Tying Your Own Shoes

a documentary film by Shira Avni
National Film Board of Canada, 2009
$69.95, 16 min 11 sec (total footage: 42 min 50 sec) colour, ages 8+
www.nfb.ca

The title “Tying Your Own Shoes” is a reference to a comment made by one of the participants in the making of this film—she said that when she was born with Down syndrome, her parents were afraid that she wouldn’t ever be able to tie her own shoes (clearly, this fear was unfounded). Using narration and animation, the film illustrates the stories of four adult artists whose lives have been influenced by Down syndrome. Unlike other films that have explored the syndrome, this film allows the four participants to tell their stories with their own words and illustrations—it is an exploration of life by Petra (age 36), Matthew (age 22), Katherine (age 22) and Daninah (age 41), rather than about them.