Australia, 1979, 50 minutes, Colour.
Julianne Newbold.
Directed by Stephen Wallace.

Captives of Care is a short feature docu-drama made for television. It shows an institute for the disabled, Lumeah, and is critical of the treatment of the disabled in such institutions. The film was made for the Year of the Disabled.
The film uses patients and a professional cast led by Julieanne Newbould. The film was directed by Stephen Wallace who made such effective shorts as Con Man Harry and the Others, and Love Letters from Teralba Road. His first full- length feature was the prison drama Stir. The film has a sense of compass- ion and urgency as well as a criticism of institutions. The criticisms are voiced very effectively by the patients. The film was successful on television and was nominated for various short feature awards in 1981-82.
1. The focus of the title and its nuances? The illustration of the title? The emphasis on captives and the background of imprisonment? The focus on care - its presence, absence, needs, goodwill?

2. The impact of the film for the Year of the Disabled? For cinema impact? Television impact? The dramatising of attitudes? The challenge to attitudes? An exercise in audience awareness: compassion, humanity?
3. The blend of documentary style with fiction? The authentic atmosphere? How persuasive? The combination of professional and amateur cast?
4. The structure of the film: the focus on Robyn and her entering the institution, the audience going with her? Her experiences, reaction, the build-up to confrontation? Robyn's story becoming the audience's point of view? The interview and the emphases, the illustration of characters and needs? The importance of challenge and confrontation?
5. The film's comment on the nature of disability: the standards of ability, the question of what is normal, accusations of freakishness? Disabled people being seen as human beings, individuals? As patients? Help, helplessness, self-help? Capitalising on strengths? The treatment of the disabled as adult human beings? Allowances made far age and experience? Rules for adults? Health, privacy, relationships, sexuality, protest, human dignity?
6. The character of Robyn: her youthfulness, touring around Europe, jobs, her reading? Sister Blayney? Matron? Mr Jenner? Seeing her at home? The friend at home? John's outing, deafness, Neil and the confrontation, her care and Sister Blayney, her being ticked off? The style of the television and her speaking out? The ring?
7. The contrast with Matron and her twenty years of experience? Mr Jenner? Questions of democracy, rules, decisions? Blayney and tiredness? Money? Robyn facing the situation and the possibilities for her action?
8. The group: together, institutionalised, the nature of the rules and their imposition, meals, the radio, rooms, curfews, the question of electric chairs?
9. The group and T Ward: the force and the truth?
10. John as character, his disability, as resident rather than patient, his rebelling against dictatorship, his place in the group, the outing, Neil, the medicine and deafness, the fair treatment, the phone call?
11. Neil and his speaking, attitude towards the rules, questions of relationships, antagonising, categories, games?
12. Jeannie and Jill and their speaking and issues eg age?
13. Les and his patients, speaking out, freedom?
14. The major issues that emerged from this dramatisation of the institution? The plight of the patients? Their needs and rights? The fact that they were captives in the name of care?
15. The build-up to the presentation of the executives, the dramatisation of their viewpoints (fairly, sympathetically, unsympathetically?), confrontation and the taking of sides? The danger of presenting stereotypes in confrontation?16. What was the audience left with in terms of understanding, sympathy? The need for action?