I am the same person, as well as you! Premiere of the film «the NOT the»

Something children with disability differ from contemporaries? Dream of something special? Unless laugh and they cry differently? But for some reason some adults insist: «disabled people should not be together with other children». Parents refuse own children with disability, hand over in orphanage, the school management refuses to them training together with other children. The film «the NOT the» how in practice the inklyuziya when children live in a family looks, study at usual school as are able to be on friendly terms, without dividing people into «» and «not the».

The film is created by request of ROOI "Prospect"

On May 21 in a big hall of Public chamber Russian Federation the Moscow premiere of the documentary film «the NOT the», devoted to life of children with disability in Russia has taken place, and also photo-exhibition of works of children with disability and without within the project «We build Bridges – Cameras in Hands of Children».

In a hall of Public chamber Russian Federation along walls stands with photographs have settled down. Authors – children some of them with disability. Among guests the young man with such radiant infectious smile that was involuntarily remembered – «solar people» has been appreciable. This is the hero of the film Aristov Yura.

Aristov Yura – the hero of the film «the NOT the»

– These are your photoworks, Yury?
– Well and, there is my physiognomy, see? It everything was removed by me and my friends. In a photoworkshop with us Ashkhen was engaged.
– And than still like to be engaged?
– Yes all!
– To prepare, for example, love?
– I can something!
– And to float?
– To float I am not able yet.
– Favourite cinema?
– "Titanic"
– And favourite book?
– "Harry Potter".

Yura and photographer Ashkhen

In the film his mother will tell that in maternity hospital her persuaded to refuse the son, assuring that it will be as vegetable and if she teaches to bring it by ten years of a slipper, it will be a great achievement. In the same place in the film Yury will tell about the dream: that schools were more perfect – everywhere there were ramps. And still Yura dreams to help children with disability, to teach them to English. By the way, the pupil from Yura’s inclusive class, the ordinary boy, admitted that at possibility would write off control at Yura because Yura knows English better it.

Besides children with disability and their parents, and also experts in a subject, on a premiere of the film there was the director Olga Arlauskas, scriptwriter Gayane Petrosyan, artist-animator Paulina Grekova, producer Nikita Tikhonov-Rau, the co-ordinator of the ROOI "Prospect" inclusive direction of Julius Simonov, Evgeny Voskoboynikov’s journalist, the member of Public chamber Elena Topoleva, and also heroes of the film – Dzhennet Bazarova, Yura Aristov and Serezha Ryabtsev.

Scriptwriter Gayane Petrosyan, director Olga Arlauskas, producer Nikita Tikhonov-Rau

The co-ordinator of the ROOI "Prospect" inclusive direction of Julius Simonov has told about how the idea of creation of the film was born: «We have decided to shoot this film when worked according to the project «Movement creation for inclusive education in Russia» which passed three years in six regions of Russia with EU support. We would like to show to people usual life of children with disability, their hobbies, dream, ability, study, friendship, to explain that at children with disability and without more general, than differences. Besides, we put a problem by means of this film to overcome fears of pedagogical community and parents, having shown them in practice as inclusive education works. Our purpose – to inform society on need of inclusion of children with disability in educational process, to show that these children want and can study together with the contemporaries without disability, study and be on friendly terms. Therefore this film» has been shot.

Co-ordinator of the ROOI "Prospect" inclusive direction of Julius Simonov

Julia has added that she as the person with disability, feels that a lot of things in society changes, namely – the relation to disabled people. But all the same it is necessary to make much that people with disability became high-grade members of our society. By the way, in the film Evgeny Voskoboynikov’s journalist has told that many people do not love the word "disabled person", but she does not see in it anything terrible: «Though by a pot me call, but I am the same person as well as you».

Evgeny Voskoboynikov

The director Olga Arlauskas admitted that work on the film was for a film crew not film production, and a civil act. Olga has hoped that the film will get on the big screen and that at people who heard nothing about an inklyuziya and at all did not see people with disability (and such people, strangely enough, much), in consciousness revolution will be made.

Elena Topoleva (the member of Public chamber) has assured that members of Public chamber and authorities are engaged in a subject of change of the relation to people with disability much.

In the film many thorny questions are lifted: refusal of parents of children with disability, assignment of nonexistent diagnoses – «the more at you diagnoses, the is less than responsibility for to what you will teach», unwillingness of people to be near disabled people – whether it be the pool, school or a yard. But, nevertheless, authors of the film could sustain true intonation: not to roll down in terrible dramatic nature and at the same time not to turn a subject into an optimistical popular print.

Producer Nikita Tikhonov-Rau has hoped that the film will have big life and it will be seen by people who make decisions, i.e. officials and representatives of power structures.

Discussion of the film was very live. It wanted to much to express. Someone has agreed with authors, someone has considered that it is much more problems, than is shown in the film, someone looks at an inklyuziya with optimism, someone is not present, but all were unanimous in one: heroes of the film are magnificent in the sincerity, openness, honesty, purity.

Dzhennet Bazarova, the heroine of the film, has told that there is nothing terrible that children approach and ask it, why it in a wheelchair. She considers that children can understand it better, than adults who for some reason are afraid of special children. Serezha Ryabtsev too has agreed, it is possible what to ask, after all other children should understand, why it is difficult to them to go. And here adults should listen to children and to be more delicate.

Julius Simonov

Authors of the film, participants of photo-exhibition have been awarded by diplomas and flowers.

Ashkhen, the photographer, the volunteer, the organizer of photo-exhibition, has told that does not consider children with disability any special. «It is ordinary children – someone more talented, someone less. I have not seen at them any complexes. It is simple children. Normal children».

The film is created by request of ROOI "Prospect" with financial support of the European Union within the project «Movement creation for inclusive education in Russia» studio of documentary cinema of "Artvideo", specialising on creation of films of sharp social subject, among which sensational films "Brand" (as has been removed by request of ROOI "Prospect") and «In a miss».

Text and Tamara Amelina’s photo