Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Shooting for the Stars

For most people, it’s second nature to grab a camera and snap a photo when there’s something worth capturing. But, as would-be fashion photographer Courtney Bent realized in the 2009 documentary Shooting Beauty, it’s a whole ’nother story for those with severe physical disabilities. The film, directed by Emmy-nominated Woodstock native George Kachadorian, follows Bent as she crafts personalized cameras for people at a Massachusetts cerebral palsy center, allowing the mostly nonverbal group equal spontaneity and depth of expression. Shot over the course of a decade, the doc’s been collecting accolades since its release, including Best of the Fest at the Rhode Island International Film Fest. Kachadorian and Bent introduce the doc at Woodstock’s Town Hall Theatre this weekend. Don’t miss the related photography display in the lobby, either.