What Is Dyslexia?

Bluesky

If you look up ‘dyslexia’ online, you’ll find page after page describing it as a disability, even though this is out of step with modern thinking. Kyra Bartley’s exquisitely realised short film invites viewers to realise what this means for a child receiving such a diagnosis. When she also reads that she’s going to be dyslexic for life, Lola (Hope Day) plunges into despair – literally (at least as she perceives it). Falling through the floor of her school library, she finds herself in a dark, unhappy place, but then she is rescued by an inventor who reveals some of the advantages that come with thinking differently.

Most dyslexic people have at some point in childhood experienced a similar sense of despair, whether or not their difference acquired a diagnosis. Although this film is primarily aimed at kids, it also takes older viewers’ needs into account, and is gorgeously animated in a style likely to captivate viewers of any age. It also has the advantage of support from some big name stars, with Jeremy Irons playing the inventor and Liv Tyler turning up as a film director who shows our heroine that you don’t need to write to tell stories.

It’s unlikely that all young viewers will be familiar with Muhammad Ali and Henry Ford, the famous dyslexic figures Lola meets, or Leonardo Da Vinci, who also gets a reference, but this isn’t essential to following the story. It provides a hook for parents to discuss the film with their children and look up more information together (though there’s plenty about Ford that might be better forgotten).

With a carefully measured pace and a lot of focus on light and movement, the imagery here will be particularly effective at engaging young dyslexic people’s minds. The story is very simple but it delivers a powerful, emotionally-focused message. Importantly, it never patronises viewers. Childhood is presented as a time full of opportunities, and as Lola recovers her confidence, her naturally playful spirit asserts itself. There’s a recognition of that special kind of pleasure that comes when children realise that some adults remember how to play too.

It is Bartley’s hope that this film can be successful enough to turn up at the top of future searches, so it serves a practical purpose. Instead of feeling crushed, children querying this term in future can begin engaging with it as an adventure.

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