Who Am I to Stop It

Cheryl Green and Cynthia Lopez's clear-eyed documentary focuses on three Pacific Northwest-based individuals who have suffered a traumatic brain injury. Dani is preparing to graduate from high school. Due to a car accident, she is three years older than her classmates. Dani worries about her job prospects since college isn't an option. Instead, she raps, beat-boxes, and dreams of working with Nicki Minaj. Since she has trouble making friends, her mother encourages her to do volunteer work, putting her in contact with other LGBT young people. Kris is a visual artist who wears hats and ear plugs in order to minimize audiovisual stimuli. Her paintings bring in a modest income in addition to her Social Security payments, but she has a hard time making ends meet, and faces eviction during the course of the film (the co-directors don't provide details about the cause of her injury). Brandon attended Bible college in hopes of becoming a worship leader, but dropped out after a truck driver crashed into a car he was riding in. Now, he lives in a rehabilitation center where he receives the support he needs, but longs for greater independence. Although he has lost some facial mobility, it hasn't hampered his ability to talk and sing. Unfortunately, an attempt to return to college didn't pan out, so he concentrates on making music. For all three subjects, art serves as a saving grace, although it's hard to predict whether any of them will ever be fully self-sufficient, due to memory and concentration issues. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)