Welcome to Independent Lens.
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut.
Several years ago in northern Wisconsin,
a young dancer named Kelsey Peterson
dove into the chilly waters of Lake Superior
and suffered a spinal injury
that left her paralyzed from the chest down.
Tonight's film, Move Me,
explores how Kelsey's life was changed in an instant.
It follows her journey after the accident
as she grapples with the idea of dancing again,
cutting edge clinical trials that could change her life,
and learning how to live a very different existence
than the one she knew.
Kelsey Peterson is the film's subject and director-producer.
Her post-accident challenges are what inspired her
to make her first feature-length documentary.
Making Move Me was cathartic for Peterson
and she surprised even herself
in how vulnerable and transparent she was on camera.
She talks openly about her sexuality pre- and post-injury,
calling sexuality a human right.
She elaborates on the challenges she faced
becoming desexualized due to her injury
and in a sense dehumanized.
The documentary also looks at
the shocking amount of ableism
those with disabilities encounter on a daily basis.
The project started with Peterson
wanting to explore cures for spinal cord injuries.
In time, the focus shifted
not only to her acceptance of living life as a paraplegic
but also making peace being in water again
and living not too far from the site of her accident.
Co-director Daniel Klein
helped guide Peterson through the process.
Klein has an interesting career arc.
He started out as a chef,
then segued into making food documentaries.
After an incredibly challenging experience
on his first feature-length venture,
Klein vowed to never make another film.
But after befriending Peterson
and seeing how determined she was to tell her story,
he decided it was worth
another round in the co-director's chair,
saying he became inspired by Peterson.
Kelsey Peterson discovered her background as a dancer
helped her as a director
when she found a correlation between choreographing a dance
and telling a story on camera.
Our fellow Wisconsinite from the north
is a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit
and shows that when someone wants to dance...
regardless of limitations...
they will dance.
Move Me starts now starts now on PBS Wisconsin,
your home for independent film.