A documentary film recently produced by two directors from China has caused public concern about the conditions of autism patients and how society should care for and help this special group of people.

On Dec 4, the film titled Music Calling, produced by American-Chinese director John Qu and Chinese director Shanshan Zhang, both natives of Shanxi province, made its premiere in Los Angeles, California. Nearly 200 audience members in the United States, including movie industry insiders, philanthropists and politicians, attended the premiere.

Congresswoman Judy Chu, who is also American-Chinese, presented awards to the two directors at the premiere for their care of autistic children.

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.

According to some experts in the area, each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges. The ways in which people with autism learn, think and problem-solve can range from highly skilled to severely challenged.

As the film reveals, Bowen Duan, the protagonist, is a typical case of an autistic child with both marked talents and challenges.

Born to an American-Chinese family, Duan is a gifted pianist. He faced great difficulties and challenges when he studied in university. But he succeeded thanks to the love and care from his family, the school and the community.

At the news conference following the premiere, Qu said the film was sponsored by Franklin Foundation, a nonprofit organization in the US. Production of the film began in August but planning started a year ago in 2021. It was completed in November.

Qu and Zhang said the story of Duan is only a part of a movie series focusing on autistic children. More productions on this topic will be made in the years to come.

Qu graduated from the Beijing Film Academy based in the Chinese capital. Before he moved to the United States, he had been a professor at the Communication University of China, which is also based in Beijing. He was also a productive documentary film director during that time. The movie Families in Phari, featuring the lives in a village in Tibet's Ngari prefecture, won an award of the best documentary at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2002. He continued his career as a director in the US, with a special focus on American-Chinese families.

Zhang graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in the US, with a master's degree in filmmaking. She was the director of a number of award-winning films including Paradise Program, The Foam, Fish in the Tank and Tutti. Some of the films, like Fish in the Tank, were shot in her home province of Shanxi, with a focus on children with autism and their families.

Duan and his mother Sarah Cheng were present at the premiere of Music Calling.

Duan said he likes the film very much. Cheng said she expects the film to invoke public concern about autistic children and hopes the special group of people can get more assistance from society in their growth and career development.

Zhang said the film is a show of strength, mutual love and care of a family with an autistic child. She added that she has been deeply touched by the stories of the family and will continue to focus on this theme in the future.

Jimmy Wu, an official from the county government of Los Angeles, praised the efforts of Franklin Foundation and the crew for making the film.

He said the local government will closely attend to the needs of autistic children and other special groups in hopes that they can have better lives with added care and love from society.

By Yuan Shenggao
Jane He contributed to this story.