This documentary chronicles a family's journey to Mongolia for shamanic treatment for their son Rowan's autism.
The family's unorthodox approach to addressing their son's needs seems like a recipe for greater turmoil, but during their journey across Mongolia on horse back things begin to change.
The documentary portrays a personal solution for a family in crisis. It isn't a one-size-fits-all recommendation that Shamanic horse tours of Mongolia will cure autism. Instead, the film shows layers of parental expectation, self-recrimination, and concerns about social perception falling away. During this process, these parents can more clearly see their child and their own needs and desires.
The Horse Boy tells a complex story of quiet change and the remarkable gifts of intentional living.
The movie leaves me hungry for quiet engagement with my own family. I hope you will watch it tonight on PBS. It's also currently available on Netflix's live streaming and Amazon. Jim and I both have much more to say about it after it has aired, and we'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
***Baby Toolkit isn't buying tickets to Mongolia any time soon, but these geek parents could certainly use a large dose of quiet perspective. Disclaimers: PBS sent us a free burned DVD of The Horse Boy for this review. We are not affiliated with PBS or the makers of this film. We are Amazon affiliates, so a portion of any purchases made through our links helps us get one step closer to our own corporate
Hey! Thanks for sharing. I'm so interested in this program. Read about the documentary a month or so ago & have been eagerly anticipating it!
ReplyDeleteWatched documentary Autism: The Musical a month ago & would highly recommend it, as well.
http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/autism-the-musical/index.html#/documentaries/autism-the-musical/synopsis.html
Borrowed Autism: The Musical from our public library. After viewing it myself, I shared selected parts of it with my older children, ages 9 & 7. They have several children with autism in their lives. They enjoyed what I shared, but some of the content is more mature (discussing the effect upon family's life, i.e. parents' relationships) than I felt I needed to share with them yet. But I wholeheartedly recommend the whole thing for adults/teens. :)