“Sonata”: A moving documentary on autism
An unusually moving documentary Sonata-A story of autism was screened at the Dhaka Independent and short Film Festival on February 21.This is a production of Paix Media, a non-profit organisation based in Washington DC, USA which is dedicated to social causes.
The storyline follows a Bangladeshi mother, Rola, who has an autistic child, Tamzid. It is his inability to formulate any speech for six months that gives the warning signal that something is seriously wrong with the child. At that time Rola goes to the US on a scholarship to study law. She takes her child along with her and it is in New York that Tamzid is first diagnosed as autistic.
Sonata follows Tamzid's progress through interviews, testimonies and re-enactments. Although he has a long way to go, it was noticed that Tamzid has a passion for the piano and that's what the title of the film suggests.
The film has been made to show that autism is not a hopeless condition and that it can be treated with therapy. Since Rola left the country, the situation in Bangladesh regarding autism has improved considerably. But misconceptions have to be removed and awareness has to be generated. Autism is a disorder of brain function that appears early in life, generally before the age of three. Children with autism have problems with social interaction, communication, imagination and behaviour. At present Bangladesh has more than 8,43,000 autistic children.
Sonata is directed by Sentu Roy. The film is co-produced and edited by Sagheer Faiz.
Comments