Life, AnimatedRoger Ross Williams
Everyone thought autistic Owen Suskind would never talk. He is already a big toddler when he suddenly begins to speak in complete sentences. He does not just repeat phrases: they are quotes from Disney films. A heartwarming story and a deserved Sundance winner.
At the age of three energetic chatterbox Owen suddenly stops talking. Autism makes him slip into a dark, closed world. There seems to be no way back. Over the next four years, Owen only responds to one thing: Disney films.
One day, his father picks up a Iago doll, the parrot from Aladdin, and starts speaking to Owen as if he were that character. Suddenly, Owen replies with a phrase from the movie. This is a turning point for Owen and his family. Owen learns how to express himself using dialogues from the dozens of Disney films he knows by heart. The rest of the family takes turns playing the roles of Disney characters. The animation films open up a channel of communication that had long been considered as permanently closed. Owen and the world around him learn to understand each other. With an extensive arsenal of stories and dialogues Owen gets ready to face the challenges that life has in store for him.
This coming-of-age story is beautifully put together, with a mix of scenes from Disney movies and animated events in the life of Owen. The film raises questions about the 'how' and 'why' of Owen's identification with cartoon characters, but above all it is a plea for love and understanding from one’s environment.
Info
Directed by Roger Ross Williams
US
89 min.
English
No subtitles
Programme
International selection
credits
Director
Roger Ross Williams
Producer
Julie Goldman
Production company
A&E IndieFilms, Motto Pictures, Roger Ross Williams Productions
Cinematography
Tom Bergmann
Editing
David Teague
Music
Dylan Stark, T. Griffin
Contact info
Bekijk Contact info(en screener)
(beschikbaar vanaf 20.03)