"There are more than 10 million people with autism in China. Behind the word 'autism' are 10 million children who need lifelong care and 10 million broken families," said Weng Yu, director of the documentary film "Special You."
The documentary film "Special You" Shanghai premiere
"You Are Special" is scheduled to be released on April 2, the International Autism Awareness Day, and has been pre-screened since March 14. At the pre-premiere of "You Are Special" held in the SHO 1,000-person hall of Shanghai Cinema on March 22, the film's director Weng Yu said, "At first I thought I made this film to help the autism community and to promote public understanding, but before the film was finished, I realized that it was this community that helped me and helped me realize that the real meaning of making movies is for others."
Weng Yu hopes that through this film, more people will understand the autism community. "Maybe this film cannot change anything, but it is like a torch. I hope everyone will raise the torch in their hands to light up the fear and confusion in their hearts."
Documentary film "Special You" poster
"Special You" was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Film in the 18th FIRST Youth Film Festival Competition Unit. The film focuses on the stories of three autistic children. The camera does not just stay on these children, but also through them, gently wraps up autistic families, especially the images of the three mothers in the film are more touching.
12-year-old Cheng Rui was found to be autistic when he was one and a half years old, with poor communication skills and mood swings. His mother hoped that he could learn with normal children; 15-year-old Keke could hardly speak, and the only word she retained was "Mom". Her parents were eager to cultivate her self-care ability and basic cognitive ability; 19-year-old Wang Junli had certain language communication and independent living abilities, and had also learned to cook. His mother ran around just to find a stable job that could accept him and give him the opportunity to support himself.
At the beginning of the film, Cheng Rui's mother was looking for Cheng Rui all over the world. She walked through the streets and alleys, and her shouting was hoarse. One can imagine that she had searched for her child in this way countless times in the vast crowd. A friend once asked her, "Aren't you relieved that he ran away? Many families want to give up, but I don't think you have ever thought about giving up." She smiled and replied, "That's what I said, how could I want to give up? He is my own child, not a cat or a dog. Cats and dogs have feelings."
The film records a conversation between two mothers of autistic children, and clearly shows the various experiences that autistic families, especially mothers, encounter.
Families with autism are often fragmented because they cannot bear the all-round pressure and burden that their children bring to the family.
The 12-year-old Cheng Rui can talk and has a talent for painting. If you don’t know him well, you might think he is just a naughty little boy. His father, who had a son in his old age, could not accept the “different” Cheng Rui, and could not afford the high cost of correcting autism. He tried to commit suicide with Cheng Rui several times.
Stills from the documentary film "Special You"
During one incident of domestic violence against Cheng Rui, Cheng Rui's mother used her body to protect the child and called the police. Then Cheng Rui's father climbed to the roof and jumped down.
From then on, Cheng Rui's mother was left alone to support her family by growing vegetables, and had to bear the burden of life alone: Cheng Rui's treatment, education, and growth.
There is no end in sight for autism treatment. Long-term education and correction may make the child improve day by day, and a surprise may suddenly come one day. The worst case scenario is that all efforts will be wasted.
Coco is lucky to have a complete family and a little sister. Both her parents seem to be emotionally stable adults. They speak softly and kindly. No matter how outrageous the child is, they try to comfort or stop him in a gentle voice. On this day, the whole family wanted to have a perfect birthday as much as possible, but the elder sister Coco ate the candles secretly, and the younger sister couldn't stop crying because of the birthday hat. After a series of quarrels, the mother finally couldn't hold back and wiped her tears silently.
Director Weng Yu
"I just want to live one day longer than my child." Director Weng Yu said that this was the sentence that touched him most during his long time of filming the autism community.
Although "Special You" records "a hemp rope breaks only at the thinnest part", it better explains the strength that the resilience of life brings to people. On the day of the event, many families with autism came to watch the movie. They generally thought that the movie was very real and moving, but not all bitterness, "although fate is unfair, there is still hope ahead."
