We came across ‘Ian’ recently and were really touched by this short film that came out of a real mother’s campaign for education on inclusivity. ‘Ian’ is the short film every child needs to watch:

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Ian was born with cerebral palsy. Like everyone else, he wants to have friends. But unlike others, he needs to work harder to get access. Every time he tries to join the other kids in the playground, a wind sweeps him back and through the fence, his body disintegrating into pieces, then recomposing on the outer side.

Discrimination, bullying and indifference are all striving to keep him away from his beloved playground. But Ian doesn’t give up easily.

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The film is inspired by a real nine-year-old called Ian, who also suffers from cerebral palsy. Ian, who lives in Argentina, is “very intelligent” but can’t move or talk. Ian communicates via a special computer which aligns letters with his eyes. According to his mother Sheila, Ian attends a regular school, is in 4th grade, and has lots of friends.

Sheila started a campaign to educate people about inclusivity when she realized that the need for inclusion was bigger than one playground. She wrote a book and founded Fundación Ian to change thousands of minds and attitudes about people with disabilities.

She then approached MundoLoco, a top digital animation studio in Latin America, about creating an animated film to deliver the message of inclusion to a global audience.

Ian is not alone. In the world, there are more than a billion people with some form of disability. Inclusion is vital for our society – it makes us richer, more diverse and more just.

‘Ian’ has made the final list for 2019 Best Animated Short Film Oscar.

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Did you enjoy watching ‘Ian’? What do you think of every child watching it? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!