Crip Cinema Archive

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Smallest Woman in the World

Director: Unknown
Year: 1972
Country: United Kingdom
Type: Short
Form: Documentary

A glimpse into the life of Joyce Carpenter, a woman with dwarfism. Beautifully shot on film in 1970s Bromsgrove, Joyce shares how she navigates an inaccessible world - in her own words, ‘making the best of it’. Joyce was thought to be the smallest woman in the world during her lifetime.

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Image description: Joyce Carpenter, a woman with dwarfism, hoovers her living room wearing a floral dress, black shoes, and glasses. The carpet is an orange gemoetric pattern, and there is a marble fireplace behind her.