Awareness Film Festival - The Limits of My World
An autistic coming of age story exploring what it means to be a nonverbal disabled person in a neurotypical society.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Heather Cassano
Watch The Limits of My World here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The Limits of My world was an outlet for me to explore my experience as a sibling to a severely autistic brother. Growing up with Brian was never easy, but making this film allowed me to explore our relationship and learn more about who Brian is as a person beneath his disability. It’s important to humanize the disabled to audiences, so that more people begin to understand what it’s like to have autism.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This film is important because it offers audiences the opportunity to change perspectives. My goal with The Limits of My World was to show viewers a side of Brian that usually goes unseen in public. The nature of Brian’s disability makes it almost impossible to get to know his personality. It is so difficult to understand a person when they cannot speak. Because I have spent years growing up with Brian and over 200 hours filming with him, I’ve grown to know him in a unique way. I wanted to share that perspective with audiences in order to bring autistic individuals closer to the general public.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The Limits of My World shows a small piece of a much larger issue. When you turn 21 years old the public school system is no longer responsible for your education, even if you have not learned to read past a first grade level. This is what happened to Brian. Professionals in special education have coined a term for this issue - “Falling off a cliff.” This film attempts to offer some solutions for continued growth after leaving the school system. The Limits of My World explores the roles individuals like Brian can play in society and how they can live productive lives. It challenges the notion that autistic individuals must work and assimilate in order to be successful adults. By making my brother more accessible to audiences, I hope to foster a greater understanding of the resources autistic adults need.
Brian is incredibly lucky to have a supportive family behind him. Because of this, Brian was able to participate in a tailored program for people with autism. While Brian’s program is imperfect, it is far better than many of the other options out there. Not all autistic adults are so fortunate
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I began The Limits of My World as a strictly observational documentary, intending to point my camera at Brian and let the events unfold in front of me. It quickly became clear that I needed to lend my perspective to the film to make it accessible to all audiences. This is where my voiceover began to develop. It was important to me to not project my feelings onto Brian and try to guess what he was thinking in each scene. Instead I used the voiceover to offer some context, and pose questions I was asking while making the film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Audiences seem grateful to have a window into Brian’s world. My film is unique in the fact that it doesn’t offer many solutions, which allows audiences to form their own opinions and perspectives about what they see in front of them. I love attending question and answer sessions and hearing the conclusions each viewer draws from the film. Every screening is different.
The response has been particularly positive from teachers and professionals who work with special needs individuals. The film has helped offer some insight into an autistic person’s world, which has helped teachers and professionals develop new techniques in working with these individuals.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I solicited feedback from a variety of sources while I was editing the film, which helped me develop my message. There were many scenes in the film that were altered because of the feedback I received during the editing process. I was extremely careful not to put words in Brian’s mouth, refusing to offer a clear point of view to my audience. Because of this, feedback has not been very surprising so far. That being said, what I am surprised by is the lack of public awareness of disabled adults. After they finish school, many disabled individuals fade into obscurity. Bringing this film to the general public is helping to fix that, helping autistic adults occupy space in the public sphere.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I am hoping to spread the word about The Limits of My World. We are beginning to distribute the film across the United States and Europe. We hope that more audiences will hear about the film and want to screen it in their community.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are currently looking for an impact producer, buyers, and educational distributors for the film. Our current goal is to schedule local screenings in the Summer of 2019 in partnership with grassroots organizations around the country. We want to bring The Limits of My World to communities around the country to raise awareness about adults with autism and discuss what can be done to improve their lives. We are also looking for buyers in the U.S. and around the world, as well as an educational distributor for sales to institutions.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
The goal is to show The Limits of My World in as many communities as possible. We think the film can be a great tool to for fundraising and awareness campaigns for autism organizations around the globe. Since the film is nuanced and does not push a particular agenda, it’s main effect is increased understanding of the autistic population. The Limits of My World can be instrumental in shifting understanding of adults with autism, and can help push our government to increase funding and support for these individuals.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
When watching The Limits of My World, you have to question yourself about your own preconceived notions of people with autism. When was the last time you saw an adult with autism? How did you interact with them? Once we confront our implicit biases towards adults with disabilities, we can begin to collaborate to improve their adult lives and further integrate them into public life.
Would you like to add anything else?
We are currently booking community and university screenings around the United States. If you or your organization is interested in hosting a screening of the film, please contact us through our website (www.thelimitsofmyworld.com) or email us at (info@thelimitsofmyworld.com).
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Heather Cassano is currently in development for her second feature length documentary, which will explore humanity’s relationship with personal space and the societal implications of that relationship. The project is still in the early stages, so stay tuned for more information next year! Heather is also a producer on the documentary Inner U Diagnosed about the unknown side effects of IUD birth control.
Interview: October 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
The Limits of My World
An autistic coming of age story exploring what it means to be a nonverbal disabled person in a neurotypical society.
Length: 70 minutes
Director: Heather Cassano
Producer: Heather Cassano
Writer: Heather Cassano
About the writer, director and producer:
(Director, Producer, Writer)
Heather Cassano is a documentary filmmaker living and working in the Greater Boston Area.Her films are reminiscent of the direct cinema movement, adopting a patient, invested approach with her subjects. Heather blends this observational style with deeply personal narratives, striving to tell authentic stories through her personal experiences.
Key cast: Brian Cassano
Looking for: buyers, distributors, journalists
Social media handles
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheLimitsofMyWorld
Twitter: @limitsdoc
Other: www.imdb.com/title/tt7202946
Hashtags you use: #TheLimitsofMyWorld #AutismAwareness
Where was this filmed: Baltimore, Maryland
Funders: Kickstarter backers, Virgin Unite Social Impact Film Fund
Made in association with: Cassano Visuals LLC
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Upcoming Screenings Upcoming Screenings
New screenings are constantly being added to our website
THURS OCT 11, 7:00PM - Bright Lights Series - Emerson College, Boston, MA (director Q&A)
SUN OCT 14, 12:00PM - Reel Independent Film Extravaganza - Angelika Pop-Up Theater at Union Market, Washington, DC
FRI OCT 19, 10:30AM - Ridgefield Independent Film Festival - Ridgefield Library, Ridgefield, CT (director Q&A)
FRI OCT 19, 12:00PM - Orlando Film Festival - Cobb Cinema Cafe, Orlando, FL
AWARDS
Best Documentary Feature, Venice Film Week
Best Documentary Feature, Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
Best Documentary Feature, Somerville International Film Festival
Top Project Award, New England Graduate Media Symposium
New screenings are constantly being added to our website
THURS OCT 11, 7:00PM - Bright Lights Series - Emerson College, Boston, MA (director Q&A)
SUN OCT 14, 12:00PM - Reel Independent Film Extravaganza - Angelika Pop-Up Theater at Union Market, Washington, DC
FRI OCT 19, 10:30AM - Ridgefield Independent Film Festival - Ridgefield Library, Ridgefield, CT (director Q&A)
FRI OCT 19, 12:00PM - Orlando Film Festival - Cobb Cinema Cafe, Orlando, FL
AWARDS
Best Documentary Feature, Venice Film Week
Best Documentary Feature, Massachusetts Independent Film Festival
Best Documentary Feature, Somerville International Film Festival
Top Project Award, New England Graduate Media Symposium