Why Does This Film Need to Be Made Now?

Autism is accelerating into the child epidemic of our times. One child in one hundred and sixty six is now affected, and the numbers rise every year. As scientists struggle to understand this phenomenon, and find treatments, both the need for new treatments and need to address the root causes – many of them environmental – have become acute for millions of parents and relatives of autistic children. Heavy metals in the air and water appear to be exacerbating the condition, necessitating a need for government to enact stricter controls of pollution. At the same time, animal and nature-based therapies are proving to be integral, indeed vital, to complement medical, speech and occupational therapies. The Horse Boy will examine the root causes of autism and show how the orthodox treatments, when combined with nature and animal-based therapy and play can result in dramatic recovery for autistic children. There is an urgent need for this information and inspiration. The Horse Boy is a film that Western society desperately needs, and it needs it now.

photos by Justin Jin, www.justinjin.com