Short film on autism heads to Cannes film festival

Kevin Healey, 43, has been raising awareness of the mental disorder since he was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome almost two decades ago.

His twin brother Shaun was diagnosed as non-verbal autistic at 18 and has lived in a residential home for 20 years.

Kevin wrote a book about living with the disability in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, in the 1980s, when there was little understanding about the condition.

After adapting this into a 20-minute film, titled Twin Brothers World’s Apart, it will be entered into Cannes, Sundance and Tribeca film festivals.

Tribeca, which is held in New York, was founded by Hollywood actor Robert De Niro, whose son Elliot has autism.

Kevin feels there are few authentic portrayals of autistic people in film or on television.

He said: “Most fi lms about autism are about mathematicians who can read stats or someone who can remember what they had for lunch on June 3, 1986.

 This is not what it is like to have autism, there’s only a minority who are geniuses.

“I wanted to show what it is like for the people who have autism and their families and friends.

I’ve never seen that on the big screen. I’ve never seen someone who is non-verbally autistic like my brother.

“Autism is a hidden disability so it is important when raising awareness to show what it is really like for people.”

Actor Callum Westbury, who is autistic, portrayed Kevin in the film, which was made last year for just £5,000. 

Kevin added: “It’s had a strong reaction because I think people relate to the ignorance of the time.

“We have come a long way but there is still work to do. If someone with autism has the support package in place they need then they can still have a fulfi lling life.”

The fi lm premiered last week in Stokeon-Trent, just in time for World Autism Awareness Day, today. About one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum.

They often find social situations difficult and struggle to fi lter out sounds, smells and sights leaving them feeling overwhelmed.

About 77 per cent of families with a child who has autism feel the public does not understand the illness, a survey found.

Mark Lever at the National Autistic Society, said: “It’s encouraging to see more fi lm-makers and actors fi nding out about autism.”