14 Jan 2021  |   04:03am IST

A special film for special children

The documentary, In our World looks at the lives of three autistic children and aims to reduce the distance between us and them. It premier's at IFFI. Cafe spoke to the Producer and Director Shreedhar BS.
 A special film for special children

A documentary on Autism ‘In Our World’ will premiere as the official selection in IFFI  on 18thJanuary in the non-feature film category of the Indian Panorama. 

This film documents the lives of three autistic children explored through their day-to-day lived reality, to unpack theirworld and bring about a nuanced understanding so we can all co-exist with love and respect. With in-depth, semi-structured, candid interviews of parents, therapists; their day-to-day activities like swimming classes, horse-riding and music lessons; their special moments with parents, all converge into a narrative that spells hope.


This film goes beyond mere documentation of their lives to garner a nuanced understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It unveils their experiences, their daily negotiations and trials to tell the world that they do not need sympathy; rather need to be understood and accepted for who they are; that we need to understand their world in order to co-exist as equals, with respect and love.

 

Speaking from Mumbai, Shreedhar BS said “My children receive music lessons from a teacher who also trains one of the boys featured in the film. I noticed scratch marks on his arm and asked him about it. He said he trained special children. I got interested after he spoke in detail about his experiences with the children. I wanted to understand how music worked on these children. How society views them and how the world in general looks at them. Also look at the parents and how they deal with it. The children’s behaviour is different from what society expects from them which leads to problems. These children need to be understood. You have to understand one in every hundred children is autistic. We need to create an atmosphere to ensure they get comfortable.”

 

Shreedhar said these children existed in the world where everyone else existed and it was important to shower them with love and care because everyone had to live in this world together. The festival he said was helpful because when others watched and appreciated it  there was a sense of acceptance for real work. He was elated when he learned his documentary was selected to be shown at the festival.  The film was shot in Mumbai and it took them a couple of months for the children to get comfortable to the new people around them. Being very sensitive souls they can react very badly when they get uncomfortable.

 

Shreedhar ended by saying “The way we live right now suggests there are two different worlds. Of “them” and “us.” They who are misunderstood by Us. This film is that window to see a world which needs to be understood in all its nonconformist ways with love and charter a path to assimilate them in one world, in one universe where we all co-exist with love and mutual respect. In Our World.”  Amen to that.

 

IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar