By Wu Ningning

Autistic children in a lesson at the Stars and Rain school. Photo: courtesy of Rob Aspey

To most Chinese nuclear families their child is the star that forever shines within parents' hearts and holds their destiny. If one day the star falls down, the sky comes crashing down around them.

Such is the case in China if a child is born mentally or physically disabled. Facilities and support groups are scant at best, particularly outside big cities, and parents often have nowhere to turn and no one to advise them.

The situation is particularly acute in cases of mental impairment. Diagnosed as autistic at the age of five, for 7-year-old Fang Jiawei's family the future looked particularly bleak. He found it hard to communicate and was finally diagnosed in hospital. Their situation was so desperate that at times the family harbored thoughts of suicide.

Yet, unbelievably, Jiawei and his family may be among the lucky ones. In China, there are hundreds of thousands of families affected by autism. Officials estimate there are 600,000 autistic people in the country. This is sure to be a significant underestimate. Some say the real number is 1-2 million.

In 2007, Rob Aspey, a British documentary film director, who had experience filming an autistic family in Britain, turned his lens toward these falling stars in China. The result is a haunting and unsettling portrayal of life of an autistic family in modern China, entitled Children of the Stars.

Catching the stars

Aspey seldom smiles. His calm, cool exterior disguises a burning intensity. Maybe it's his personality or maybe it's because the director is essentially unknown in China even though international praise has been heaped on his filmmaking. Back in 1999, Aspey was a young filmmaker who had heard the story of a mother's dedication to her autistic sons. "The mother had four children, two of them were autistic. She tried to do everything possible to help her children. The result was amazing. Her children finally behaved like regular kids." Subsequently, he made a documentary film intended to open audience's eyes to the wretched lives of autistic children.

Landing in China two years ago, the question of autism still baffled him. "I just wondered what the situation is in China, because China is a developing country with a huge population. Maybe there's more trouble, more problems with autism."

Fortunately, he found Stars and Rain, an autism school in Beijing in which 80 children of all ages enroll for an 11- week special course with their parents – many of whom travel hundreds of miles from small villages to get help for their children. There is a waiting list of more than 12 months to join the program, although they do what they can to assist other families with their outreach program.

"When I went there, I was touched. It is a wonderful school. I tried to see if I could make a film about the school, to help them raise money and help autistic families," Aspey recalls.

Moving journey

The fall sunshine sifted through the tree leaves. Snatches of song could be heard everywhere. Led by their parents, autistic children were gleefully stepping into the Stars and Rain school. The story of Children of the Stars unfolds at a slow pace with soft music, which means that many of the scenes are able to elaborate on the characters and their personal narratives.

"It was more about capturing than manufacturing," explains Aspey patiently. "When you make a film, you often bring together all of your skills to make something lovely. But in this film, you don't have to manufacture it, because a lot of wonderful things are just happening in front of the camera. I just shoot and record exactly as it is."

Therefore, the story, such as it is, couldn't be simpler. It follows Jiawei's family as they take a deeply moving journey through the 11-week course at Stars and Rain.

Autism is something that is misunderstood under the best of circumstances. In the film, Jiawei's first class assignment was to complete a puzzle – an easy task for most 5-year-olds – designed to help the child learn concentration. But Jiawei didn't respond to his parents' or teachers' instructions. When his mother tried to stop him from running away, he bit and punched her.

Honest portrayal

With this simple approach, Aspey managed to portray the family honestly and in-depth. "Jiawei is typical. He has all kinds of classic autistic symptoms. We didn't want to show somebody who has unusual symptoms or with great gifts. A lot of autistic parents are unhappy with the way autistic people are represented on TV, because the programs always show 'genius' autistic people who can be extraordinarily gifted in some areas. In reality, most of them are ordinary people without any special gifts."

Aspey continues, "I just want to make a real presentation and hope the film's screening would raise awareness about these people." But instead of viewing his "characters" through an honest or even "cold" lens, he shows deep sympathy for them. Possibly the one thing that shocks the director most is the "forbidden topic" of parents – the future of their child.

"I once asked them if they become sick or after they have passed away, what is going to happen to their children? Ninety percent of them said they would take their child's life. The parents feel if they die, there is nowhere for their children to go. They are really afraid their children cannot even beg on the street!"

Benefits

Though the scenes look quite unsophisticated, it gives the audience an understanding of autism. Though Jiawei's future is still grim, the family has begun to get financial and medical support. "Everybody benefits from the film," Aspey says proudly.

An 11-week course won't affect the development of the child much, but it provides much needed respite for the parents. After completing the course, families are better equipped to deal with the demands of an autistic child, and may even be able to form support groups in their local communities.

Currently Aspey is preparing for his next film, in which he will shift his lens to Sun Village, an NGO which houses roughly 100 children aged from one to 18 whose parents are either in prison or have been executed.

"As the Sun Village children are neither orphans nor physically disabled, they are ineligible for government subsidies. So I hope my upcoming film could raise money for them, find ways to improve the life of children of convicts, and then change society a little bit."

"The films I make are small. They won't move mountains," he says, but he hopes his films will help make a difference.

"China has many realities. I just picture the reality I know. I hope more and more people could offer assistance to the needy and to each other after watching my film." As Aspey starts from scratch to make his new piece, audiences can hope that the talented director delivers on his belief.

For information about the film and how to contact the school, see www.childrenofthestars-film.org/ home.html

wuningning@globaltimes.com.cn