About this Short Film
The Hero Behind the Hero is a heartfelt documentary inspired by the remarkable journey of Dr Dinesh Palipana, Queensland’s first quadriplegic doctor. What began as a story of one man’s resilience after a life changing accident soon became something more. As the filmmakers got to know Dinesh and his mother, they uncovered a powerful story of unconditional love, quiet strength and the people who help us rise. This moving documentary celebrates not only the heroes we see, but the heroes who stand beside us.
Film Details
Country:
Australia
State:
Queensland
Category:
Open Entrant Documentaries
Genre:
Personal Story
Festival Year:
2026
Filmmaker:
Abundabiliteez Productions
Film Transcript
Hi, my name is Matthew Tripney. I was the lighting and sound person for the documentary.
Hi, my name is Ellen. I have spobifida. I was born with autism. I have Ella's Danlos syndrome. He was an ambassador speaking on stage, talking about what he went through through his accident.
My name is Desh Palapana. I am a doctor. I also trained as a lawyer and I have a spinal cord injury. It's hard waking up paralyzed. It was hard learning how to use a wheelchair. It was hard spending 8 months in the hospital. It was hard watching my family fall apart. It was so hard seeing my mom every day coming to help me and the pain that she felt.
I talk about the poem that my friend left for me when I was a patient in the hospital, and that was Invictus. At the end of the poem there are two beautiful lines which say, "I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul." I have lost everything, but the one thing I have agency over is myself, and that means something. Over time it just became a part of me. Today, having that agency over myself, remembering that I'm the master of my fate and the captain of my soul, I think not only have I found my way through life with that, but I find joy in the world.
My mum—she studied while I was going to medical school. I watched her helping me with all my stuff, and then in between all that she managed to fit in a master's level degree, and I just thought, "Wow, that is incredible."
He said to me when I saw him, "Mom, don't worry. I'll be okay." I took his word for that. Then they started telling us his life will never be the same again and to prepare ourselves for a lifelong difficult journey. Eventually my workplace gave me an ultimatum: you either take care of your son or come back to work. There's no two words about it. I stayed up with my son. All the savings are exhausted. We sold our family homes—everything. I have lived my life and all I want is for him to live his life for the rest. I have no regrets about it. That's why I do what I do with my advocacy as well, because I really don't want someone else to go through what we went through.
Just because I hold a cup in a certain way, that's not the only way or the right way. That's why I became a rehab counsellor.
What I learned after filming this is that just because life suddenly changes, you can still do things. What I realised throughout the editing process was that there's more to this story than just Desha's side—how much we focus on the main character in a story and don't so much focus on those behind the main character or the hero, so to speak. Doing this documentary has really taught me that it's also really important to shed light on those behind the hero.
This story is about a mother and a son. Who is the real hero of the story? Is it dash shiverani or both? It's not just a story about a mother and a child. It's about a strong connection, hope and the future. Where your heart is aching, mine is aching too. And when you're far away, I'll be there caring for you. Darling, I'll hold your hand when you can't explain your tears, 'cause these are all the ways that I love you.
Filmmaker
Abundabiliteez Productions is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Abundabiliteez Productions.
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