The Dog Whisperer (Cecil Hills High School, Australia, 2023) is a short film presented in the Focus on Ability International Short Film Festival. Rather than offering a fixed storyline, it brings together themes such as autism, intellectual and cognitive processing disability, Indigenous perspectives, school life, employment and the relationships between young people and dogs. The film invites audiences to reflect on perception, support and achievement for people with disability. Shot and made by a school community, it sits comfortably in our programme as a revealing, honest piece that highlights ability, dreams and the everyday challenges and successes young people face.
Why is it important to acknowledge the Aboriginal people that they were here first and why do we need to acknowledge the country? Because they're wild. And that's your background, isn't it? Yes. What's your favourite part of being Aboriginal? You get to dance like no one is around you, like you are wild and free. It makes me feel me, it makes me feel free, like no one owns me. Yeah. I love that. You are a bit like that, you know. I'm really wild. Can you tell us about your dogs? Lady. Is she a pet or is she something else to you? Something else. What? She's more like a friend to me. Like, if I'm really, like, really upset and I can't calm myself down, all I have to do is hold Lady and then I'm fine. Sometimes I like to dress her up in my clothes. In your clothes? Yes. I do that sometimes. Like, once Mum walked into the room and Lady was in my clothes, Mum was like, oh my goodness. I feel like her can understand me and I can understand her. Yeah. I'm more like a dog whisperer. I lose my avatar named Puss Puss to one day when I walked outside, all I saw was his dead body laying right next to my sister's car. And I was crying. I was sitting on the path, like, crying. And I drew a picture of me and him and Lady and then I put it on him. You're going to the vet to do some work experience? Only if I'm working with little dogs. I don't really like big dogs. They scared me. Really? What happened to Lady a long time ago. I took Lady outside our lease and this big dog, Lady went up to the people to say hello and the big dog grabbed her by her neck but I didn't know what to do. I was just standing there freeze. So, do you have autism? Yeah, I do. Yeah. I don't like people touching me. Yeah. That's part of my disability. Yeah. And I also, I, sometimes I think I have anger issues. Like, I can't afford them. And you have anger issues. Yeah. And that's why Lady helps you. I also have something else that my mum have but I don't really know what that, the name of that. So, you fell with the pillow? And the blanket. Wow. Someone was watching over you that day. An angel. An angel was. All I saw was a white face. So, maybe we could. With wind. I opened my eyes and then I toes them again. So, you were jumping on the bed. Yes. And it was at, in a two-storey house. Yes. Yeah. And the, you fell through the fly screen? Yes. Thankfully, you're still here today. What would have happened if you didn't have that pillow and. I landed on a car and then I fell off the car. So, you landed on the roof of the car with your pillow and blanket. Yes. And then you rolled off. And then this side, I broke this side of my neck. And then my brain stopped growing. And you were in the newspaper when it happened, weren't you? Seeing all my mum laugh. What would you like to do when you grow up in the future? I was thinking about being a famous singer just like Billie Eilish. But my brothers always said that won't happen. Oh, really? Why? Because I don't have a really good singing voice. But I do. I practice all the time. Well, you can always do dancing and singing. No one can ever stop you from doing that. What's your favourite song? I'm a bad guy. I'm a bad guy. Who sings that? Billie Eilish. Billie Eilish. My favourite part when she said da in a really sassy way. Sassy. I sound like her when I say it. You are sassy. That's one thing. I was born that way. That is a good word to describe you. In a good way. You're turning 18 in like three weeks. And you've had such an amazing life already. You've achieved so much. You know, you have a few disabilities. And you're amazing. Do you think you're amazing? Not really. Why? Sometimes I wish I wasn't born. Oh, Ruby. I'm so thankful you were born. Mum would be thankful that you were born. Barma would be thankful. Well, I think you've achieved amazing things. And you're not even 18 yet. And I think you're going to achieve more amazing things in the rest of your life. And we're so sad that you're leaving Cecil Hills High School this year. I'm not leaving. I wish you could stay. I am. I'm going to work in a science lab with Miss Anne. Oh, okay.
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The Dog Whisperer by Cecil Hills High School (2023)
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by Cecil Hills High School - SCHOOL DOCUMENTARIES
