About the Film

A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism (a.k.a The Sunshine Boy), a documentary by Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, tells the story of Margret, a mother who has done everything in her power to help her son. Keli is eleven years old and is severely autistic – his mother doesn‘t even know if he understands Icelandic, let alone other languages. Even if Margret holds no unrealistic expectations on behalf of Keli, she has the quenchless thirst for knowledge about the mysterious and complex condition that autism undeniably is. Along they way, Margret meets other families and hears their unique stories about how they too have been touched by autism. To read more, visit: http://www.amotherscourage.org/

About the Filmmaker

As a film director, I have always been strongly drawn towards projects that explore the people who society often considers to be “marginal”.

My films, White Whales (1987), Children of Nature (1991), Angels of the Universe (2000), Niceland (2004) and most recently Mamma Gogo (2010),all set out to explore those “marginalized” people who don’t quite fit into ordinary life.

When I worked on Niceland I got to know some of the autistic people who were acting in the film. Impressed by their optimism and honesty, I promised myself t take a closer look into “their world” when I had the time in the future. I was convinced there was more to this subject than what we covered in Niceland.

Therefore when Frontier Filmworks approached me and suggested that I direct A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism, I immediately recognized what a valuable opportunity the experience would be. I began my work on the film by researching the conditions of the
autistic people in Iceland. I found the situation frustrating and depressing to say the least. The struggle that these people and
those closest to them are facing is unacceptable. Their situation is all the more shocking because it is taking place in such a well off society like Iceland.

I believe that people, politicians and citizens alike, have been misinformed about the condition of autism in the past. In my opinion this film will deliver valuable information and raise much needed awareness about the disorder.

Fridrik Thor Fridriksson