About this Short Film
Les Amis - Take Your Dreams Seriously, by Jean-Louis Hetu and Brodie Lunn, is a 2021 Australian short that sits naturally within the Focus on Ability festival. The film touches on themes including autism, cognitive processing disability, employment, friendship, intellectual disability and the transition to young adulthood. Rather than spelling out a plot, it offers moments that invite viewers to notice hopes, small challenges and the supports that matter. Presented with care and respect, the filmmakers give space to voices and experiences often overlooked. This is a quiet, human portrait that fits our programme’s aim of celebrating ability, dignity and everyday achievement.
Film Details
Country:
Australia
State:
South Australia
Category:
Open Entrant Documentaries
Genre:
Personal Story
Festival Year:
2021
Filmmaker:
Jean-Louis Hetu & Brodie Lunn
Film Transcript
Is it fair to say that as we journeyed together over about 17 years, they've probably known each other that long? These two people have almost as much time together as two kids going through the same school system together. And outside school activities — well, technically my son's never had school activities because he's homeschooled — but yes, they journeyed together and shared a lot of time. The families have been able to support these young men in swimming, riding bicycles and doing things out in the community, even in special projects. They're young adults; work is important in life.
So what's happening with your family? How are you achieving some of these goals with work, with Brodie? Brodie's my son, he's 22, and while he was still at school we practised and we took him out on weekends to do lawn mowing. As a family we taught him the skills that he needed for doing mowing as a job. When he finished school we set him up a little business and from there it's grown. He now has himself and two of his friends that go out mowing with him with support workers, so there's now three support workers and three young men on the spectrum that all go out mowing Monday through to Thursday.
Jumbo, this pin is in commemoration of your five years, and your mum can help you with that a little bit later. This certificate is to commemorate that and recognises the good work that you've done in that library, and we appreciate it. So thank you.
And then we finally ventured into, you know, the money area. We invested in a bed and breakfast and we got, generally, after he learned his skills to take care of his own bed and to clean up his own room, we've now transferred that into a work skill. Now that project is at John Inspiration House — since you're aware of it, you've visited there.
The boys have done a lot together. They started with Sharing the Fun when they were not very old — sharing fun, managed by Penny Herbert, was probably the first in the same community. There were some events we may have run into each other before through the Western Area Autism Support Group that your parents found — a few Christmas parties and things that they did together. But their first, I think, community activity was the Sharing the Fun group where they did lots of little sporting activities. Then, probably not together but through birthday parties, swimming birthday parties and family parties, they got to share regular life in general as equal members of a family — going to people's 50ths.
Positive messages like "seize every moment, laugh every day, love" — the odd words. I wasn't going to not take him places because it was too hard for me or too hard for the community, because he had a right to go places and to do the things that he wanted to do. So we did — we always took him everywhere. I'm thinking of doing a movie called Les Me and it will be about what we're talking about in this meeting here today. It will show the journey that they've had together, and it'll show some more skills to show the friendship.
Filmmaker
Jean-Louis Hetu & Brodie Lunn is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Jean-Louis Hetu & Brodie Lunn.
?
6 comments
This is so very inspiring and heartwarming to see you all pushing up hills and see your beautiful creatures thriving through cement lush and colourful Bless and all the best
Great work wish you all the best
A feel good story hope you win.
The graphic effects at the start are really good I think.
If you can dream it you can do it. -Walt DisneyGreat video Jean-Louis and Brodie. GO FOR THE WIN
We the crew have tried to give a positive message of the journey of Autism. So dreams are just reality no one ever imagine until you live it. Community participation work skills and friendship all while on the spectrum.