Powerful
Every once in a while I am given the opportunity to see something on the web that personally shakes me to the core. These “slices of life” or “glimpses” into something that feels so foreign, stark and contrasting to my secure, meager existence bring me mentally into a completely different state of mind and enlightenment. They leave me with a feeling that cannot be adequately described as either positive or negative. They are simply just altering.
The two pieces that immediately come to mind as being some of the most powerful, altering clips in recent years are the footage of the bodies falling from the Twin Towers on 9/11 and the execution of Saddam Hussein. Powerful and raw footage that is capable of gripping you in a way that you have never quite been gripped before—leaving you with an bent state of comfort and ease that you lack the proper words to truly describe.
And, these moments, for me at least, do not always have to be as drastic or world changing as the prior two examples to leave me with that skewed, yet, open sense of understanding. Such is the case with a recent Wired article that my brother in law sent over to us entitled, The Truth About Autism: Scientists Reconsider What They Think They Know. It recounts the story of a woman who is considered to be “low functioning” because she is non-verbal and appears to be stuck in her own mind with little to no ability to communicate with the outside world.
All that changed when Amanda Baggs recorded, edited and uploaded an eight minute, personal statement to You Tube about her life with Autism. The only way to describe the footage is powerful and gripping. It primarily struck me on two levels—the first being technologically in that she relies heavily on assistive technology to translate her thoughts and feelings into words (a feat that could not have existed just a few short years ago) and second because of our personal experiences with Autism in our youngest child.
The immediate response after watching it is to say that this short film will turn current understanding of one of the most perplexing infirmities on its head. The definitions of what is today considered “low functioning” vs. “high functioning” individuals will be completely ripped apart; that is if the classifications will even exist anymore at all.
This documentary serves to highlight the power of technology and the powerful ability of the internet and sites like You Tube to completely redefine life, our understanding of the world around us, science and the art of film making. If you have a chance to check this out, I highly recommend it. It is amazing.