OK, Let's Talk About Me (ATOM Study Guide)

OK, Let's Talk About Me is a documentary film, suitable for secondary and tertiary students, that tells the story of Eddie Jenkinson, a seventeen-year-old boy with Down syndrome. The film traces Eddie's journey to independence as he prepares to turn eighteen. Eddie is about to finish school and start work. The documentary explores Eddie's choices and the control he asserts over his own existence.

The film reveals that people with Down syndrome strive to accomplish the same goals as everyone else. Eddie's family and friends are interviewed in the film and he is shown working at Bedford Industries, a supported work place, where Eddie could possibly work full time. Eddie is shown as a complex young man, defined as much by his abilities and relationships as by Down syndrome.

Many people are not sure how to respond to individuals with Down syndrome and how to include them in the everyday life of a community. Both the film and the guide provide information about how, as a society we must ensure that people with Down syndrome are accepted and are provided with the opportunity to achieve their goals. Studying the film will help students to understand how disabled people feel and to become more tolerant and empathic towards them.

OK, Let's Talk About Me was produced in association with SBS Independent and the South Australian Film Corporation. It was screened to a full house at the 2005 Adelaide Film Festival in March and on SBS's Inside Australia in April 2005.

Curriculum Links:
The film will be of interest to teachers and students in the curriculum areas of:

• English
• Health and Human Development
• SOSE / HSIE
• Religious Education
• Disability Studies
• Media Studies