Published on 12, July, 2020
I watched Mary & Max the claymation animation for maybe the 17th time yesterday.
In a random Google search this morning I came across an 'Autism Anthem' - a YouTube compilation of film clips from:
Skins, The Good Doctor, Power Rangers, The Accountant, Scorpion, Parent Hood, Jane Wants A Boy Friend, The Story of Luke, Jack of the Red Hearts, Atypical, The 4400, Girl Meets World
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PtLcTGOrrKk
What do you think of attempts to portray autism in these, or any other, films or TV programmes?
Are there any accurate, positive, helpful representations of autistic people?
I'd love to know your thoughts!
I've just discovered this by accident - somehow missed it - and it might be worth a look. Not necessarily about autism. But I think the themes will resonate. Check the trailer. Made me think a little of 'Into the Wild.'
Leave No Trace
You are right Tom, the trailer really resonates. So glad you posted this link. I haven't seen 'Into the Wild' so I'll add that to my list as well. Your film knowledge is exceptional and much appreciated.
I'm watching 'Leave No Trace' tonight and it's making me cry. It's about giving up what you feel and believe in in order to fit in with society's expectations of you. It's about sacrificing the life you know and understand for the life you're expected to accept. It's about crushing your soul in order to be 'accepted'. Autism is never mentioned. It doesn't have to be. It's all there to be seen, heard and felt.
I have a hypothesis that depression is a similar thing. A lot of the things it triggers seem like getting you ready for a long journey. In our hunter-gatherer selves I think it may have been a mechanism for telling us when it was time to move on from where we were that wasn't doing us any good any more to somewhere else that will hopefully be better for us.
Unfortunately that's not so feasible in today's world!
I'm coming to the conclusion that Autistic Burnout is a mechanism designed to keep us safe. Different parts of our system need to power down for a while. It's impossible to recover properly unless we're in a safe place.