Children of the Stars
Encyclopedia
Children of the Stars is a 2007 documentary about children with autism
in the People's Republic of China
. It was produced by Alexander Haase and directed by Rob Aspey. The title is an English translation of the expression , a phrase used in Taiwan
to describe autistic children.
The documentary focuses on the Beijing Stars and Rain Teaching Institute (北京星星雨教育研究所), founded in 1993 by Tian Huiping. In 1992 Tian traveled from Chongqing
, Sichuan
to Beijing
—a distance of 1460 km, or 907 miles—looking for help for her own autistic son but found nothing. She returned a year later to start the school. Funded solely through charitable donations, the Beijing Stars and Rain School was the first non-governmental educational organization
in China dedicated to serving children with autism. It offers an 11-week educational program for families, based on applied behavior analysis
.
The documentary follows the progress of five-year-old Feng Jia Wei and his father and mother, Feng Lei and Hao Yue Chun, who traveled across China to enroll their son in the school. The parents faced hardship in their community—a complete lack of schools or facilities to deal with autistic children, no network of governmental aid or funds, ostracism from neighbors, and loss of their jobs. Before coming to this school they had considered committing suicide as a family—much as Tian Huiping, the school's founder, had years before. Public health services for autistic children in China are almost nonexistent, as Tian Huiping explains:
At the time of their arrival, Jia Wei is violent and uncooperative. He cannot speak, and shows little recognition of his parents, whom he frequently bites and hits:
The program requires weeks of tireless work. As producer Alender Haase describes the early days watching Jia Wei's family struggle: "Sometimes I said to myself: 'Well, that's enough; I can't stand it anymore'. We wanted to drop the camera and leave. The parents seemed to be on the edge of mental collapse. But the strong power of love and patience pulled them back, and so it did to us." In time, Jia Wei's family begins to see a number of break-through experiences, and their first opportunity to live in a nurturing setting offers them hope. However, they are apprehensive about returning to their unfriendly home town, and fear that Jia Wei's obvious progress will not be enough to let him enter a public school.
Children of the Stars is described as a "riveting documentary" on Library Journal
s website:
2010
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It was produced by Alexander Haase and directed by Rob Aspey. The title is an English translation of the expression , a phrase used in Taiwan
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
to describe autistic children.
The documentary focuses on the Beijing Stars and Rain Teaching Institute (北京星星雨教育研究所), founded in 1993 by Tian Huiping. In 1992 Tian traveled from Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
—a distance of 1460 km, or 907 miles—looking for help for her own autistic son but found nothing. She returned a year later to start the school. Funded solely through charitable donations, the Beijing Stars and Rain School was the first non-governmental educational organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
in China dedicated to serving children with autism. It offers an 11-week educational program for families, based on applied behavior analysis
Applied Behavior Analysis
Applied behavior analysis is a science that involves using modern behavioral learning theory to modify behaviors. Behavior analysts reject the use of hypothetical constructs and focus on the observable relationship of behavior to the environment...
.
The documentary follows the progress of five-year-old Feng Jia Wei and his father and mother, Feng Lei and Hao Yue Chun, who traveled across China to enroll their son in the school. The parents faced hardship in their community—a complete lack of schools or facilities to deal with autistic children, no network of governmental aid or funds, ostracism from neighbors, and loss of their jobs. Before coming to this school they had considered committing suicide as a family—much as Tian Huiping, the school's founder, had years before. Public health services for autistic children in China are almost nonexistent, as Tian Huiping explains:
Parents of autistic children can't expect any help from society. It's not just a question of financial help; they cannot get specialized help either... More [than] 98 percent of autistic children have to stay at home because they are rejected by kindergartens even if they are very high-functional – autistic children have very poor social skills. Attending school is a dream.
At the time of their arrival, Jia Wei is violent and uncooperative. He cannot speak, and shows little recognition of his parents, whom he frequently bites and hits:
Families had been waiting for 2 years to attend and often arrived in a state of despair. They could not communicate with their children or understand the symptoms of autism at all. They were looking for a cure and thought that this school was where miracles happened.
The program requires weeks of tireless work. As producer Alender Haase describes the early days watching Jia Wei's family struggle: "Sometimes I said to myself: 'Well, that's enough; I can't stand it anymore'. We wanted to drop the camera and leave. The parents seemed to be on the edge of mental collapse. But the strong power of love and patience pulled them back, and so it did to us." In time, Jia Wei's family begins to see a number of break-through experiences, and their first opportunity to live in a nurturing setting offers them hope. However, they are apprehensive about returning to their unfriendly home town, and fear that Jia Wei's obvious progress will not be enough to let him enter a public school.
Children of the Stars is described as a "riveting documentary" on Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
s website:
[Feng Jia Wei's] parents candidly share their difficulty in a society that doesn't understand autism. Their desperation is evident as they coax and cajole Jia Wei through school activities intended to help him to communicate. Then we witness the moment when Jia Wei calls out "daddy" for the first time. These connections with the parents make this heartwarming movie wonderful to watch."
Awards
2008- "Chris Award" at the Columbus International Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio, USA
- "Documentaries up to 60 minutes" award in the New Delhi We Care International Documentary Festival, New Delhi, India.
2010
- "Excellence Award" at the 2010 Superfest International Disability Film Festival in Berkeley, CA.
External links
- Children of the Stars, official website of film
- Stars and Rain School at autismchina.org
- School four autistic children break ground in China. (Video) AFP Global News
- Autism and "Normal" in China
- Johnson, Ian (2008). In China, Grass-Roots Groups Stretch Limits on Activism. Wall Street Journal.
- Chinese organization offers hope to families struggling with autism
- NGOs Take Lead in Providing Treatment to Autism