Gravity Zero is an original microfilm.
The story centers on Christine, the older sister who takes care of her brother Xiao Sen (小森) who has a mild form of autism. One day, Xiao Sen sees a dance troupe practicing a hip hop routine. This new style of dance inspires him; and by dancing, he learns how to be expressive and communicate his passion.
Autism Awareness
This was the first Taiwanese microfilm ever tied to a social campaign. The campaign’s goal was to raise funds and awareness about autism, which is a particularly important issue in Taiwan. Between 2010 and 2011, there was over a 10% growth rate of the people diagnosed with the disease. The film, along with the Syin-Lu Social Welfare Foundation (心路基金會), created a special fund to raise $30,000 (NT) for autism treatment and education.
Gravity Zero isn’t the first film dedicated to raising awareness about autism in Taiwan. For more Taiwanese movies about autism, check out Children from the Distant Planet (遙遠星球的孩子), a series of documentaries including the three films “Ocean Heaven,” “Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars,” and “When Love Comes” by directors from Taiwan and China.
Trailer
Movie Part 1
Movie Part 2
Behind the Scenes
Official Song
Jade’s Review
Stars: Christine 姐姐—played by Christine Fan (范瑋琪) (aka Fan Fan 范范) and Li Yisen (李逸森) played by newcomer Chihtian Shih (石知田) both did a pretty good job. Though, I was more impressed by Chihtian’s performance as an autistic 18 year old.
Entertainment Review: This is a short microfilm with only 30 minutes shared over two episodes. The dancing was good. I thought the two minor subplots were a bit unnecessary. But overall, it told an fairly interesting story. Fan Fan sang the theme song.
Language: Intermediate+ (autism, hip hop, store clerking)