India Hope: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman

A profile of India Hope, a 24-year-old female poet with Down's syndrome. Through the affective and sometimes brutal honesty of her own words the film portrays a young woman who refuses to be contained by a label, ultimately showing us that there is far more to India that we might relate to than feel different from. When the original 'Listen to Britain' was made, people like India were not included in documentaries - people with Down's are simply absent from the film archive and the film strip itself. This film seeks to readdress that historical omission. It hopes to contribute to the wider discussion of the worth of people with Down's by not only inviting viewers to look and listen to India but also to experience life from her perspective and to increase visibility of people with Down's in the public domain, highlighting their personalities, perspectives and achievements as individuals. Shot on 16 mm film, through interview and poetry, the film gives us a chance to hear directly from India herself. She does not speak for all people with Down's, she is as singular as any artist. And the world will be richer for hearing her voice.