By John Corrado

A standout from last year’s Hot Docs and the winner of Best Canadian Feature at the festival, Jason DaSilva’s powerful and inspiring documentary When I Walk is screening tonight at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.  The film starts at 7:00 PM, followed by a Skype Q&A with the filmmaker.

Jason DaSilva was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when his legs literally gave out from under him on a family vacation, drastically changing his career as a promising young filmmaker who made his living travelling the world.  Going behind the camera to capture his own journey, the result is When I Walk, a deeply personal portrait and time capsule of his life, as he finds hope in the form of a burgeoning romantic relationship.

As the film goes on and his condition gets increasingly more severe, we see him struggling to piece together the footage and complete the project, which makes the experience of watching the finished film all the more affective.  From the first shot to the bittersweet final scene, When I Walk is an immensely powerful and unforgettable film, providing a movingly beautiful portrait of this young filmmaker’s life with a disability.

Even as I’m knee deep in screening films for this year’s festival, I still find myself thinking about When I Walk.  Ranking very high on my list of the best documentaries of 2013, this is a film that absolutely deserves to find a bigger audience, and you can find tickets for tonight’s screening right here.