Hi. I’m Pete. The light out there, on the other side of the invisible glass,
is unbearably bright. Every step I take toward it is
incredibly difficult. The outside world blinds, deafens, and frightens me with its strange
rules that I don’t understand. But out there, somewhere, there
must be a window of hope that will lead me to other people. One page, and
another. One foot before the other. I am here, I’m not there.
I’ll reach the light, stair by stair.
SHOTS
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Evgeny Golovin:«Playing in my neighborhood as a child, I occasionally met other children who were somehow „different“. In those days, none of us knew much about people with autism spectrum disorder. It wasn’t something you talked about. These people were thought of as „freaks“. At best, they were ignored; at worst — laughed at. Later, as an adult working in a creative profession, I got to know many „neurodivergent“ individuals, and I saw how talented they can be. Their unusual way of thinking means they make remarkable artists, musicians, writers, and even academics. I regret that when I was young, no one told us how to be around people like this, or how we could help them. These days, I’m happy to see things gradually changing. I hope our audience will enjoy our film. I hope it will show them that you can find a friend even in a person who is not like you at all.»
Alexander Afonasiev:«Nature is a cruel and cynical beast. It makes no difference whether you’re good or bad, strong or weak, talented or not. To somehow survive, all you and your species can do is adapt. Each of us is in one way or another encased in our own exoskeleton. For some, it is thicker; for others — almost impossible to see. The world doesn’t care: it is equally harsh on everyone. Creativity is an extremely egoistic process during which the artist is primarily occupied with delving into their own self. In this film, I looked for myself in Pete and his mom: I thought about them, pitied them, scolded them, and loved them. I found more questions than answers. Being Pete is not such a terrifying thing; we all have a little bit of Pete in us. Eventually, you learn to get along with it. It is rather harder for the people who love Pete, who are unable to get any aspect of their lives under control, simply because that’s how the stars aligned. The biggest tragedy in this film may be hidden off screen, but it is not forgotten. This film is my directorial debut. I learned many things, including things I didn’t expect. I am grateful I had the opportunity.»
SCREENWRITER
Mariya Parfenova:«A child is born and seems like any other child, and everything goes just as you might expect. But as he grows, you begin to notice that something isn’t right. It’s as if you live in different dimensions, in two worlds separated by an invisible wall. You can see and hear each other, but the understanding isn’t there. That’s when things start to get really scary. How are you going to understand this child with autistic spectrum disorder? How will you get inside his world and accept him for who he is? How can you help him adapt to everyday life? These feelings and questions are the beginning of a long and difficult road towards each other. That’s where our film begins, too. I truly believe that there is a place for everyone in this big wide world, if people would only be a little kinder and more tolerant of the differences they see in others.»
CREATIVE TEAM
Alexander Afonasyev
Stage director
Anton Smetankin
Producer
Natalia Kozlova
Executive Producer
Alena Romashkina
Production designer
Dmitry 2Dcube Larionov
Composer
Poster
