Worth: $18.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
subjects Shu-wei, Pei-hsuan, Hui-lun, Ting-wei
Intro:
… authentic and insightful …
Among Us offers an authentic and insightful look into the everyday lives of those affected by autism, refreshingly free of political or divisive commentary, or agenda.
Helmed by acclaimed director Lin Cheng-shing as a follow up to his 2010 documentary Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars, Among Us is a fly-on-the-wall look into the daily lives of four young adults, each with their own unique place on the autism spectrum. Utilising the connective thread of the DB Art Collective, a facility in Taipei’s Guandu district run by Han Shu-hua (director Lin’s wife), the film observes a number of social projects, including art and music therapy implemented to assist their autistic attendees, and their supportive families.
Arguably one of the most effective attributes of the film is the lack of pretence that Lin’s camera brings to the loose narrative, allowing his subjects Shu-wei, Pei-hsuan, Hui-lun and Ting-wei, whose non-verbal communication comes via a note pad with pre-written characters, to infuse the film with humour, insight and unique perspectives that are at once intriguing and relatable.
While the film doesn’t shy away from the struggles of navigating a city such as Taipei with a psychological ‘disadvantage’, or the heartfelt loneliness faced by the parents of children that are withdrawn from social norms, the film’s revelation instead comes with the complete acceptance of our protagonists’ individuality. From the expressive poetry composed by Ting-wei, to the tenacity of Hui-lun who leaves home for a week after an argument with his mother, there’s no overt sentiment to Lin‘s depiction of his subjects. Nor is any required.
Among Us is at its core a character study of four diverse personalities, shaped under the influence of autism and each of whom offers a nuanced and compelling focal point to a casual and uplifting narrative, without skirting the darker aspects or domestic frustrations that come with the self-awareness that you function differently to the masses.
Produced through crowdfunding, Lin Cheng-sheng quietly opens a door, allows his audience to shed unnecessary discomfort, and genuinely connect, appreciate and embrace a condition, and a community to which their experience and understanding may be somewhat limited.
