Stephen Dwoskin, an American working in England, is one of Britain's most distinctive and accomplished independent filmmakers. Dwoskin, who has a post-polio disability, is also a leading voice in the current examination of images of disabled people in cinema, and co-curator of the National Film Theatre, London series "Carry On Cripple." He is writer, director, cinematographer and editor on all of his films, which include experimental shorts and features. Behindert, or Hindered, was the first of several features Dwoskin co-produced with ZDF for German television. "Dwoskin's films have a haunting and obsessive quality both in form and content. He has stated his intention to involve the viewer directly in the experience of time, space and emotion of the subject that the camera observes. He believes that the images and actions associated with the erotic sense are perhaps the strongest element that can induce such involvement. The films are therefore real erotic situations presented as pure open emotion. Dwoskin's films confront us with fragments of experience...The experience of viewing them is close to that of dreaming."--Edinburgh Film Festival, 1973 Retrospective Behindert's basis is autobiographical, dealing with the relationship between a man who is physically disabled (played by Dwoskin) and a woman (Carola Regnier) who is nondisabled. There is a minimum of dialogue, but a continuous throbbing tone throughout the film. Dwoskin concentrates on close-ups, exploring a face slowly, intensely, focusing on fine detail, producing an intimate portrait of emotions which is nevertheless unsentimental in its drama. Dwoskin calls the film "a documentary without being one, a diary without being one. The content lies beneath the film, going into many areas." Co-curator Allan T. Sutherland recently wrote for the National Film Theatre series: "Behindert's honesty, accuracy of observation and freedom from oppressive stereotypes of disability demonstrate amply the importance of speaking for ourselves. The film won the West German Critics' Award for the Best Film Production of 1975, and audience reaction to its first German TV showing prompted three repeat screenings."