PANJIM: Goa-based special educator Jacinta Santamaria’s quest to get money to build a resource room for specially-abled children has earned her second place in the international film festival for her video on a child with autism.
“I have been working in this field for the last six years. It is a fact that the differently-abled child should be enrolled in regular school, so that they progress well. I have seen students progressing in regular schools,” Jacinta, 26, told PTI.
The teacher-turned-filmmaker who penned a song and shot it in a five-minute video did it, so that a fund can be generated to set up Resource Rooms for severely challenged children in the schools, where differently-abled children studying in regular schools can be given special training.
The video titled ‘It’s You who can help me to shine” which was released in February last year was selected amongst the 25 entries in the category for ‘We Care International Film Festival’ organized in association with Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan, UNESCO at the India International Centre.
The video features Jacinta’s student, Shawn D’Souza, a child with autism. “It was shot over a day. The feelings of the child is narrated through the song which is penned by me. Shawn has acted in the video,” said Jacinta, who was working with him.
The child is extensively shot in the video, which narrates how he has to struggle to get into the regular school.
The organizers of ‘We Care Film Festival’ screened the video documentary in places like Dubai and Paris before screening it in New Delhi. “It was second choice of the audience. The winner was chosen from the audience rating,” she said.
The festival is organized to sensitise people about the problems faced by differently-abled people.
“The video would be screened across the places wherever the festival goes. It will help in passing on the message to a larger audience across the globe,” says Jacinta, who has more plans on the platter.
“I have several plans but I will talk about them only when I really execute them,” she said.
