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Sia apologises over portrayal of autism in her debut film
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 5 February 2021
Sia has issued an apology over how autism is portrayed in some parts of her debut movie, ‘Music’. This came a day after the film received two Golden Globe nominations.
The film has proven controversial for a number of reasons, almost entirely related to the portrayal of a nonverbal autistic character. Early anger was aimed at the fact that regular Sia collaborator, Maddie Ziegler, who is not autistic, had been cast in that role.
The musician made things worse by refusing to accept any such criticism, and then saying that Ziegler’s casting was more “nepotism” than “ableism”, because Sia couldn’t “do a project without her”.
That was all before people even saw the film. When they did, a long list of other complaints arose.
One concern in particular relates to scenes in the film of Ziegler’s character being restrained. Sia says that she now accepts that these scenes should not have been in the movie, adding that she will cut them in a future version.
When it hits digital services later this month though, it will be preceded by a warning, stating: “‘Music’ in no way condones or recommends the use of restraint on autistic people. There are autistic occupational therapists that specialise in sensory processing who can be consulted to explain safe ways to provide proprioceptive, deep-pressure feedback to help with meltdown safety”.
Saying that she was “sorry”, yesterday, Sia tweeted: “I listened to the wrong people and that is my responsibility, my research was clearly not thorough enough, not wide enough”.
She subsequently deleted her Twitter account.
Nonetheless, there are still those Golden Globe nominations. Kate Hudson is in the running to be named Best Female Actor In A Musical Or Comedy. And the whole film is up for the Best Musical Or Comedy award. You know, “musical or comedy” seems like an odd category distinction. Unless it’s meant as a question, I suppose.
“This movie is a love letter to everyone who has ever felt they didn’t have a voice”, said Sia in a statment following the nominations announcement. “What an incredible, exciting and unbelievable experience. Congratulations to all the cast and crew, and thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press. What an honour!”
‘Music’ is set to arrive on digital services for your home viewing pleasure (or otherwise) on 15 Feb. Sia’s new album, ‘Music – Songs From And Inspired By The Motion Picture’, is out on 12 Feb. And newly out from it is the latest collaboration between Sia and David Guetta, ‘Floating Through Space’.
