Mini WCMX (2014), film still

Mini WCMX

2014 • Open Entrant Documentaries
Filmmaker: Celeste Cotton

About this Short Film

Mini WCMX, by Celeste Cotton (Australia, 2014), offers an intimate, observational portrait of Joshua, a young boy born with sacral agenesis, and the family moments that shape his introduction to wheeled sport. Beginning with a frank medical diagnosis, the film shifts to everyday scenes—YouTube clips, a helmeted first session, a kindly visitor who fits him out with stickers and pads—and captures playful family banter that is both candid and warm. The tone is affectionate and unsentimental, mixing humour with practical curiosity, and it will appeal to audiences interested in adaptive sport, family dynamics and grassroots community support. A compact, person-centred film that fits well within the Focus on Ability programme.

Film Details

Country: Australia
Category: Open Entrant Documentaries
Festival Year: 2014
Filmmaker: Celeste Cotton

Film Transcript

Doctor: "Your son Joshua has been born with a condition known as sacral agenesis. In this case this means that he's missing a few vertebrae, has several malformed vertebrae, no tailbone, a shortened spinal cord, a horseshoe kidney, shortened femurs, no kneecaps, which result in fully flexed legs, hip dysplasia, bilateral club foot, three hernias and a hole in his heart."

We were watching a few YouTube clips and we were looking at wheels and Josh is like, "I want to do this." So we went down and got him a helmet — you need some protection. We didn't know what to do, and we posted some footage on Facebook. Tim found it; he probably messaged me. He said, "Look, can we come? Can we meet up for a skate session? I want to meet Josh." He made him a little kid — it was so cute. It had little stickers and elbow pads and knee pads.

Stage trim didn't know. "What's it like?" "Fun, annoying, good, everything. I like a little brother."

"Yep. He treated me like one of those in Melbourne — grab the back of my chair."

"No, they actually crap out of me by throwing his pet monkey at my face, like at one a.m. in the morning. He's like any other four‑year‑old — just annoying."

"This is... what is one of your favourite things to do?"

"Okay, yeah. Pretty fast. You're lucky he's not... I want to be — see me like, um, that little person, you know, like that old fairy tale with the rats, the Pied Piper. Yeah, it's just like Josh."

"Yeah, when we're in Melbourne though they had like a race. I swear they were doing it for an hour. It was amazing seeing all these big kids."

Filmmaker

Celeste Cotton is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Celeste Cotton.

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7 comments
D
David Hostetter 17/08/2014

What An Amazing Film. Puts A Huge Smile On My Face Inspiring

D
David Hostetter 17/08/2014

What An Amazing Film. Puts A Huge Smile On My Face Inspiring

A
Ashton 16/08/2014

As

L
Lydia O'cass 15/08/2014

What An Absolutely Inspirijg Little Kid And Great Attitude To Life

M
Megan Cashmere 15/08/2014

Amazing Little Man From An Amazing Wee Family. A Real Inspiration To All X

D
David Ross 11/08/2014

The Title Does Not Do Any Justice To This Inspiring Film And Amazing Young Man

A
Alofa Raynbird 5/08/2014

Your Amazing Josh God Bless You Heaps Of Love To You And Your Whanau

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