For many people the mention of autism conjures up images of Dustin Hoffman’s performance as the socially awkward but mathematically gifted character from Barry Levinson’s Rain Man (1988). While such cases of autistic savants have been well documented, in actuality the symptoms and severity of the disorder are far more diverse.

Fridrick Thor Fridriksson’s documentary The Sunshine Boy sets out, in part, to demystify autism by charting Icelandic mother Margret Ericsdottir’s journey of understanding into her son Keli’s condition. Diagnosed with severe autism at the age of four, Keli, (now eleven) requires a constant level of care, and struggles to interact with his school peers or family.

Departing Iceland for the United States, the documentary crew follows Margret as she meets a series of specialists, researchers and families involved with autism, and their various attempts to decipher, raise awareness, and educate those with the disorder. However, what begins as a series of facts about autism (diagnosis rates of 1 in every 150 children and a four times greater likelihood of it effecting boys) gradually refocuses upon the human faces of the disability.

In one meeting, Margret visits a family with three young sons, all of whom have been diagnosed with autism. While at first the parents appear relatively calm in front of the cameras, recalling the various challenges involved in raising autistic children, gradually the cracks begin to show and the emotional toll of the disorder is laid bare.

But while The Sunshine Boy explores the familial frustrations and institutional misperceptions involved with autistic disorders (particularly the common misdiagnosis of ‘mental retardation’), the documentary also allows for moments of humour and hope.

In the latter stages, the film explores the work of Soma Mukhopadhyay, director of education at the HALO (Helping Autism through Learning and Outreach) centre in Austin, Texas. Using a rapid prompting technique, Mukhopadhyay’s students, once imprisoned by the disorder, are now free to express themselves through non-verbal means.

In a scene that takes place in the centre, the students, aware of the documentary crew and spelling out their thoughts on an alphabetised pad, compete with each other as to who ‘looks best on camera’ and from ‘what angle’. It’s a remarkable moment that reinforces the need for greater awareness, research funding, and increased accessibility of these types of programs for sufferers of autism.

Narrated by Kate Winslet and accompanied by a soundtrack that features the Icelandic talents of Sigur Rós and Björk, The Sunshine Boy is a revealing and praiseworthy documentary.

The Sunshine Boy is screening as part of The Other Film Festival in Melbourne, Australia which runs from the 25^th– 29^th August at the Melbourne Museum.

For further details visit:

www.otherfilmfestival.com