Maija Hirvonen’s Neurotypes, pitched at Finnish Film Affair, tells the vital and highly moving tale of Aida, a child on the autism spectrum, who is determined, together with her mother/caregiver Johanna, to challenge existing norms and foster acceptance. “But can the hard efforts of mother and daughter change the world before their strength runs out?” is the question that film poses.
In essence, the answer is yes, but no spoilers here for now. What director Hirvonen indicated in Helsinki is that their actions attract people who share the same struggle. “Ida meets kids who become her first true friends. Johanna is approached by an old friend Justin, and the two grow close. All of these people are on autism spectrum. The two against the world duo gradually transforms into a loving community and a chosen family.”
The €260,000 feature doc is produced by Juha Löppönen of Mouka Filmi. Delivery is expected in Spring 2024. In Helsinki, Löppönen was looking for festivals, sales, finance and distribution interest.
“The first time Maija told me the story of Aida and Johanna, I was very moved and knew that it needed to be told,” the producer underlined to Business Doc Europe. “Knowing the starting point and seeing how the film ends, it’s very rare to witness. Aida’s growth in the film is spectacular. We are confident that this film will engage, entertain and inform a wide range of audiences. Seeing the audience react emotionally after our first pitch at DocPoint Impact, we knew we were on the right path.”
“It’s pretty wild to discover that even in a welfare state like Finland, we don’t have proper systems in place to help and protect our neuro-divergent children and youth,” he adds. “I’m sure these challenges resonate in all countries as we have our work cut out for us in making the world more neuro-divergent friendly.”
Broadcaster YLE will (small) screen the film in April 2024. “Cinema distribution for documentaries is always difficult. Luckily the film has attracted a lot of attention and we are building a network of events around the topic. We will do event cinema and impact distribution,” says producer Löppönen, who further elaborates on the impact potential for the film.
“Our mission is that the children on the autism spectrum have full equality with neurotypicals in education. We have a great partnership with Autism Association of Greater Helsinki Area and Southern Finland, and more are coming onboard,” Löppönen continues. “With [Autism Association of Greater Helsinki] and our other partners we will draw from Aida’s experience and knowledge and offer educational packages for schools, aimed at teachers but also fellow students, so that they can better understand and meet the needs of children like Aida.”
“We are also planning several themed discussions and special screenings, and a social media campaign. In all the work we want to center Aida’s and Johanna’s lived experiences and support their cause the best we can,” he adds.
Director Maija Hirvonen, whose previous documentary works include The Hive (2021), The Move (2016) and Cat Trap(2013), which are all shorts, explains the project’s raison d’être. “The film portrays what life in this society is [like] as a child on the autism spectrum. At the heart of the story is the almost symbiotic relationship between the child and the mother, along with their joint fight to be allowed to reach their full potential. Through Aida and Johanna, I want to strengthen the sense of self-worth of children on the spectrum and raise the esteem of their caregivers.”
Löppönen adds of Hirvonen: “Maija has a unique way of creating access and getting close to her subjects. This brings a very intimate feeling into her films. Working with this particular project has been fantastic, her focus has been super sharp and from the get-go she has known what to follow and executed her vision.”
