Michael

Sensitive portrait of a boy with Down’s syndrome, and the small village that includes him.

Sensitive portrait of a Down’s syndrome boy, and the small village that includes him. This affectionate film shows Michael as a highly active teenager. He is constantly moving, whether he is chopping wood, working on a farm, or dancing to music. It is clear that Michael enjoys performing for the camera, making him an ideal documentary subject.

Despite the scratchy print, this film features an emotionally charged voiceover that gives valuable insight into Michael’s life from the perspective of his mother. Indeed, she argues that the slang term ‘mongol’, which was even used in the title of its original release, is a ‘dreadful word’, and became a term of abuse. Disabled people are still subject to hate speech in today’s society.