Life, Animated PG

Life Animated is a beautiful and incredibly moving story about a boy who learns to communicate through his love of Disney films. When he was 3, Owen suddenly stopped speaking and was diagnosed as having autism spectrum disorder. After years of silence he and his family discovered a unique way to communicate by immersing themselves in the world of classic animation. Through repeated viewings of films like the Lion King and The Little Mermaid, Owen was able to convey his feelings and reconnect with the world around him.

This heart-warming coming-of-age story follows Owen as he heads towards to adulthood and takes his first steps to living independently.

The film uses an innovative and unique camera technique, Interrotron, invented by documentary film-maker Errol Morris. Through this method Roger Ross Williams is able to interview Owen through a television screen avoiding the issues that Owen would likely encounter giving a face-to-face interview, and putting him at ease as he is so used to interacting with televisions. This brings Owen front and centre with direct eye contact to the audience and really brings Owen’s story to life,  enabling the audience much more access to his personality and his story and gain a greater understanding of his love for the screen.

We would be delighted to welcome you to a special autism friendly adapted (KICSTART) screening of Life Animated on Tuesday 20 December. The cinema environment will be altered to provide a low sensory experience - with the sound reduced and the house lights on low. Everybody is free to make noise and move around and a separate quiet space will also be available.

We also welcome group visits - just get in in touch if you’d like any further info: [email protected].