Against the Tides

Brains in Danger

November 2017 •French

For the past 20 years, the world has seen an alarming decrease in IQ and a rise of autism and behavioral disorders. This international scientific investigation reveals how chemicals in objects surrounding us affect our brain, and especially those of fetuses.

What Can You Do About It?

October 2019 •Japanese

When filmmaker Yoshifumi Tsubota learns about his slightly autistic uncle who lives alone, he decides to visit him. Drawn to his uncle’s unique personality, he begins to roll his camera as he visits him over the years. Tsubota himself had been diagnosed with a developmental disability and so understanding his uncle is also an act of understanding himself. Through intimate and personal footage, this charming film is gem of a documentary that also highlights contemporary social issues surrounding aging and social care for the disabled.

Sports

July 1932 •Japanese

The film is about a protest provoked when the university decided to restrict access to sports facilities to athletes, cutting out all other students. This is, strictly speaking, not a Prokino film. It was produced by the Waseda University Film Circle, which was organized by Kawazoe Shiro. Feature film directors Yamamoto Satsuo and Taniguchi Senkichi were apparently students at Waseda at the time and participated in the production.

Le Silence de la carpe

January 2011 •French

Autism in Love

April 2015 •English

The story of four adults with autism spectrum disorders as they search for and manage romantic relationships.

Making Mind My Mind

October 2019 •English

Shortlisted for the 92th Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, Mind My Mind has come a very long way. The first idea originates from 2009, and production started back in 2013. This making-of includes an in-depth interview with writer/director Floor Adams about the ideas behind the film, early artwork, shot progressions, behind-the-scenes footage of voice actors and foley recordings, and a selection of Floor's personal videos of key moments that happened during the production. (CinéTé Filmproduktie)

The Original Mermaid

February 2002 •English

Story of Annette Kellerman, the international swimming vaudeville and silent screen star whose life story inspired the MGM classic Million Dollar Mermaid starring Esther Williams, which featured lavish Busby Berkeley scenes.

Dad's in Heaven With Nixon

April 2010 •English

Dad's in Heaven with Nixon is a 2010 documentary film produced, directed and written by Tom Murray. It concerns the history of the Murray family and especially of Tom's brother Chris Murray, a man with autism whose paintings of cityscapes, first promoted by family friend Gloria Vanderbilt, have garnered widespread praise. The title refers to Chris' belief that his late father, who loathed Richard Nixon, is now friends in heaven with the former president. Ranging over three generations of Murrays, whose patriarchs struggled with alcoholism and bipolar disorder, the film treats of subjects ranging from father-son relationships to the Great Depression, from the effects of divorce on families to the cushy lifestyle of the residents of Southhampton, New York.

Deej

October 2017 •English

Robert Rooy's documentary follows DJ Savarese ("Deej"), a nonspeaking autistic writer and poet. The film explores his difficult early life, his quest for an education, and his advocacy for other nonspeaking autistics.

The Reason I Jump

January 2020 •English

Based on the book by Naoki Higashida, filmmaker Jerry Rothwell examines the lives of five non-speaking, autistic youngsters.

Extraordinarias: unidas en la neurodiversidad

December 2022 •Spanish

The best kid you'll ever meet. : A tribute to Mac Miller

July 2022 •English

A 3-minute tribute to the late Mac Miller.

Spectrum: A Story of the Mind

June 2015 •English

A documentary about autism and sensory perception that features live-action and animated segments.

Chloé Hayden and the Happily Ever After

August 2023 •English

Chloé Hayden was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 13 and was selective mute for many years. With a passion for Disney princesses, Chloé found her voice online as a 'princess' and now stars as Quinni in Heartbreak High.

Faut qu'on parle

June 2021 •French

Three women, three men, all very high level athletes, Olympic medalists, world champions in basketball, judo, rugby, fencing, swimming and figure skating have agreed to testify in a documentary. For the first time, they publicly reveal their homosexuality.

Chizuru

October 2011 •Japanese

I don’t know how to describe my sister. So instead of conveying with words, I decided to point a camera. The documentary 'Chizuru' was directed by Masakazu Akasaki of Rikkyo University's Department of Body Expression and Cinematic Arts in the School of Contemporary Psychology. This film, planned as his graduation project, is a fresh and gentle family story that continuously filmed Akasaki's sister, Chizuru, who has severe intellectual disabilities and autism, and their mother over the course of a year.

How to Dance in Ohio

January 2015 •English

In Columbus, Ohio, a group of autistic teenagers and young adults role-play this transition by going through the deceptively complex social interactions of preparing for a spring formal. Focusing on several young women as they go through an iconic American rite of passage, we are given intimate access to people who are often unable to share their experiences with others. With humor and heartbreak, How to Dance in Ohio shows the daily courage of people facing their fears and opening themselves to the pain, worry, and joy of the social world.

In Our World

January 2021 •Hindi

“Special,” “Gifted,” “Different,”… Despite the vast inventory of words to describe children who are on the Autism Spectrum, we still understand so little about their worlds outside of the medical lens. In Our World follows 3 children in their day-to-day lives – swimming classes, horse-riding, music lessons, special moments with their parents and therapists – and so much more, converging into a narrative that spells hope. The documentary aims to reveal the intricacies of their world and perhaps pave the way for OUR world, and for both to coexist with empathy and kindness.

With Him

January 2013 •Chinese

Director Lee Sin Yee reveals a deeply personal and reflective retelling of growing up with her brother who has autism. This autobiographical documentary explores her relationships with her sibling as they grow up together, yet separately. Interviewing her parents and interacting with her brother, she gives us an insight to her past and how she has come to understand her brother better.

Brainman

November 2005 •English

Daniel Tammet has autism. He is also a savant. He can perform mind-boggling mathematical calculations at breakneck speeds. But unlike other savants, who can perform similar feats, Tammet can describe how he does it. He speaks seven languages and is even devising his own language. Now scientists are asking whether his exceptional abilities are the key to unlock the secrets of autism. This documentary follows Daniel as he travels to America to meet the scientists who are convinced he may hold the key to unlocking similar abilities in everyone. He is challenged to learn Icelandic, one of the world’s hardest languages, in just one week. Will Daniel do it? And what can we learn from this prodigious talent?