Representational risks associated with interview-based animated documentaries

Abstract

This article provides an analysis of representational issues associated with interview-based animated documentary productions directed by non-autistic filmmakers, attempting to represent one or more autistic participants. The article draws insights from three case studies: A Is for Autism ( Webb 1992) , An Alien in the Playground ( Glynne 2009) and the author’s own practice-based research film, Drawing on Autism ( Widdowson 2021). Drawing insights from psychoanalysis, film theory and ethnography, the article will examine animated documentary practice in terms of the risks of Othering participants, look for evidence of the filmmaker’s unconscious bias and consider how the cinematic gaze can be used to decode ideological systems that informed their construction. From this analysis, the author reaches the conclusion that the properties of documentaries, that rely on animation rather than live-action cinematography, present a specific set of ethical responsibilities that skew towards issues of representation.