In the past decade, movies and books written for and by people with autism have flourished. The movie Wretches and Jabberers continues this education on a condition that needs to be understood.
In the past decade, movies and books written for and by people with autism have flourished. The movie Wretches and Jabberers continues this education on a condition that needs to be understood.
For one night only, on May 12 at The Grand 14, 100 theatres around the country will show Wretches and Jabberers, a movie about two middle aged autistic men named Tracy and Larry, who travel the globe together teaching about the way their minds and bodies work. The John P. Hussman Foundation partnered with the Autism Society in a campaign to educate the public about autism by showing this movie simultaneously in so many different cities.
Larry Bissonnette is an artist and autism advocate who lives in Vermont. As a child he was excluded from normal schooling and placed in classes for the mentally handicapped. After learning how to type in 1990 his world exploded and he was finally able to truly communicate with the world around him and at large. His art hangs in international galleries and private collections. Tracy Thresher also lives in Vermont and works as an advocate for the disabled. He also learned how to type later in life and found his world to explode with possibilities he never had before.
While the two men partner up and go to Finland on one of their stops, they meet Antti, another man with autism. It is Antti who humorously describes how he sees the world - wretches, who have limited speech like themselves, and jabberers, those who can speak freely and often too much. Tracy and Larry continue traveling to Sri Lanka and Japan, working to dispel myths about autism and talking to the public.
The film opened last summer but is just now receiving worldwide attention. This 100 theaters in one night campaign seeks to give Wretches and Jabberers even more.
For more information or to reserve tickets, you can go here.