New autism film starring Spielberg Actor seeking press

Post Reply New Topic

Greetings to Wrong Planet!

I am a producer working on an original new film written and directed by a special educator. The film, titled NightLights is about a sister who takes care of her brother, who is severely affected by autism. I have been speaking with several Wrong Planet members over the past few weeks and wanted to officially open a topic for the film and show it to the Wrong Planet Community.

And without further ado, here is the trailer for "NightLights"

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L38RlIX1Dsk[/youtube]


NightLights has been the labor of love from Director David Midell, who created a special production company designed to celebrate families and loved ones affected by all developmental disabilities. His first film, By Any Other Name, starred Peter Ten Brink as a young man with Down Syndrome as he fell in love and traversed the tricky waters of romance and friendship.

NightLights is Play On Production's first feature film, and has currently entered the Heartland Film Festival as well as the Chicago International Film Festival for this Fall. We are eager to show our film to the world, and part of that is to show pieces of the film to the autism spectrum community and also work to gain coverage in local and national press.

So my questions are:

1) If you are a member of the media, what interests you most about fictional stories about autism or developmental disabilities and what have you always wished would be shown in the media that hasn't yet?


2) If you are a family member of a person affected by autism what have you always wished the media would show, for better or worse about your loved one's disability and how has the media failed you so far?


3) What aspects of a film that has been created to celebrate both families and loved ones affected by autism would you like most to see and to tell your friends about?



Ultimately our goal is to create a film that the community can get behind, and a huge part of that is to spend time in the community and assess its needs. I hope this can be a discussion worth having on this forum and welcome ANY input you might have.

Many thanks for sharing the trailer for your film via youtube. I admire your efforts at making such a film, especially grappling with the thorny topic of autism. Wrong Planet at the theatre!


To address your queries, I'm sure others will have plenty more to add:

Firstly, lets be precise about our definitions. While autism can be developmentally disabling, please remember that Aspergers (high-functioning autism) can be a gift. Many of our Wrong Planet members are exceptionally talented, especially in the sciences, mathematics etc. and art. At present, I am finishing my PhD (writing up now!) and if I could choose, I would not be without my autism as it has afforded me special advantageous attributes. You'd be hard-pressed to make the argument that AS is necessarily a 'disability.' That would be like saying pro basketball players are disabled because they're too tall. (Caveat: I am not saying that being autistic in a world that is not is easy. Certainly some face harder challenges and I do not mean to stereotype). As a director, you need to recognise this distinction. When Europe was occupied during WWII, the great Hans Asperger (from whom we named) pleaded with the Nazis to not kill or dissect us, and he wrote (direct quote), "For success in science and art, I am convinced a dash of autism is essential."

Let me offer an analogy. Did you know that elephants, sea manatees and pigs are phylogenetically extremely closely related? Genetically, they're nearly the same. Yet note how very different they are. The autistic spectrum is diverse in manifestation as well.



From my perspective, battling the misconceptions of others is the hardest. Neurotypicals can be so cruel. For me now, most of my autism may be manifested without notice. We are logic orientated and I know that although I deeply feel, my emotions are basal. Our senses are acutely attenuated and easily hurt. In the trailer clip you showed him having a meltdown. Well, I am meltdown prone too. It is a flood of raw emotiveness with no outlet. My neurotypical friend put into perspective for me, and I'll share her insight. As humans, we all experience negative happenings, of course, the difference is how we cope. When I have a meltdown, I curl up into a ball, scream, cry and then feel better. Alternatively, she watches a 'chick-flick' like Steel Magnolias while eating a box of chocolate bon bons. Then she tells her husband, calls her girlfriends to invite them for chat. Ultimately, what's the difference? Is her coping mechanism 'better'? If you should encounter someone in public crying, trying to hide from you, consider they might be on the spectrum rather than reaching alternate conclusions.




I might already have addressed (3). For neurotypicals to know that the contributions of Aspies has propelled the world of science ahead in ways that may not have occurred otherwise. We are a polarised spectrum and cannot be marginalised. This world has much to learn from autistics, yet I doubt we are socially sophisticated enough to listen.

And lastly, for you, will you consider what we have written? If so, then I will watch Nightlights.

Welcome to the Wrong Planet, Nightlights, and feel free to explore within our bounds.

Last edited by LabPet on 16 May 2013, 10:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

Don't make it a "thing."

Show a fully rounded human being who just so happens to have a few aspects that are different.

Don't make them a savant, don't focus on the differences, etc.

A good writer can do that very well.

The trailer to the film looks great, all the best with it.

Since you haven't included a question directed towards people with autism, I assume you're looking for a perspective from people who have loved ones with less communicative forms of autism than the ones who usually post on this board? I guess this is the first difficulty with any portrayal of autism; it encompasses such a wide spectrum of individuals that it's impossible to accurately represent everyone.

But I'm going to add a fourth question anyway (just so I can answer it):

No one (that I know of) has portrayed a high-functioning autistic individual who can hide their place on the spectrum fairly well in public but is still dramatically affected by it and who stimms, overloads, melts-down, shuts-down and can, at times, accidentally self-harm.

I know that 'media' in general can't portray every aspect of the autistic spectrum, but I do sometimes wish it'd step away from the stereotypical into the subtleties of autism. On the other hand, maybe I'm grateful that no one has any idea what my meltdowns can look like because they think it belongs solely in the domain of the Kanner-type autist...

The focus is often still on autists with a mental handicap, many of which have a poorly developed verbal intelligence and a normal to high performal IQ.
There are many of autists -I think the majority of active members here are- who are normally to highly gifted, often with a verbal IQ that's higher than a performal IQ. When people focus on someone like that, it's usually savants that perform incredible feats.
But there are plenty of autists who are normally gifted, and who use their intelligence to find coping mechanisms, and to learn how to hide and mask their autism.
To people who have superficial meetings with them it's often not clear that that person is autistic.
When it is explained to people it's hard for them to believe that the person is autistic. Because their normal to high verbal IQ it's typical for AS people to be overestimated. People hear their intelligence and expect that they will perform at the same level. When it doesn't work and you try to explain you're autistic, typical reactions are "You're too smart to be autistic, you're just lazy/it's just an excuse."
This can be really hurtful for an autistic person.

But even more dangerous is the fact that it's really easy to be missed by many caregivers. Without being properly guided by someone who understands the condition they can produce very poor school results, and have a hard time keeping a steady job.

I would like a film to show how normally gifted autists camouflage their autism but still face plenty of struggles.

Most fictional stories about autism only portray very extreme autism.
I would like fictional stories about autism to portray milder, more realistic images of autism. Portrayals which most autistic members of this forum could hopefully identify with. For examples, portrayals of independent, talented and communicative autistic adults, who face social, vocational and emotional challenges because of their autism. Such portrayals could, for example, follow the lives of autistic students at universities, their struggles to fit in with their peers, their struggles to succeed in romantic relationships, their struggles to be understood by their families, and their hopes for the future.

I have an idea. Already your film is well underway with a fully defined character who is profoundly autistic. That should not change as it is the premise of the film.

Not just to portray an Aspie struggling, but instead one who is a problem solver. Tony Attwood has said that we can put things together in new ways, unlike another, such that we create novel solutions. For instance, in the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, the autistic character solves the mystery because he applies his unique attributes.

2 1/2 years ago I attended an autism conference attended by a plethora of people. One older couple told of their young adult son who is profoundly autistic, like the one portrayed in your film. The woman was emotive, wracked with frustration and sadness, asking why. Then she said to me, "why couldn't he have been like you?" I did not want her to cry. With sincerity, I explained that autistic diversity is vast and without her own sons genome, there would not be the other end of the spectrum. That is, her son's genes have contributed in ways beyond which they could ever know. Later, at the end of the conference, her husband approached me with thanks. He said that they hadn't ever realised that hope and it changed their perspective. Sometimes neurotypicals cry when they're happy and they cried then.

So NightLights, maybe you could introduce another character into that film congruent with the storyline. Like a doppelganger - a counterpart. An Aspie. Make him/her smart and crafty. Make him/her sexy and sassy. Icy like Spock the ultimate Aspie. Reveal the polarity of autism. Could you ask your actress to read our posts, and if she could work with another character too?

All the best with your film, NightLights.

To be honest the media hasn't really addressed the issues we go through, not enough airplay



Unlike some of the more vain members of WP who want to flood the media with images that Aspies as "little professors" who are going to populate Harvard and Stanford, I think it's good to present the trials and tribulations of parents of children with severe autism. I was however impressed with Temple Grandin's movie; how somebody with severe autism (not Aspergers) was able to overcome social obstacles and become a leading academic in the area of animal psychology.

So, regarding OP, what say you? Just curious, and as to how your film is progressing.

Hello All!

These are some amazing replies. Sorry for the delay but I was showing your opinions to the production team to review for our marketing plans for NightLights. Thank you all so much!

Regarding your comments about the important differences along the Spectrum, I can say with confidence that is something that our team constantly focuses on and addresses. The film NightLights was actually shot last year with the help and input of several autism organizations in Illinois and our goal is to make more films like it. Your suggestions for Aspergers for a future film is one we have actually discussed at length, so don't worry!

It does seem as if a large portion of the WP audience is high functioning Autism and that is exciting and energizing for us as filmmakers. I wonder, and here is another question that I am sure will come with many stories and personal opinions.

1) If you are an Aspie or high functioning along the Spectrum, what is your opinion or connection, if any with members lower on the spectrum? Do you feel a comradery or able to help low-functioning members of the Spectrum better than non-Spectrum folk? Do you feel as if you understand them more deeply or are able to understand what they are going through?

2) Alternatively what are some feelings from those affected by Autism only mildly about the more deeply affected? I see that there are several people who are in the middle of the spectrum that feel left out and caught between two extremes? As this is a story about someone who is highly affected, or low functioning, what are some feelings you have in relation to persons more severely affected?

and 3) For family members, I would love to hear some success stories or examples of your connection to a loved one who is severely affected by Autism and how you can see that connection because of your familial connection or simply because you took to time to care. That celebration of caring and family is our ultimate goal for NightLights!

Great discussion folks!

The fictional films I have seen about autistic people seem to go out of their way to portray all of the stereotyped traits of autism but show little of the depth of the autistic mind.
I enjoy watching documentaries about real autistic people who may be severely autistic but once they have learned a means of communication reveal a real intelligence. Wretches and Jabberers chronicled the lives of such people, two of whom had been institutionalized for many years. These severely autistic individuals proved to be intelligent, thoughtful, opinionated, insightful, and likable people in spite of their handicap. I would like t see autistic people portrayed this way in fiction also because this is the reality of autism.

Thanks for your words, NightLights. I hope you also showed your colleagues our avatars. I might be able to tackle questions no. 1 & 2 at once and I'm sure others have more too.

Firstly, there is absolutely a kinship, an understanding, irrespective of which colour on the spectrum we each are. The diagnostic designations of 'low' 'medium' 'high' are arbitrary. That is, Aspergers does not mean we are 'lightly affected' but instead that it is manifested differently. From my experience, I kind-of think Aspies might have a harder time since we are thrust into the socially manipulative neurotypical world that a 'low-functioning' autistic would be insulated from. Because Aspies can and do hold professional positions....oftentimes harbouring their secret: disclosure can mean betrayal. On the Wrong Planet, there are some who are might be more 'low-functioning', in fact there was one who did not speak at all, loved cats, and lived in an institution. She was my friend. Plus, autism is genetic so we're likely bound to have family affected too. Amongst the AS community, we refer to each other as 'kin.'

Without too much detail, my paternal uncle was a profoundly autistic mute who lived his entire life in an institution. (He died kind-of young, but that's not related). He looked nearly identical to my father (who also died kind-of young, ironically) - like twins. I know my paternal grandfather was an Aspie. He was a chemist and had ideas about masking symptoms by accelerating atropines and more. Anyway, my uncle was quite taken with me - he knew. Although he could not have understood what a niece meant, he knew. Walking together in the courtyard, my uncle instantly spotted a squirrel from a far distance and became very excited, pointing! I saw that squirrel too. One of my key attributes, which is invaluable to me in lab, are my keen observational skills. I inherited it from him. And green eyes. My grandfather called his sons the Doppelgangers. And when one died, so did the other.

For instance, I think I have a special relationship with numbers and maths is fluidic for me. I'd never trade this attribute and (unbeknownst to my peers, necessarily), it is an autistic trait. I can sometimes flash count. So it is a bittersweet gift, yes? I do see Aspies struggle and maybe because they mostly lack confidence (and have been unfairly hurt). Once they realise they can use those very traits to their advantage, then they've found the way. I understand a principle in karate is to actually use the momentum force of an oncoming blow to really pack a wallop back.

Of all the films, there was one that was most striking and unexpectedly so! M. Night Shyamalan's The Village is an autistic place. OK, I know that was not M. Night Shyamalan's intent, but he unwittingly hit the mark! (Put RainMan to shame). From my perspective, I don't think Ivy (main character) was visually blind at all - instead, she was mindblind! It became so apparent. Her fiancé did not so much speak but rather wrote. The whole village was autistic - and on all levels. The purity of their world exemplified autism, untouched by social constraints. And the Borg from Star Trek. I used to be teased and bullied (a lot ) about being 'the robot.' Yes, and now I'm 7 of 9. The old word for autism was mindblindness and still I think might be the better descriptive. I've also learned there is such thing as blindsight. I should hope if there is a film about an Aspie, that he/she is not portrayed as struggling, but rather thriving not in spite of AS, but because of it.

Asking us is of course mutually beneficial, so thanks for that. Anyway, all the best with your film and maybe there will be more to come. BTW, you do know of our Wrong Planet developer, Alex, yes? By profession, he is a talented film producer himself.

Apologies for the double post, but this occurred to me as well. Glenn Gould was 'on the spectrum'. In fact, fairly recently a professor (from related department) and I were commenting on this......look at his AS from this perspective:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB76jxBq_gQ[/youtube]

I empathize with them, perhaps more easily than I empathize with NT's. Sometimes I see them being treated in ways I know are going to be harmful while their NT family is mystified as to what the problem is. I'm insulted on their behalf when they are discounted as intelligent, thinking human beings because, for instance, they don't speak. I rejoice when I see a nonverbal person find a way to communicate (say, through writing) because I always knew they had something to say and felt their frustration at being unable to say it. It really makes me very happy, because I feel as though the world they live in is the world my inner self lives in too, if that makes sense. Their struggle is like mine, because I struggle to be seen for what I am and communicate as well, instead of as a poor imitation of an NT, a "crazy" or "stupid" person, or a fake, a liar.

I'm saddened by the way the discussion about autism focuses only on the NT families and effects on them. I like to see autistic protagonists. It would take a great filmmaker with a deep understanding of autism to make a film centered on a "low functioning" autistic person as the main character (instead of the actual main character being an NT relative), but I'd love to see that film.

I had to come back and give a bit more detail about the film I said I'd love to see.

For an NT to make such a film and make it interesting and comprehensible to an NT audience, s/he would have to do something like what good movies about scientists, mathematicians, people with a phobia or paranoia, etc. do, taking things that are ordinary and dull to most of the audience and giving them the beauty, the excitement, the terror, etc. they hold for the main character. The way I see it, autism is, at its core, about intensity and focus. A special interest is a vast, beautiful, fascinating world in itself. A stim is a reaction to discomfort, pain and distractions that other people don't experience. A social interaction is impossibly complex and overwhelming. Looking someone in the eyes or hearing multiple people talk at once is enough to make it impossible to think. What is fun for you is chaotic and upsetting for me, what is fun for me is incredibly boring for you.That's how it is for me - I think for others it is a lot more intense.

The trailer is generic, sentimental and shallow. Promoting it here is crass.

All About Steve had its faults but it was fresh and positive.

Which probably explains its unpopularity.

But, seriously, the suffering mother bit above is way overkilled.