TRIBECA 2024 // A FILM REVIEW OF “MAKAYLA’S VOICE: A LETTER TO THE WORLD”
BY MATEO MORENO
As an Autistic person myself, I’m always drawn to other Neurodivergent or Autistic stories, so the moment I read about MAKAYLA’S VOICE: A LETTER TO THE WORLD, I knew instantly I had to write about it. This short documentary, which premiered as part of the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, features Makayla Cain, an autistic teenager girl and her story to be heard. She has a rare form of Autism, making her essentially non-verbal and her parents have worked tirelessly to find better ways to communicate with Makayla. Just eight months before the documentary begins, the family finally finds a brilliant way of communicating by way of Letter Board Therapy. It’s a way to supplement verbal communication and with the help of a therapist, Makayla is able to fully speak her mind and communicate with her family and those around her. And boy does she have a lot to say.
This touching documentary showcases Makayla as she should be showcased: as a brilliant young woman who is NOT SILENT. With the help of narration by a voice over artist (a voice that Makayla picks out herself), we hear her words and they are beautifully poetic. She speaks “letters” to her mother and father, telling them about her. Her likes and dislikes, her inner thoughts. She beautifully communicates that she feels connected to the painter Vincent Van Gough, as he was trapped in his emotions like she feels trapped in her body. Both, however, found a glorious way to speak their mind. She wants to be a writer and I cannot wait to her what else she has to say. Director Julio Palacio does a pitch-perfect job of showcasing Makayla and her family and never treating Autism as if it’s something that should be feared, looked down upon or cured. She’s a poet that simply communicates differently than most, and she has a lifetime to make whatever she wants to in this world (and I know she will). Advances like the Letter Board is often a life saving technique, along with true human dignity, in an Autistic person’s life. Her brain, she says, is a big sponge soaking up the world and she is taking in all of the world often at a much faster speed than most. Her parents have established the “Makayla Moving Autism Foundation,” helping families of color with Autism awareness and knowledge. Makayla’s voice is powerful, necessary, and important. I’m honored to have heard it.
GRADE: A
SCREENPLAY BY Julio Palacio & Makayla Cain DIRECTED BY Julio Palacio FEATURING Makayla Cain, Khari Cain, Mañana Cain, Roxy Sewell FEATURED AS PART OF THE 2024 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE FILM: MAKAYLA’S VOICE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE FOUNDATION: MAKAYLA MOVING AUTISM FOUNDATION