JB: I bet! Did the trip change the lives of the participants, Yonatan? If so, in what ways?
YN: Asnat told me that before this journey, she used to just take Arie to the doctor or to the dentist or to buy shoes. Today, they will also go together to watch a film. Some of the protagonist told me that it helped them to finally understood their parents and what they had to go through.
For the guys with Down Syndrome - you just have to go on our facebook page and see their pictures from the screenings of the film. It's easy to see how proud they are.
JB: Several years have passed since the India trip. Have the participants kept in touch, gotten together?
YN: The participants are still in touch. They go on trips together sometimes, they have their WhatsApp group, they meet individually and all together. They really became like a family. They share the same story. It is also exciting to see how many other siblings from all over the world are getting in touch with us through our facebook page My Hero Brother, telling us they watched the film and felt that it tells their story. Some even wrote us that as a result of it, they decided to take their own special needs siblings on a trip together. At the end of the day, this is what matters to me most. I believe in the power of documentary filmmaking to change lives and make this world a better place.
JB: I watched a YouTube trailer for your film and in it you and Enosh talked about what you would like My Hero Brother to accomplish on a grander scale. I didn't see this in the film and or hear about it at the Q&A afterward. Please share your vision with us.
YN: I found out that usually the issue of brotherhood or sisterhood in families with special needs is untouched. Our dream is that this film will be only the beginning of something bigger. That it will serve as a platform for other people with Down Syndrome and their brothers and sisters to bond and get in touch with people who have similar stories to theirs.
We had this dream of creating an international digital platform which will be home for people with Down Syndrome and their siblings to share their stories and become a part of global community of people who feel that they are not alone and are proud of themselves. This is kind of happening already through our Facebook page.
JB: This is a great example of filmmaking for change; and the related activities and projects are taking it way beyond that. Anything you'd like to add before we wrap this up?
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