About this Short Film
Seaford Disability Unit’s Ben Whitehead: What a Wonderful World (Australia, 2019) is a short film included in the Focus on Ability festival. It explores themes of autism and cognitive processing disability, and touches on goals, individual growth, school life and singing. With a gentle, respectful approach, the film offers a personal look at teenage experience and aspiration. It invites audiences to consider ability and identity through everyday moments rather than spectacle. This film sits well alongside other works in the festival that celebrate achievement and reveal the small successes that matter in daily life.
Film Details
Film Transcript
I'm a twin; his name is Anthony. He has autism too, but he's a bit different to me. He has different structures to me. He gets a bit agitated when it's time to come in sometimes and a bit stressed when he forgets which day it is. If it's Thursday he sometimes thinks it's Friday. When I leave school, I don't know—maybe I want to become a singer actually, make a lot of money, make people proud and be on TV, like Foxtel, on the music charts in Australia and be on the big TV screen.
What it was like growing up with Anthony was very tough. It was very easy actually because I was used to him straightaway when I was born. He's the older brother—I'm the second born. He used to scare us a lot when he used to run away. It was very life threatening and very sad because he used to escape from the babysitter even though she broke the toilet seat. I mean, no—what happened was, the story is she opened the door and then Anthony runs out. Her chest was bouncing like a balloon down the street. It was so funny. She was like a penguin walking on ice.
I love my brother. Even though people stare at him, I don't really care what they think. He's my brother and at the end of the day I'm there to support him, to help him out as much as I can, and that just shows how much of a brother I am. I don't let people be mean to him—I just say, "Hey, leave him alone, he's got problems." You don't understand that living with an autistic child like my brother Anthony is tough.
This is my brother Anthony. He is very funny. He likes eating Nutella. If you've got autism, don't let people bring you down—you have to fight for what's yours. I'm going to be that singer that will inspire a lot of children with disabilities and help them out, to do a fundraiser for them. So I want to be the first male student that's got a disability with autism to help these people out. Having a disability doesn't mean you can't reach your dreams—you can still do everything. If people look at you weird, you say, "No, I don't care; I'm good at myself and I'm a beautiful individual."
Thanks for watching. Hope you enjoy my video. Yeah, I love you guys.
Filmmaker
Seaford Disability Unit is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Seaford Disability Unit.
Ben your voice is magical and the love and passion you have for your brother is evident. It is a privilege to know you.
Your voice truly makes people stop and listen Ben. You are magic on the stage and an inspiring young man.
So proud of you Ben
What a beautiful voice great video Ben