Filmmaker Statement

You Know How He Is a snapshot of one of my own memories. When I was nine I experienced a pivotal moment in my relationship with my brother, who is on the Autism Spectrum. We were attending a social event, where my mother’s expectation was that I look out for my younger brother at all times. I remember feeling the weight of responsibility in that moment - and a surge of rebellion against it. I remember wanting to be in a ‘normal’ family, wanting the emotional freedom to be selfish and free like other kids my age. When I wrote this short film, I wanted to explore the challenges of being a sibling to someone with a disability, and even more potently, to explore that these difficulties were small compared to those that my brother was experiencing. My aim was to direct the film as if it were from a child’s perspective, with low and tight shots to capture the emotional landscape of the kids, though not intentionally manipulative to the audience. I wanted the audience to become observers