Autism

Dances With Films Reviews: Alexander Jeffrey ‘s YOU HAVE NO IDEA captures a mother’s unrelenting drive to create a loving world for her autistic son

By Jonita Davis 3 years ago

The documentary is full of touching moments as it flashes back on Beth’s journey to ensure that her son has care. The film flashes back to present day Evan, living in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities. It isn’t until the end that we realize in building a community for Evan, Beth helped create a lot of resources and steppingstones for other families. There is probably a secondary documentary in how her persistence, insistence, and community building has led to awareness and programs for others.

John Donvan and Caren Zucker’s IN A DIFFERENT KEY brings their autism research to the screen — Austin Film Festival review

By Luke Y. Thompson 4 years ago

Like so much else that simplistic forces in society try to force into a binary, autism is a spectrum. And while we may have heard the phrase “on the spectrum,” internalizing what it means is another thing. Donvan and Zucker take pains to show both ends, emphasizing that while it’s unfair and prejudicial to assume high-functioning autistic people can’t function just fine, it’s equally misguided to neglect just how much help those on the other end need, in some cases to keep from physically damaging themselves regularly.