World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 will be commemorated through a diverse selection of internationally and critically-acclaimed films that share stories on the condition. It will be screened on select Wednesdays of April 2022.
These shows aim to provide opportunities to increase the understanding about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a state related to brain development that affects how a person perceives and socializes.
It likewise will shed light on how the situation challenges a person’s social interaction and communication and gain valuable insights on their special needs. It encourages the viewers to contribute in breaking the stigma by fostering acceptance and recognizing and embracing the differences of people.
The line-up was meticulously curated by the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
American documentary Best Kept Secret (2013) by film writer, director, and actress Samantha Buck introduces Janet Mino, a special education (SPED) teacher in JFK High School in New Jersey. The mission is to help her graduating students with special needs reach their full potential and find their place in the real world. It will be on view on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
Life, Animated (2016), a coming-of-age documentary by the first Oscar-winning African-American director Roger Ross Williams. It shows how the magic of animated Disney movies serve as a language to express love, loss and brotherhood and aid a family reconnect with their son Owen, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. It is scheduled on Wednesday, April 20, 2022.
Directed by British filmmaker Jerry Rothwell, The Reason I Jump (2020) was based on the best-selling biography by Naoki Higashida, a Japanese non-verbal person with autism. The film shares the stories of people around the globe, with the same experiences as Higashida and provides a lens on how they perceive the world around them. It is slated on Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
The free and public online screenings will be conducted via Zoom every 12 noon on the scheduled dates.
To register, email mcad@benilde.edu.ph. For more information, visit the official Facebook page of MCAD (https://www.facebook.com/MCADManila).
