In February, I finished a short, experimental documentary, “Close As Brothers.” The film was inspired by the way my older teenage son, who is on the autism spectrum, began teasing his younger teenage brother by telling him that he was “acting like a real teenager.” I asked the boys to have a conversation about what it meant to them to be brothers, and how they felt that they navigated their differences. The result is a 5 minute film, the synopsis of which is, “Two teenage boys, one neurotypical and one not, discuss what it’s like to be brothers, and why we shouldn’t treat anyone like normal human beings.” The film has begun its festival life as a Finalist at the Humboldt Film Festival, Arcata, CA (April ‘20); Nominee Best Experimental Long Story Short International Film Festival.,
Bucharest, Romania (April ’20); and Nominee Best Documentary Assurdo Short Film Festival, Cinisello Balsamo,
Italy (April ’20)
The film will be playing in September 2020 at Atlanta Shorts Film Fesival, Atlanta GA,
Defy Film Festival, Nashville, TN; and Life Screenings International Short Film Festival, Clermont, FL.
Younger boys still from Close As Brothers