About this Short Film
No description available for this film.
Film Details
Country:
Australia
State:
New South Wales
Category:
Open Entrant Documentaries
Genre:
Personal Story
Festival Year:
2026
Filmmaker:
Alex Sideratos
Film Transcript
Independence means that you can live by yourself. You don't need help from other people. You can manage your own life easily with no complications.
Driving feels a lot easier than talking to people. I like staying indoors away from everyone. I'm a social outcast.
At two years of age, Demetri was diagnosed with autism. At the very beginning he wasn't verbal; he didn't really talk. We had to use picture cards to communicate with him, and you could actually see his frustration when communicating because he wanted things but he just didn't know how to say it. He would look at something and expect you to understand what he wanted, and if you didn't give it to him in time there was a meltdown. So at the very, very beginning I honestly didn't think he would drive or ride a bike. I guess I did underestimate him somewhat at first, but he proved me completely wrong.
I feel like the car kind of shuts the world up for me a little bit. It's like a little safe place for me. You've got doors and windows blocking out the outside, people or whatever. You can't really hear anyone outside; it kind of just creates this own little world for me. In here is my little safe bubble. No one comes in my bubble.
"What do you think people don't understand about autism?" "Not answering those ones." "Why?" "I don't want to." "Why?" "Nothing about my disability. I want to forget that."
I thought it was a superpower. I didn't know it was a disability. I hate it. Why? 'Cause it makes me socially awkward and whatever. I feel cheated out of my childhood because of it. I never had a proper high school life 'cause I was so different. I was treated differently. Teachers had to treat me differently because I wasn't normal. I got into trouble a lot in primary school. In Year Seven and Year Eight I got in trouble quite a bit. Year Nine and Year Ten were better.
I am the most socially awkward person in the world. Let me tell you, I cannot feel comfortable with myself outside talking with people because I get all these thoughts like, "Oh, what does this person think of me? Oh, this guy's weird," or yada yada yada. So, you're really concerned about what other people think of you somewhat. Yeah. I feel different from other people because I am a very weird kid. I've always been that kind of odd one out since I was growing up. I was never able to fit in quite nicely with everyone else. Everyone thought I was a weirdo, which I was. So, props to them. They caught it before I did.
I didn't pick baking as a career. It chose me. I went looking for work and found a job at Bakers of Light that was open. I applied for it and did a 12-hour shift at 3:00 a.m., which I thought was nuts. It turned out to be pretty cool. I'm one of the best bakers there. I'm actually the head baker.
When Demetri first started working as a baker, I saw a major change in him. His confidence just went through the roof. It brought him out of his shell. He started becoming a lot more social as well.
Eventually, I want a relationship in my life. Maybe not now because I'm young and still working on myself and I'm still an immature little kid inside. But maybe one day I'll have a look around and see if I can find a potential partner.
If I had to choose between having a connection with a person or having complete peace, I would immediately choose peace. I don't have to worry about anyone else. It's just me. I'm an introvert. I hate having people around me. I'd rather just have a world—if there was an Earth with just me in it, I would thrive.
Filmmaker
Alex Sideratos is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Alex Sideratos.
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