Director: Laura Martin-Robinson, Producer: Catryn Ramasut, Executive Producer: Steve Robinson, Produced by: ie ie productions, 59′, 2019, Rights: World
Richard Mylan and his autistic son Jaco are going on a journey of discovery. Travelling from Wales to America and back again, they’re visiting the most autism-friendly places around the world, to find out how we can make everywhere from a local barbershop to a national stadium more inclusive for autistic people. Richard and Jaco want to understand why so many autistic people feel like they have to change themselves to fit into the world around them. Along the way, they meet some amazing people who believe it’s the world that should be changing instead.
In America, they visit a South Carolina holiday resort that markets itself as autism-friendly and has found the changes they have made have become a real tourist attraction which is generating additional business. They visit Sesame Place theme park where Jaco has a chance to come face to face with Julia, Sesame Street’s first character with autism. And are there lessons to be learnt in Wales by looking at how Madison Square Garden stadium deals with people who are ‘wired differently’?
Finally, Richard and Jaco lead a stimming flash mob in central Cardiff. They want to challenge everyone to be more accommodating of people who may not behave exactly the same way as others.
This is the follow up from the 2017 award-winning documentary Richard and Jaco: Life with Autism