Following the threads from...'Ben X'

I’m writing to you at the end of day 4 of the official school summer holidays – and I’m happy to report only minor skirmishes between the siblings so far. Please do send your best diplomatic vibes Brighton-wards to help me bolster my peacekeeping efforts over the next 6 weeks. And solidarity with all parents in a similar position – I salute you!

One of the ways my kids are keeping themselves occupied - alongside boardgames, jigsaw puzzles and ‘art club’1 - is, you guessed it, watching plenty of movies and TV shows.

There’s been a fair bit of Boss Baby, a generous serving of The Simpsons and my son and I have especially enjoyed Diane Morgan’s utterly delightful new robot-based BBC sitcom Ann Droid. But, true to my role as dedicated programmer of The Film Thread – which, as regular readers will know, is currently taking us on a slow tour through autism on the silver screen, we’ve also watched some of the movies I’ve selected to follow on from July’s featured choice, Ben X.

For those new to this parish, this is a 2007 psychological cyber-thriller from Belgium about a bullied autistic teenager obsessed with an online role-playing game, who’s driven to desperate and incredibly dark measures by his high school bullies. You can read my introductory post on the film here:

And for my bonus picks this month, I’m staying in Europe. But unlike Ben X, these are films that mostly stick to the sunnier side of the autistic street.2

The kids and I watched the first and last of these selections (listed here in order of release year) and both films raised many smiles and tugged nicely on the heartstrings without being overly saccharine or sentimental. And though not especially groundbreaking in terms of representation, they both proved good springboards for us to discuss different aspects of autistic experience, from social communication and sensory challenges, to the abiding value of truly affirming relationships, especially with family.

I also watched - and loved - the sole documentary pick, Maria and I. And from what I can tell about the others from trailers and reviews, they share a similar sensibility too – uplifting but still with a bit of grit in the oyster, which might just be a combination you’re craving in these discombobulating days.

At time of writing, these are all available to stream online (though not all with English subtitles). I usually use JustWatch to find out where to watch titles I’m interested in – it’s super straightforward and you can search via whatever country you’e based in. But as ever, if you’re having trouble tracking anything down, do reach out and I’ll be pleased to give you whatever guidance I can.

Right then, let’s get to it.

Sweden’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2011 Oscars, this rom-com-with-a-twist stars Bill Skarsgård, best known today as Pennywise the Clown in Stephen King’s It franchise. This early role sees him play Simon, a routine-loving autistic young man, who works as a groundskeeper with a group of other learning disabled people and lives with his older brother Sam and Sam’s girlfriend Frida. The film’s original title literally translates as ‘In space there are no feelings’ and the film charmingly weaves together Simon’s fascination with space (he hides in his own ‘spaceship’ – actually a large barrel – when he’s overwhelmed) and his struggle to make sense of neurotypical feelings, especially the complications and contradictions of romantic love.

When Frida dumps Sam, Simon sets out on a ‘scientific’ quest to find him a new, perfect love match – but things don’t exactly turn out the way he, or the audience, expects. A brightly coloured, whimsical hug of a film, Simple Simon shines as a rare example from its era of a central autistic character not there to ‘teach’ the other characters, but given a satisfying arc all of their own. Though it’s worth noting that not all viewers appreciated the film, with one IMDb reviewer claiming that in trying to portray almost every possible autistic trait in a single character it had “divided the Swedish Asperger community in half.”3

Spanish commercials director Félix Fernández de Castro makes his film debut with this part-animated documentary about the relationship between cartoonist Miguel Gallardo and his 14 year old, high needs autistic daughter Maria. Fernández was inspired to make the film after reading Gallardo’s 2007 comic book of the same name4, which I also read before watching - it’s wonderful😊.

it overlays these more traditional doc elements with delightful and inventive animated scenes, many directly using Miguel’s own drawings, others more obliquely illustrating ideas and motifs from the comic book.

Like the comic, it centres on a holiday Miguel and Maria take at a resort in Gran Canaria, where she lives with her mother. It interweaves intimate but upbeat footage of the pair’s trip - the plane journey, the hotel buffet, swimming in the pool, hours at the beach with Maria mesmerised by watching sand fall through her fingers - with scenes at home and school and interviews with her parents. And then it overlays these more traditional doc elements with delightful and inventive animated scenes, many directly using Miguel’s own drawings, others more obliquely illustrating ideas and motifs from the comic book.

The narration is similarly transposed from the comic and Miguel’s commentary - on other guests at the hotel, Maria’s habits, likes and dislikes and how it feels to be her father – ranges from sweet to sardonic to, at times, painfully honest. The film doesn’t shy away from his more difficult feelings about her diagnosis and the reality of her life - there’s a particularly poignant moment when he wonders aloud who’ll look after her when he’s gone, which hits all the harder watching in 2026 knowing he died from cancer in 2022. Ultimately though, the star of the show is Maria herself with her infectious smile, singing and chatter (her love of listing the names of family and friends strongly reminded me of my own autistic, learning disabled cousin, who similarly becomes the star of whatever room he’s in). It’s a truly life-affirming film worth every moment of its compact 76 minute running time – do give it a watch if you can (it’s available free with English subtitles on the director’s own Vimeo page.)

This one ain’t gonna win any prizes for originality – its set-up of a leading man with a troubled past sentenced to community service with autistic youngsters will feel familiar to anyone who read my Following the Threads post on Barfi!, where I wrote about Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan’s 2025 Bollywood remake of the Spanish comedy-drama Campeones, which has a not-at-all-dissimilar plot, only with sport substituted for cooking. But what Quanto Basta, to give it its original Italian title, lacks in narrative surprise, it more than makes up for in wit and charm, with the added benefit of mouthwatering Italian food and countryside to enjoy (though it may veer a bit close to ‘neurotypical saviour’ stereotypes for some people’s tastes).

Our ‘hero’ in this case is 40-year old Arturo, a chef with anger management issues who’s released early from prison and ordered to teach a group of autistic young people at a local culinary institute. He ends up taking one of them in particular under his wing, the enthusiastic and passionate Guido, who displays genuine talent in the kitchen. And when the institute’s psychologist asks Arturo to accompany Guido to a cooking talent show in Tuscany, he reluctantly agrees, leading to an odd-couple comedy road trip adventure that will change both their lives. Che buono!

The closing film at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Hors Normes (literally, ‘Out of the Ordinary’) is loosely based on the true story of Stephane Benhamou, founder of a Paris charity supporting high-needs autistic children and young people and his friend Daoud Tatou, who trains up kids from the deprived communities of the banlieues to work as their carers. It’s a film co-directors Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache had been wanting to make for years, inspired by their 25 year friendship with Benhamou, who looked after an autistic relative of Toledano’s and who also served as an advisor on the film.5 While real-life events are inevitably compressed and adapted for narrative purposes, the film is rooted in genuine, on-the-ground experience and bolstered by authentic casting, with several non-professional actors, including one of the real autistic kids Benhamou works with playing a version of himself.

Benhamou and Tatou’s fictional counterparts in the film are Bruno and Malik, played by Vincent Cassel and Reda Kateb, and the plot centres on a threat to Bruno’s uncertified autism shelter when government inspectors launch an investigation into his ‘unorthodox’ methods and threaten to close him down. But the real heart of the film is in his relationships with the young people he works with – the warmth, humour, and moments of real connection in the midst of often highly challenging behaviour, against a constant drumbeat of money worries and mental and emotional exhaustion. Hors Normes was selected as France’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film in 2020, helping spread its unsentimental yet uplifting message to a global audience.

If you’re having World Cup withdrawal symptoms, this father-son comedy-drama could be just the ticket. Its feel-good plot - following 10 year old autistic boy Jason and his dad Mirco setting out to visit all 56 of Germany’s professional football grounds to help Jason choose his favourite football team - might seem a little paint-by-numbers. That is, until you learn that it’s all based on a true story – adapted from the real Mirco’s memoir Wochenendrebellen, itself adapted from his 2011 blog, Groundhopping mit Asperger.

The set up is this: when Jason’s teacher warns his parents he’ll be sent to a special needs school if his behaviour doesn’t improve, jeopardising his dreams of a scientific career, he promises to try harder to meet the expected norms at school, if his dad helps him find a football team to support. But their epic road-trip (or more accurately train trip – Deutsche Bahn is a major supporting character in this film!) is threatened by his strict adherence to rules, which aren’t always easily met. It’s genuinely heartwarming to watch Mirco – whose job involves so much travelling that the bulk of parenting has always fallen on his wife – learn to support and advocate for Jason, whilst at the same time seeing Jason gradually manage to relax some of the rules that keep him feeling safe. And if you love football, the stadium scenes are heart-pumpingly immersive (Jason’s interactions with other fans in the stands are a hoot too😄).

PS You may or may not be glad to hear that an American remake starring Mark Wahlberg is currently in production, with the action transposed to basketball...!

And that’s a wrap on my selection box of European autism movie goodies for you. If you’re home with the kids and fancy something a bit different to watch with them, or if you’re looking for a few non-English language titles to add to your watch list, why not give one of these a try – and of course let me know what you think if you do!

Leave a comment

COMING UP IN AUGUST

With the school summer holidays in full flow, I’ll be taking a step back from work, but there’s still plenty to keep an eye out for:

— 1st August: announcement of our next autism film pick ahead of a LIVE video discussion with special guest happening later on in the month

— Hiroshima/Nagasaki Day: Two special film posts to mark the anniversary of the atomic bombings, one from the archive, one from an exciting young guest writer

Plus updates on my Nevada doc research if and when parenting allows...

Till the next time then, I remain your faithful movie-selecting servant (or something like that!😄)

Vicki x

Watch my film on Netflix & Disney+ (UK/Europe only) or Vimeo-on-demand - or see trailer, reviews & bonus content HERE

Find me on Bluesky & at LinkedIn