“Inside Looking Out” – An Asperger’s Job Story
“Movies are neither a job nor a hobby, but a dream,” says Nick Simone, a 23-year-old filmmaker.
Nick, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, is well on his way to making his dream a reality. “Inside Looking Out” (see below), Nick’s documentary about Asperger’s, opened up the show for Amalia Starr‘s Author Night, won 1st place in the Documentary/Interview category of the 2008 3C Media Solutions Annual Student Film & Video Festival and will be featured at the 2009 Big Apple Film Festival in New York City on November 3.
When Nick was really young, he would sit and watch a certain movie over and over again, according to his dad, actor Dean Simone. As Nick puts it, “I became interested in movies as most filmmakers become interested – I started out as a fan.” His dad let Nick visit the sets of some of his movies which only deepened Nick’s interest.
Nick loves everything about movies and aspires to be a filmmaker on the level of Francis Ford Coppola or Steven Spielberg.
While pursuing that dream, Nick works as a tutor to junior high kids at an after-school daycare program. He tutors them in all subjects, including math which he says he struggles with. He says it’s a great job (“It’s a blast!) and feels lucky to have it, considering the tough economy right now.
(For tickets to the screening of Nick’s film at the Big Apple Film Festival, click here.)
This is a great movie. I hope that it helps people understand those who have Asperger’s Syndrome. It can also help those with Asperger’s Syndrome understand themselves.