About this Short Film
You Can! (2022) from Malawi, directed by Funnie Chindipha, is a short film presented in the Focus on Ability International Short Film Festival. The film explores themes of perception, music and sensory disability, and considers how viewpoint shapes understanding of the individual. It offers a quiet, human look at issues around blindness and adult experience without prescribing a single reading. Through sound, rhythm and careful moments of attention, the film invites audiences to listen differently and reflect on the role of teachers, learning and community in recognising ability. A thoughtful, accessible work, You Can! fits naturally within our programme that celebrates diverse strengths and perspectives.
Film Details
Film Transcript
This is Edwin Nicamana. I was born on first November 1992 and I am a teacher and I'm also a musician, and my name in music is Professor Ice.
He was born blind. He had hard challenges growing up as a visually impaired person. The myths and the misconceptions people have towards people with disabilities make them feel less of themselves. I know the world has challenges, but most of the time I feel like it is not good for me to look down upon myself, so that's why I have accepted everything about my challenges and moved on. It's how you make your weaknesses make you; either you choose them to make you a better person or not.
There is this passion for music he has in him that is so interesting to hear. I started writing simple poems one day, then I tried to cite some tunes, so that's when I started my journey through serious music. To build a better nation starts with me. To build a better nation starts with you. A future good generation starts with me.
He doesn't just believe in himself and do nothing; he works on it until he's happy with the results. Can you believe he came out number one in one of the music performance competitions that was organised by a certain organisation in Kasumu district?
But what is it that he likes so much about music? When I hear music, it's only more than love that is in my head. Most of the time images that are conjured up when he hears or plays music are the key to how he comes up with relics of the song he wants to play. It is other music that makes me compose my own musics, so that's all I can say about the image that comes in my head. I feel like I can compose mine.
Edwin is also ambitious in a way that he has goals about the music industry he needs to achieve in the near future. As a person with a disability, I just want to, I just want to make the face of our nation see that a person with this disability can do other things like investing much in music. That's my hope.
He sets a good example to everyone out there who is talented but feels like the disability is a challenge to fulfil their dreams. To my fellow friends with a disability, I feel like it is very important for them not to look down upon themselves. I like the fact that they are here, and they are also here for the Almighty's sake, so they should not look down upon themselves.
Filmmaker
Funnie Chindipha is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Funnie Chindipha.
Keep it up
Keep up the good work
So inspiring
Excellent work
Fantastic work Funnie Very inspiring visual story and well documented.
This is brilliant man
Good work
Hey guys I participated in this year's focus on ability film first and my documentary has entered chat. Please vote for my documentary. Thank you all