In the short film, 47, the audience follows a boy with Down Syndrome as he grows into a man. While most disabilities are underrepresented in media, Down Syndrome is among the most underrepresented. Either people with Down Syndrome are left out of the conversation of disability representation, or the representation is horrible. They’re often infantilized, shown to be like children, an offensive portrayal. In 47, the creators worked with artists with Down Syndrome to ensure that the film represented them accurately and respectfully.
47: A Short Film
The clay stop-motion animation begins by showing us the main character as a child. He is at a community pool and is denied the ability to play with the other children. They point and laugh at him, saying “Not you”, a theme that is common throughout the four-minute film.
We watch as Robert goes through his life and attempts to participate in normal milestones that people would have. Trying out for the basketball team, getting a date to prom, and trying to get his first job, all of which he is denied. The job is at an Italian restaurant and the opening is for the front of the house, but he is told that the job is not for him. Instead, Robert is given cleaning tools, indicating that he’s being offered a job where he doesn’t have to be seen instead.
He refuses this job and continues on his journey. At the age of 47, Robert gets his first real job at a cafe where he is seen, where he works in the front and isn’t hidden away. The emotional aspect of this beautiful story is accentuated by the song, “Carry On” by fun.
Behind The Scenes Of 47
The process for creating this short film included many people with Down Syndrome. The representation was there in the creation of the clay figures, the re-recording of the music, and the sound design. One of the creators of the film, Andrea Bistany, spoke about working with the community to create the best possible film.
She said, “We always said that we were making this film, not for the Down Syndrome community, but with the Down Syndrome community.” Co-creator and director Amy Fortunato, also spoke about the plot of the film and the intention of its creation, “Our story’s main character, Robert, is inspired by a real person with Down Syndrome who got his first job at the age of 47. That’s what the title mainly represents. But there is a ton of symbolism and metaphor in our story as well.”
Fortunado goes on to describe the yellow boat sail that accompanies Robert throughout his life journey until the end where he finally gets his job, then it changes. She said, “The boat sail, for example, represents Robert’s mother’s wisdom and her belief in him, supporting him on his journey.”
Final Thoughts
Creating media that represent minority communities is important. People need to be able to see themselves on screen in a positive and uplifting light. 47 does that and more with its message. It also shows the small ways that people might discount or mistreat people with Down Syndrome, intentionally or not, and how damaging that can be to someone.
In the film, Robert never gave up and he never accepted less. He faced each challenge with determination until he finally reached the end of his journey. That is a powerful message for everyone, but especially people with Down Syndrome. The fact that the community was so involved in the creation of this film showed a genuine effort of inclusion on the directors’ part. It’s an inspirational and powerful watch.
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