A SPARKLE IN HER EYES

Описание: SPARKLE IN HER EYES - TISTA NJENA ISKRICA - documentary - 71 min - 2014

Direction: Rudi Uran
Cast: Barbara Jurgec
Screenplay: Rudi Uran, Anja Rakuša
Camera and editing: Rudi Uran
Music: David Vezjak

Producer: Irena Kramberger Uran

A sparkle in her eyes” is a portrait of Barbara, a twelve year old girl, who, because of a cerebral palsy – tetra - pharesis, is “confined” into her own body.In addition, the girl can not speak and her only communication with the world around her is enabled by a “communicator”, a little screen which reacts to her eye contact.Barbara emits the extraordinary energy which enchantes everyone who takes time for her. The camera follows her learning process and understanding of everything what she was deprived of before it was established that she was smart and the communicator was supplied.

Using the communicator she is able to express her wishes, needs and emotionsabout the people surrounding her, and, above all, her family. Despite the fact that the institution provides her with everything she needs, she misses her family, what is recorded by a camera during her frequent visits to them. She is so persistent in her effort to learn that sometimes the ones supporting her give up sooner. The camera also witnesses her irregular visits to primary school and contact with her peers, whom she misses a lot, and what brings her much joy. In spite of her “confined” world, Barbara embodies many bright and positive aspects of human nature, which the rest of us “normal people” cannot or do not recognize anymore. Barbara is the challenge for all the people who have still preserved a part of humanity.

Full lenght documentary ”A sparkle in her eyes” is not only the film portrait of a girl, confined to her own body, communicating with the world through her
eye-contact, but also the story about a different way of communication, the one which is hard to prove scientifically, but which still exists. The proof of that are the people who meet Barbara and miraculously start to understand her, and simultaneously develop a deep empathy for her. The film reveals Barbara’s big will to live, and also the big willingness and patience of her guardians. The film also answers to numerous (unpleasant) questions about the purpose of the existence of such people and their contribution to us.

With the documentary “A sparkle in her eyes” I would like to shift a tiny part of the perception of difference to the audience, as well as to stir the evaluation and assessment criteria in our personal lives.

Rudi Uran, the director and screenplay writer