Fund This: ‘The Dismantled’ Seeks $5,000 To Chronicle Disabled Life

Welcome to Fund This, a new column here at Tubefilter. Each week, we’ll look at a planned web series or other online video project currently in search of funding on Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or any other similar crowdfunding sites. We’ll tell you what the series is all about and explain why it is worth your money. Do you have a project that’s currently being crowdfunded? Contact us to let us know and we may feature it in upcoming installments and check out previous installments right here.

Project Name: The Dismanted

Asking For:  $5,000 on Kickstarter

Amount Raised Thus Far (At Time Of Post): $2,732

Days Remaining In Campaign (At Time Of Post): 29

Description: In The Dismantled, creator Jason DaSilva hopes to show what life is like for disabled people. The project’s protagonist is named Billy, and he becomes a quadriplegic after he is pushed out a window. At first, he finds little comfort and “faces the frustrations of losing his identity to the medical system which provides little aid or comfort, unless it’s at a very steep price.” In time, he realizes that his condition makes him an ideal drug runner, since he can bring his wheelchair through security checkpoints without getting searched.

While Billy’s profession won’t be the most morally just work, DaSilva hopes to portray him as a strong hero. “My hope is that the series not only defies the expectations of what a person with a disability is or does but it dismantles the pervasive stereotypes about disability,” he writes.

Creator Bio: DaSilva’s desire to depict people with disabilities isn’t just a passing interest; it relates closely to his everyday life. DaSilva has MS, so he understands the trials and misconceptions disabled people face every day. He wove his personal experiences into his previous project, When I Walk, which became an official selection at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Best Perk: A $25 pledge provides access to The Dismantled‘s official blooper reel. More importantly, you also earn the esteemed title of “Wheelchair Fugitive.”

Why You Should Fund It: DaSilva’s previous work is a testament to his skills. When I Walk has received the most praise, but a shorter piece of his work can be found in the New York Times’ Op-Docs series, where he starred in a 2013 episode titled “The Long Wait.”

The Dismantled will translate DaSilva’s experiences to fiction, and it has a compelling premise that makes me curious to see the completed film. It’s a unique project, and one that is certainly worth backing.