Autism: The Musical

The Eco Film on Friday, September 18th:

Autism: The Musical

Here’s an interview with Tricia Regan, the Director of ‘Autism: The Musical’:

Won 7 awards including an Emmy Award in 2008

Genre: Documentary. Director: Tricia Regan. USA, 2007. 93 Minutes.

With environmental pressures (especially the abundance of heavy metals) Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability with an annual growth of 10 – 17 %. Director Tricia’s Regan’s engaging documentary follows five different families, participating in The Miracle Project (a theatre program created specifically for children with special needs) as their kids write and perform their own musical production. The film is as much about the parents of autistic kids as it is about the kids themselves. How does one communicate with a child who won’t speak? What do you do when your kid only sleeps two hours per night? How do you cope with a world that has little use or compassion for kids that are so different? These are only a few of the questions that the parents must deal with; questions illustrated by a series of almost painfully honest and blunt encounters. Perhaps the most surprising of the kids profiled is Neal, the son of Elaine Hall, who founded the Miracle Project. Profoundly autistic, he hardly speaks, and is prone to violent tantrums, but when he is finally fitted with a keyboard voicebox, a sweet, intelligent personality is revealed. A complete triumph!

So, friends of Sadhana Forest spread out over this beautiful planet: Go watch this movie whereever you are, join our Club, organize an Eco Film Club meeting in your hood and then let’s start discussing it by commenting on this post!