Filmmaker Ricky Townsend on reclaiming autistic tropes

The ‘robotic’ trope has long been associated with the autistic community, particularly those on the spectrum who interpret social cues and express emotions differently from the neurotypical norm. While this may not be representative of all autistic experiences, it is also the lived reality of many who may process the world and respond to it in different ways. It’s this truth that Ōtautahi filmmaker Ricky Townsend speaks to so beautifully in Wilbert Wire, a short film he wrote and directed as part of the Day One Hāpai te Haeata Shorts series.

Wilbert Wire tells the story of a robot – the titular Wilbert, portrayed by Josiah Morgan – who attends an art class where the teacher assigns the task of expressing emotion through a painting. As a result of interpreting instructions and his artistry in a literal sense, Wilbert is shamed by his teacher for his ‘incorrect’ approach to the task. However, by the end of the film, the audience learns that there is no incorrect expression, only different ways of sharing oneself with the world.

Townsend was inspired to embrace these autistic tropes in his film because he had a desire to reclaim them. Despite some people using stereotypes to emphasise differences and “turn us into objects of fascination”, he himself feels a sense of connection to the ‘robot’ trope. Everyone experiences and processes emotion, but some people may express themselves differently.

“Wilbert very much understands love and art from the first frame of the film, it’s just that these concepts mean something different to him,” Townsend says. “He’s locked in a world which sees him as doing ‘love’ and ‘art’ incorrectly. My hope is for audiences to see that Wilbert is full of love and creativity, he just expresses it in his own way, which is something to celebrate.”

Another scene that may resonate with autistic viewers is when Wilbert ‘hyperfixates’ and fully immerses himself in his own imagination, which inspires his painting. Townsend approaches the direction of this scene with kinetic techniques such as mime and physical comedy, portrayed wonderfully by lead actor Morgan and enhanced by some very effective sound editing. Townsend also spoke about the Te Reo Māori word for autism - takiwātanga, meaning ‘in their own space and time’- and how this concept resonates in the scene.

“Takiwātanga was a word that flickered around in my head while making the short, and one I discussed with Josiah [Morgan] when we were developing the character,” Townsend says. “The train scene is an embodiment of takiwātanga, and a celebration of it.”

Emily McVicar (left, NFP) Ricky Townsend (centre, Director) Jasper Sutcliffe (centre right, 2nd AC) on the set of Wilbert Wire.

He also spoke of how important it was to him to make the scene comedic, to show the “wonderful, fun, and unapologetic” side of Wilbert. “For me personally,” he says, “there can be a melancholy to being in your own space and time as it’s easy to feel isolated. But it comes with a deep connection to your own thoughts and imagination that I wouldn’t dream of rejecting.’

It's insights like this that many in our communities might relate to, evoking the familiar experience of pursuing passion and expressing oneself in a way that may not make sense to everyone around us. While it has its moments of isolation and melancholy, it is beautiful nonetheless.

Townsend was inspired to embrace these autistic tropes in his film because he had a desire to reclaim them.