Sensory Overload: An Autistic Filmmaker’s Perspective.

Sib Ali’s feature length documentary ‘My Life on Camera’ deals with the filmmaker’s daily experience and documents his ongoing campaign to change people’s views and raise awareness about autism.

Based in Birmingham, UK, Sib has worked on several projects as a freelance filmmaker and has been a part of projects for the likes of Warner Bros and ITV. Recently his short film ‘Sea of Change’ which aimed to challenge attitudes on disability, was received well at its screening at a U.N. event in 2013.

This new film points out the need for change in city planning, especially to make urban environments more accessible for those who are very sensitive to external stimuli, the many loud noises, visual distractions and crowds in cities can be extremely overwhelming for some people. The film educates how difficult everyday life can be when dealing with sensory overload. The things we take for granted such as simply going to a cafe to meet a friend or shopping for clothes in busy environments are disorienting for Sib. In the film he shows, from his unique perspective, how he deals with problematic environmental factors.

We asked Sib ten in-depth questions…
You are well known for your sense of taste in food and clothes,
What is it about eating out that appeals to you?

Sib: Eating out for me is appealing because I get to try new things as well as try to unwind from my routine plus being outside the home feels quite nice as I can see, experience and eat so many amazing things in the world.

What is your favourite dish and why?

Sib: One of my favourite dishes is a Fiorentina pizza from a well known pizza chain in the UK, because of the nice egg in the middle of my pizza as well as adding extras to it like Tuna and anchovies on top of it. It’s so nice.

What is your favourite item of clothing or accessory and why?

Sib: My smartwatch and Airpods Pro is my favourite pair of accessories because my watch simplifies my traveling experience such as when I use the tube when visiting london, thanks to Apple Pay I never need to panic about losing my Oyster travel card which I’ve lost at least 10 times in my life. Not only that my Airpod Pro earbuds allow me to block out excessive noise levels in towns and cities thanks to its ANC or Active Noise Cancelling feature.

When did you first know you wanted to be a filmmaker?

Sib: I first wanted to be a filmmaker since I started my college days in 2006, when I saw a great film called Team America in media studies. Since then that inspired my filmmaking talents and allowed me to move away from the idea that the only thing I could be was an IT guy as a career choice. Watching that film opened up possibilities in ways I didn’t expect and I generally have good memories of that day.

Why did you decide to start making films about Autism?

Sib: I wanted to make films about autism because of the unexpected challenges I experienced after I graduated such as how people relate to me, understand me and the barriers I came up against were simply enormous at that time. This is looking back in 2012-2013. In 2013, I directed and edited a world changing film called Sea of Change, which was screened at the House of Lords on 3/12/2013. That was a truly amazing day and a new experience. Since that day, I saw how filmmaking can change the world. Fast forward to 2015 during my work experience in a TV company, I was developing my ideas for a future feature film at that time so I did test shoots with my Go Pro strapped to my chest in Amsterdam, took video with my smartphone to see how I can bring this film from concept to reality. A year later in 2016, I started shooting this film as I thought it’s about time that films cover and fully reflect many of the unique aspects of autism I experience that other people on television didn’t seem to cover, as I thought that if I made this film, it would improve my prospects of getting a job in media as that is a great dream for me. When I saw my feature film change the world in a similar fashion to how my earlier work with Sea of Change did, I felt astonished that my work could achieve so much in the face of unprecedented challenges and it all started with just one vision, a world that is more inclusive to people like me in all areas of life such as employment, relationships, cities,etc.

What difficulties did you encounter in getting the film made?

Sib: I encountered many difficulties such as trying to raise funds for this film as well so I spent a lot of my own money trying to get this film made, I also went into a fair amount of credit card debt to try and get this made, as I believed in my vision so much that this just has to be made. Finding people to talk to on camera as well as developing relationships with other people, story development challenges, lack of knowledge on certain areas of feature film production at the time.

What was easy and worked well in making the film?

Sib: The thing I found easy was developing my own vision for this film as I thought I could do something truly remarkable and that was inspired by a film I saw in 2015, called Point and Shoot by American filmmaker Matthew Van Dyke which shows him starting his journey which he dubbed ‘crash course to manhood’ as he lived with OCD and some other mental health issues. As I have autism this film really resonated with me because if someone with mental health challenges can make a successful film to raise awareness and get his story covered, then why not a person with a hidden disability like autism like me? I loved the days I would strap a Go Pro to my chest or my head and just try to film my story. I also discovered that I can use my iPhone to shoot parts of the film too, when I visit some places where people are camera shy or places that don’t allow DSLRs or other large cameras inside.

What was the most notable film you have watched recently and what take away did you get from it?

Sib: Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw I saw recently and I love it. I love how it’s action packed but at the same time tells a story of two people working together to save the world. As a man who’s changed the world twice with his documentaries, I’m sure my fans would appreciate my film interests and see how my influences in life all connect together in ways they didn’t expect.

Who are your heroes in real life?

Sib: Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock, Samuel Jackson, and Barack Obama.

Who is the “change maker” that inspires you?

Sib: The change maker who inspires me is Greta Thunberg as she also has autism yet she’s already changed the world with her climate change campaign and I want the world and employers to see what I can do.

“If you care about the future for independent filmmakers, then I hope you also will be inspired to contribute to this campaign. A pound or two, a dollar or two would be wonderful, even if it’s just to show your support. If you can manage larger sums, then it helps to deliver Sib’s vision. If you are autistic, if you care for or work with people with autism, you’ll know how important it is to educate both public bodies and the public to overcome the difficulties that are encountered on a daily basis by those with autism and that this film needs to be made and seen.” – Carole Manship (former Chair for The Producers Forum.)

Watch the full film here on Boon.tv

In the UK visit the National Autistic Society website for more information on Autism, and globally check out https://www.globalautismproject.org/.

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