One of my favorite pastimes is to review and critique movies.  In October 2023, I had a great opportunity to attend the Chicago International Film Festival for the first time. After such a captivating experience, in November, I decided to take on another prominent Midwest film festival, this time in St Louis. As a movie enthusiast and wheelchair user, I embarked on this cinematic adventure, uncovering accessibility shortcomings, delectable dining spots, and captivating theaters along the way.

I love international films as they always feel like miniature passports to places I’ve never been.  The 32nd St. Louis International Film Festival allowed me to travel to unique environments and cultures through many discerning lenses.  This festival showcased 278 films from 32 countries speaking 39 different languages, allowing you to observe new perspectives and life stories no matter what you watch.  

Checking In – Hotel Accommodations

Arriving at the Element Hotel marked the commencement of my St. Louis escapade. This hotel was conveniently located directly across from one of the main viewing theaters for the film festival, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Rooms in the Element Hotels, a member of the Marriott Bonvoy brand, provided suite-styled spaces with in-room kitchens. 

Although, during our booking, we specified an accessible room for three adults, one person being in a wheelchair, the original room they provided only had 1 king-size bed and an offer of a cot. This room did not work as I was accompanied by my parents and we were sharing the room. 

Upon insisting on a room change, we were given a room with a king-sized bed and a sofa sleeper. The second room was nice and large with space for maneuvering the wheelchair and a fully accessible bathroom.  

The Winding Trek to Gastronomic Delights

After checking into the hotel, we had a little time to kill and growing appetites that we knew would never allow us to enjoy the movie. So to save time, we thought we would look for a restaurant in the area of our first scheduled viewing at the High Pointe Theater. 

Turns out, there were not a lot of restaurants in the immediate vicinity but we happened upon an Italian restaurant called Bassos. The restaurant was located in the basement of the building. We arrived just when they opened and after 20 minutes of pondering over how to get a wheelchair down a full flight of architecturally decorative stairs, restaurant staff directed us to another entryway. 

We were then shown a circuitous path through several hallways, leading to an elevator.  It was a major journey to try and find the accessible elevator entrance and then go through their back hallway just to get to the main dining area. There was a need for better wheelchair-accessible signage. Also, much of the seating was bar-top or high-top table seating, requiring that I transfer from my chair to the tall seating. 

Due to the accessibility issues, this is not a restaurant I could recommend for the physically challenged. Amidst the culinary euphoria, the lack of clear signage for wheelchair accessibility served as a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by individuals like myself. Pity, however, because the food was fantastic!  Too bad most physically challenged individuals will never experience that.

The Theater Chronicles

Our pallets satisfied, we returned to the High Pointe Theater for our first viewing. What I didn’t know at the time was that the High Pointe Theater had two separate locations. One is a back lot small individual theater, and the other one is very similar to a historic theater.  

We went to the Backlot Theater to see a movie called Ring Wandering.  Parking was limited in a very residential area but luckily, there was one accessible space and we landed it. The one-screen theater in the back lot was located on the 2nd floor of the building. A manual lift, operated by staff on demand, took me to the theater space to watch the film. 

The second film, located in the main theater, was on the opposite side of the block. Encountering a chained-off lot that would not allow the wheelchair to pass, we had to maneuver over uneven terrain and an 18-inch change in elevation to take an alley to the front of the historic High Pointe Theater. Without the assistance of my companions, that journey would not have been possible.  

Although the theater was newly renovated, accessible seating was very limited with areas located at the end of a few rows for wheelchair spaces. The film being shown was very popular, every seat filled and we enjoyed our time watching an excellent film, American Fiction. This turned out to be my favorite of the festival.

Cinematic Odyssey Continues

Our first screening of two on our second day at the festival was Late Bloomers at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.  I had been told many wonderful things about this movie theater, but it was finally nice to experience it for myself. 

This theater featured full service of food and drinks delivered to your relaxing sofa-like chairs for people to have maximum enjoyment of a movie-going experience. Unfortunately, the wheelchair-accessible seating was not the type where you could remain in your wheelchair to watch the movie.  I had to transfer into a seat which had a small step you needed to ascend to get to your seat.  

This is a difficult mobility task that can hamper an individual’s film enjoyment. Therefore, the accessibility nuances revealed a poignant truth – the journey towards inclusivity is ongoing, with each step forward paving the way for greater cinematic communion. 

Our second screening, Perfect Days, returned us to the High Pointe Theater. It is a Japanese “slice-of-life” film and subliminally powerful in how it looks at a person’s life and what they appreciate.  I wish more films were like it.

A Polite Ending Act For St. Louis

Before leaving St. Louis, my family and I had a charming breakfast at a restaurant called Polite Society. This restaurant is known for its generous portions and warm hospitable atmosphere and is located in Lafayette Square, a historic Victorian neighborhood. Although I loved the feel of giving a nod back to the past, parking, sidewalks, and curb cuts were a lacking necessity for accessibility. You can find more of my thoughts on this leg of my adventure here.

St. Louis was a unique experience.  All the areas we visited still had the old town flavor and charm. Unfortunately, in many cases, that old-time charm has yet to catch up to current accessibility standards. From cinematic marvels to culinary delights, let the journey ignite your sense of adventure and possibility. With each step, may you discover the boundless wonders that await, transforming obstacles into opportunities and dreams into reality.