Music: Sia criticised for casting Maddie Ziegler as autistic teen
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Why has Sia been criticised for her new film?
The trailer for 'Music', a film produced by the singer Sia and featuring dancer Maddie Ziegler as a teenager with autism, has just been released.
But there has already been a lot of discussion, including criticism, about how autism has been portrayed in the film.
People have also been questioning why Sia decided to cast Maddie - who doesn't have autism - as the main character, instead of an actor who does.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - its medical name - is the name for a range of conditions which affect how a person communicates and interacts with the world around them, as well as their interests and behaviour.
It's not a disease or an illness, but a condition that somebody is born with.
Sia is calling the project a "cinematic experience," and it also stars well known actors like Kate Hudson and Leslie Odom Jr.
In the trailer Maddie's character Music is seen using a tablet to communicate.
Actress Bronagh Waugh wrote on social media: "Hi Sia, can I ask why you didn't cast a disabled actor for this part?"
"It's pretty offensive the way you've chosen to portray this character. People with disabilities are not broken and don't need fixing."
But Sia has defended her choices, replying to Bronagh's comment to say: "I've never referred to [the character Music] as disabled.
"Special abilities is what I've always said, and casting someone at her level of functioning was cruel, not kind, so I made the executive decision that we would do our best to lovingly represent the community."
However Jane Harris, from the National Autistic Society, told Newsround: "We are worried that Sia said that an autistic actor couldn't act in her film.
We know and have worked with many talented autistic actors and we think they should have had a chance to play the part of an autistic character.
Sia has said she did hire "special abilities kids" to work on the film, including one girl on the autistic spectrum, before casting Maddie,
But Sia said this actress found working on the film "unpleasant and stressful".
Criticism has also come from Helen Zbihlyj, who herself identifies as an autistic actor.
She wrote back to say: "Several autistic actors, myself included, responded to these tweets. We all said we could have acted in it on short notice. These excuses are just that - excuses.
"The fact of the matter is zero effort was made to include anyone who is actually autistic. #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs."
Sia seems annoyed at the criticism, saying: "Why don't you watch my film before you judge it?"
Jane Harris from the National Autistic Society, says that that while there are around 700,000 autistic people in the UK they are affected very differently, with some needing "24 hour care" while "others can live independently and work".
Greta Thunberg - "I have Asperger's and that means I'm sometimes a bit different from the norm. And - given the right circumstances -being different is a superpower."
She told Newsround: "Many people learn about what life is like for autistic people through film and TV shows. So they need to be realistic so people really understand the challenges autistic people face - and the contribution they can make to our society.
"We urge all TV and film companies to consult autistic people in the writing process so that the stories they tell explain well what it's like to be autistic. This will help to create a society that works for the 1 in 100 of us that are autistic."
- Published15 October 2018
- Published11 February 2015
