'The Stimming Pool' rethinks film-making through neurodivergent lens

LONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Five autistic artists take audiences on a visceral journey through the world as they perceive it in "The Stimming Pool", a hybrid documentary feature screening at the London Film Festival.

The members of the Neurocultures Collective steer a production built around a series of stories and scenes, some focused on vivid sensations including one set in a booming pub. "It's kind of our way of taking control of our own story on our own narrative," collective member and co-director Georgia Bradburn told Reuters.

"We veer away from the neurotypical structures of filmmaking with the linearity and character alignment and all of these things. It's more about these sprawling stories and narratives that make sense from an autistic viewpoint of the world."

The stories include one following a woman taking an eye-tracking test and another of a B-movie fan wanting to make a gory film. The film also focuses on stimming - repetitive actions including rocking or moving hands that people can use to channel energy or express themselves.

"Stimming has had negative connotations because of how autism and disability have been pathologized as something that is kind of like a bad behavior or something that needs to be suppressed," Bradburn said.

"A lot of autistic people have learned to mask their stims and feel restrained, and a huge anchor for ‘The Stimming Pool’ and the goal we wanted to create with this film was how do we show this loosening of these restraints." The film has no over-arching narration or background explanation. Some scenes show people stimming, often in public places including at a spin class.

"We had an almost entirely autistic cast, a high proportion of the crew are neurodivergent," said co-director Steven Eastwood, who worked with the collective.

“We'd like to think about how the film can have an impact; not only in what it does on the screen... but also in how it was made and hopefully we can share more inclusive filmmaking models,” he said. The London Film Festival runs from October 9 to October 20 and will feature several relaxed screenings for neurodivergent audiences.