Michael Joseph McDonald’s 6,000 Waiting ponders the greatest threat facing three American citizens with developmental disabilities — waiting.
The short documentary follows four Georgian residents: Ben Oxley, Nick Papadopoulos, Noah Williams, and his mother/caretaker, Naomi Williams. All three subjects of the documentary have developmental disabilities that require services to live independently in their communities.
As the documentary so poignantly points out, these Americans are fighting for rights federal law promised them. 6,000 Georgians and 800,000 Americans wait instead for a call that will give them the Medicaid Waivers they need to live without fear of being unable to live in their own home, get a job, seek higher education, or make lasting relationships.
It’s impossible to put a rating on how valuable the information in 6,000 Waiting is.
Ben, Nick, Noah, and Naomi’s tireless, noble fight for basic human rights is one worth sharing with the world on any platforms we can offer them.
Their story can be applied to thousands of faceless Americans facing the same uphill battle with a government that is favouring institutionalized care over community-based services. It’s shocking to see how little is standing between someone living life in their community and being ushered away to a secluded, unfamiliar environment. In the case of Noah, it’s his mother Naomi who refuses to give up on her son even if it means she has to sacrifice parts of her life to care for him.
However, Nick has lost his mother and biggest advocate. When an injury strips him of his mobility, he loses his job and his independence in a matter of months. As Ben demonstrates throughout the film, all the freedoms and firsts he gets to experience thanks to the waivers, Nick continues to dream of from his nursing home bed.
Georgia is the perfect setting to tell their story. As Nick demonstrates, in comparison to New York, the rural southern state is a haven for people with disabilities. Its walkways are accessible, and communities rally around their neighbours in ways that uplift all four documentary subjects.
Yet this idyllic place is out of reach for those who have to wait for their independence.
In 29 minutes, viewers learn enough about this issue plaguing Americans with developmental disabilities to become advocates for them. Neighbours and friends can come to understand the fight for basic rights going on right under their noses and how they can approach legislators to demand change.
The parts of the film that focus on the horrific history of institutions and treatment of Americans struggling with developmental differences are valuable to that fight. So much work has been done to ensure people never become numbers on a grave marker again. Yet the waiting list that once gave them a chance at a full and healthy life has now become little more than another way to treat people as numbers.
6,000 Waiting is a crucial call to action first, and an art piece second.
While the subject matter is incredibly important, the vessel the story is told within is not as outstanding.
The format is sporadic in terms of pacing, tone, and presentation of facts. Too many different forms of media are being thrown at the viewer, including text cards, stop-motion videos, and reenactment scenes. The documentary is at its strongest when it’s allowing the three subjects of the story to speak for themselves in the typical diary room session format.
Additionally, the storytelling could benefit from more outside perspectives from the community and from other struggling parties to replace the constant need to provide context through text or reenactments.
As far as documentary formats go, the directional choices and editing do not deliver a united front for the stories it’s bringing to life. A stronger, polished transition between the three narrators would aid the overall cohesive feel of the film’s progression. Rather than presenting a mashup of storytellers and a spotlight fighting to give each of them screen time.
The short documentary could also include more diversity, rather than putting all the weight of the film’s diverse perspectives on Naomi’s shoulders as the only woman of colour. Her own story of medical negligence is proof that there are even more layers of frustration surrounding this topic for BIPOC groups and women that need to be explored. Perhaps not in a short documentary format as limited as this one, though.
That said, the issue suggests that by narrowing its lens to three perspectives, the documentary struggled more than it would have if it covered more stories in the fast paced runtime.
As an important PSA to the American people, 6,000 Waiting is a must-watch. However, as a documentary, it struggles to frame its passionate plea effectively.
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6,000 Waiting is available to watch on Youtube.
