James Cameron Exudes Enthusiasm for Main Paraplegic Character that Went Unnoticed in Avatar

March 8, 2010 - PRLog -- "I always thought that was gonna be the big topic of discussion," says James Cameron to eco-TV host Tamara Henry at the Global Green Pre-Oscar Party on March 3rd, 2010, regarding her question about a paraplegic being one of the many messages woven into "the biggest action movie of the year."

James Cameron and his movie Avatar now know what it feels like to go unnoticed. To be bigger than life, and at the same time to be virtually invisible. But paraplegics have known this feeling for a long, long time.

They may have gone unnoticed, but they are not Unbeaten. Thanks to one "notable exception" as James Cameron put it in the interview. Could he have been talking about documentary filmmaker Steven C. Barber, who has met with Cameron on the very subject? Barber synchronistically has his own film, which not only features paraplegics, including a real life Marine veteran just like "Jake Sully", but is saving lives with his film. In fact, he teamed up with Sam Worthington at the Avatar premiere in Los Angeles in December to provide the only wheel-chair paraplegics in attendance to see the film. http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgjrw95j_813gg44rhg3  It's Barber's mission to not only raise the profile of the disabled but to absorb some of the illumination that Avatar has unknowingly shed on the social movement to change the way the world views this segment of the population. For some reason, Avatar didn't get any attention for its paraplegic, but there is still hope, as Unbeaten has an entire year to accomplish this mission, as it has just qualified for consideration for 2011.

Avatar has a disabled, or as Cameron calls it "a differently abled" guy  in a wheelchair as the main character. "That's pretty bizarre," Cameron says. "I always thought that was gonna be a big topic of discussion."

It seems that one small inquiry on the green carpet at the Global Green Pre-Oscar Party has opened Pandora's box. Literally. And the real wheel-chair protagonist is a real life paraplegic in Barber's movie. Meet Oz Sanchez. Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who not only is a paraplegic... not only one of the stars of Unbeaten... but is the reigning Gold Medalist... the fastest man in the world in a wheelchair. Barber's great hope is to change the disappointing fact that very few in America (unlike other countries) are even aware that a 400+ Paralympic team even exists. Barber himself was shocked to find himself almost the only media to attend and cover this event in the past in Beijing. There is still hope that Cameron's Avatar and Barber's Unbeaten can change all this by Opening Games for the Paralympics March 12th, 2010.

Why did Cameron choose to go with a paraplegic? You can view the video interview to see his entire answer http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgjrw95j_813gg44rhg3 but here is the gist of it: "I guess I was just making my little anti-war statement." Ironically another documentary that Barber (Vanilla Fire Productions) has done has been a WWII film, narrated by Ed Harris, and it now airing on the Military Channel. In fact, it persuaded Congress to pass legislation that will clean up the beaches in Tarawa and will search for MIAs.

Barber was recently seen Oscar night asking various celebrities to do their part as well. "I stand up for the disabled and so can you. Go to UnbeatenTheMovie.com" said many celebrities as they walked the red carpet.

It's Barber's great hope that he and Cameron will be able to synergize the power of both their films, not just for the entertainment industry, but for the real life plight of the disabled.

In mid May, Barber has been invited by the Commanding Colonel at Walter Reed Medical Center to premiere his healing and transformational film for more than 600 disabled vets that have come back as amputees from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Barber will be presenting the Unbeaten medal of honor to three outstanding people that exemplify the Unbeaten spirit in the paraplegic arena. Barber, along with his producing partner Polaris Media Group, has reached out to Cameron to honor him with this award.

For interviews with the filmmaker, who recently appeared on CNN Larry King Live, call (310) 806-5833