The General

2022 • SCHOOL DOCUMENTARIES
Filmmaker: Victory College

About this Short Film

#Autism #Cognitive Processing Disability #Group #Interests #Military #Perception, Viewpoint #School #Teenager Child

"The General" from Victory College (Australia, 2022) is a short film included in this year's Focus on Ability International Short Film Festival. Quiet and thoughtful, it explores themes of autism and cognitive processing differences, and how these shape interests, perception and social life in school settings. The film looks at the viewpoints that emerge when teenagers with different ways of processing information come together, and the group dynamics that follow. It offers a sensitive take on how personal interests can intersect with broader topics, including military themes, without prescribing a single reading. A concise, affecting piece for audiences keen to broaden their understanding.

Film Details

Country: Australia
Category: SCHOOL DOCUMENTARIES
Genre: interview
Festival Year: 2022
Filmmaker: Victory College

Film Transcript

["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] Hello there. I'm autistic. ["Pomp and Circumstance"] It's difficult, but it certainly has its benefits. And it's rather nice, now that I see it as I'm older, to have it and to be different. ["Pomp and Circumstance"] No one really knew what to do with me or how to understand me. ["Pomp and Circumstance"] Coming to a completely new school, with new people, and no one from my old school at all, it was a nice fresh change. Which was needed. But it was still a nerve-wracking time. So, every time we went on a school trip, he'd always bring his communist manifesto. That was weird. ["Pomp and Circumstance"] Now, let me think. Oh yes, so, I have this incredibly weird habit of being empathetic towards inanimate objects. It's quite annoying. For example, in grade 6, it was the last day of school, we had to bring in some sort of food or beverage to, you know, have a, in quotes, a party with. So, I brought in chocolates, and everyone had to have two chocolates. Because if they only had one chocolate, which they consumed, that singular chocolate would be on its own for the rest of its life. Which is supposed to sort of connect to how I feel being lonely myself. But anyway, that's on a side note. So, they have this education room, which is just a quiet space for me to go and work. So, if the classroom becomes too disruptive of an environment, I can play a sort of metaphoric get-out-of-jail-free card. And go to these quiet places to work if the situation is distressing, or I need to avoid people or things which may inhibit my ability to learn. Was inhibit used correctly in that sentence? I meant hinder. You know, things I notice about Jayden is, he doesn't eat at school, and he doesn't go to toilets at school. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's where his anger comes from. So, my favourite subject is specialist maths. Firstly, because it's a very different way of thinking about maths. It's an interesting subject, and it forces you to think in different ways. And also because, secondly, my teacher, Mr Young, very intelligent man, and an absolute legend. Jayden's a student who definitely comes to things from a different perspective. Yeah, he really seems to know a lot about military vehicles as well. Kind of strange, really. He's interested in politics, war, and he has an obsession with organising everything. It's like he's a 50-year-old European dictator in his 17-year-old body. University is where I need to go. Something there in the middle of the country, University is where I need to go. Something there in maths, or law, or even physics. I can't really say what it is, but I can say what it isn't. It isn't about money, or what people think of you, or, you know, how much you succeed. Everyone's goal in life, ultimately, has to be how they help other people. How much effect they have, and just what impact they have on the progression of human rights. And how will they stand up for their morals and ideals. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. © BF-WATCH TV 2021

Filmmaker

Victory College is the filmmaker behind this entry. Filmmaker profile pages are coming soon — in the meantime you can browse all their films in the search.

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