The storyline follows a girl with Down Syndrome who narrates her daily life from a personal point of view. Her relationships are explored, and how she deals with her "borders" with others. The major plot twist at the end adds to the already emotional storyline.
The story is engaging. It seems to portray the feelings of a person with Down Syndrome very accurately. I like how it focuses on her relationships with her mother and her peers, and how it shows the reality that many people have to face over a condition that they did not have any kind of control over. The major plot twist at the end is very emotional, and it shows two perspectives: one of the individuals with Down Syndrome as well as the perspective of those around them. This has a huge impact on how people do not know what is going on in someone's mind, and that judgment should not be the way to react over something that we are not familiar with.
The camera work is great. Some show the culture of Iran where the film takes place. As someone who is not familiar with Iranian culture, that is very interesting to observe it. The scenes between the daughter and the mother are touching, and show the unconditional love that parents should have toward their children, even if they have different situations than other children. The attire is typical of those that live in that part of the world. I really enjoyed the representation of the culture. The sets are very interesting. They show daily life in the country of Iran and include a variety of sets: home, school, streets and similar. The background music enhances each scene, as it changes according to emotions in each scene. When the actress feels discriminated against and lonely, the music became slow and low. When she talks with her mother or does something that made her happy, the music wistful joyful and uplifting.
The actors all deliver great performances. The relationship between the mother and the daughter is particularly well portrayed and shows their warm relationship. The little girl who is her friend is delightful. I was shocked when we discover that she is an imaginary friend. At no point of the movie did I question whether she was real or not.
There are two major messages of the film. The first one is that people with Down Syndrome are not a burden or have any kind of restriction in living a regular life. They are not abnormal; they only have a different pace in life. They deserve the same treatment and respect as we all do as human beings in this planet. The second message is that people should not discriminate or feel threated by someone who looks different or behaves differently than they do. When they do, they create borders that are hard to deal with for those who already have other concerns in their lives.
This film made me want to learn more about Down Syndrome and all the progress that has been made into learning about the condition. Also, it created an interest in learning about individuals with Down Syndrome that have achieved things that were against the odds for them. The part when the girl is learning and practicing the piano was very moving for me. Now I know that the little friend was imaginary, which means that the main girl was alone when she was playing the piano. This means that she was in fact learning during the music class, but maybe she felt intimated by her classmates or was not given the opportunity to practice like the others. By playing the piano alone, it shows that she has a functional mind that remembers the classes (just like everyone else) and that she really wants to do something for herself, something that makes her happy. It is a touchingly beautiful scene. I could not find any information on the actors, so I cannot comment on them individually.
I give Borderless 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. This film shows a condition that can happen in any family in the world. By showing this movie, exposure to the topic can create education in how to act and how to think about individuals with Down Syndrome. They are humans just as anyone else, and they deserve respect, opportunities and social interactions just like we all do. This would be particularly well suited for a festival that addresses human potential. Reviewed by David O., KIDS FIRST! Juror
The storyline follows a girl with Down Syndrome who narrates her daily life from a personal point of view. Her relationships are explored, and how she deals with her "borders" with others. The major plot twist at the end adds to the already emotional storyline.
The story is engaging. It seems to portray the feelings of a person with Down Syndrome very accurately. I like how it focuses on her relationships with her mother and her peers, and how it shows the reality that many people have to face over a condition that they did not have any kind of control over. The major plot twist at the end is very emotional, and it shows two perspectives: one of the individuals with Down Syndrome as well as the perspective of those around them. This has a huge impact on how people do not know what is going on in someone's mind, and that judgment should not be the way to react over something that we are not familiar with.
The camera work is great. Some show the culture of Iran where the film takes place. As someone who is not familiar with Iranian culture, that is very interesting to observe it. The scenes between the daughter and the mother are touching, and show the unconditional love that parents should have toward their children, even if they have different situations than other children. The attire is typical of those that live in that part of the world. I really enjoyed the representation of the culture. The sets are very interesting. They show daily life in the country of Iran and include a variety of sets: home, school, streets and similar. The background music enhances each scene, as it changes according to emotions in each scene. When the actress feels discriminated against and lonely, the music became slow and low. When she talks with her mother or does something that made her happy, the music wistful joyful and uplifting.
The actors all deliver great performances. The relationship between the mother and the daughter is particularly well portrayed and shows their warm relationship. The little girl who is her friend is delightful. I was shocked when we discover that she is an imaginary friend. At no point of the movie did I question whether she was real or not.
There are two major messages of the film. The first one is that people with Down Syndrome are not a burden or have any kind of restriction in living a regular life. They are not abnormal; they only have a different pace in life. They deserve the same treatment and respect as we all do as human beings in this planet. The second message is that people should not discriminate or feel threated by someone who looks different or behaves differently than they do. When they do, they create borders that are hard to deal with for those who already have other concerns in their lives.
This film made me want to learn more about Down Syndrome and all the progress that has been made into learning about the condition. Also, it created an interest in learning about individuals with Down Syndrome that have achieved things that were against the odds for them. The part when the girl is learning and practicing the piano was very moving for me. Now I know that the little friend was imaginary, which means that the main girl was alone when she was playing the piano. This means that she was in fact learning during the music class, but maybe she felt intimated by her classmates or was not given the opportunity to practice like the others. By playing the piano alone, it shows that she has a functional mind that remembers the classes (just like everyone else) and that she really wants to do something for herself, something that makes her happy. It is a touchingly beautiful scene. I could not find any information on the actors, so I cannot comment on them individually.
I give Borderless 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. This film shows a condition that can happen in any family in the world. By showing this movie, exposure to the topic can create education in how to act and how to think about individuals with Down Syndrome. They are humans just as anyone else, and they deserve respect, opportunities and social interactions just like we all do. This would be particularly well suited for a festival that addresses human potential. Reviewed by David O., KIDS FIRST! Juror
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