“Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World” is one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in a long time. While I refrain from saying everyone should see it, I lean in and say most people should see it.
Here’s why: Makayla is challenged with autism. She lives in a world where people often see non-verbal individuals as lacking intelligence. This wonderfully written and executed short documentary shatters that idea to pieces.
“Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World” tells Makayla’s story through her unique perspective. She is young, African American, and has a rare form of autism that renders her non-verbal.
Recently, she started working with a letter board in her therapy, which has put her on the path to communicate with those around her.
Related Stories:
https://lasentinel.net/tony-winner-kara-young-rising-star-amid-costly-inequities.html
https://lasentinel.net/rishi-rajanis-inclusive-leadership-shines-at-tribeca-film-festival.html
For people challenged by autism and families impacted by it, this fascinating look into Makayla’s life is a rare opportunity to see and hear what it’s like inside her head. This is where I must fight not to state that everyone should watch “Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World,” because it really does help bridge the gap of understanding between those who are not autistic and those who are. In her own words, this shows us that we are not that much different from one another.
This. Is. Makayla. A previously non-verbal young girl is speaking to the audience. Through letter board therapy, she wrote the script for this documentary. In the director’s statement, Julio Palacio said that he used her letter board session transcripts, over 140 pages, to piece together the script for this documentary. Then he gave Makayla the choice of who she wanted to be her voice.
Palacio’s visually stunning piece is top-rate storytelling. In one section, Makayla talks about her love of art, including Van Gogh, and then we watch as his famous “Starry Night” painting comes to life through animation. Makayla and her father stroll through the painting like they are in the scene, with her explaining why she connects with Van Gogh. She points out that “he is trapped inside his emotions, the way I am trapped inside my body.”
Makayla is complicated, like all teenage girls. She talks about those struggles and the added fact that she can’t communicate her emotions, and how lonely it feels because of that.
“Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World” is beautiful for myriad reasons. But the one that touches my heart the most is how she handles her life.
“Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World” will screen at the Inaugural World Culture Film Festival, July 25-28, 2024.
For more information, visit the World Culture Film Festival:
- Website: World Culture Film Festival
- Instagram: @worldculturefilmfestival
- Facebook: @worldculturefilmfestival
- Program Schedule: Program Schedule
- Events Schedule: Events Schedule
- In-person Passes and Tickets: Passes and Tickets
- Online Passes available after July 1, and screenings available on July 25, 2024.
4o
