Matthew’s Laws

Original title De Regels van Matthijs

Matthew’s Laws is a portrait of my school friend Matthew and is therefore my most personal film. Because of his autism, Matthew wrestles with himself and with his surroundings. He stands outside of our world, but his struggle to be part of it says a lot about us as well. As a survival strategy, he tries to get a grip on our social codes. What we have mostly made our own as a matter of course, costs him tremendous effort to master. He’s always aware of our unconscious behaviour. In that sense the film is not only about Matthew and his autism, but also about us. I forced myself into Matthew’s life, but his extreme character and behaviour made an enormous claim on me as well. This film reflects that development: I’ve forsaken the position of objective filmmaker and have taken an active role in the film. I want to come as close as possible to the people I film, and my influence on the situation plays an essential role in that regard.

Trailer Click for view

Author/s Marc Schmidt

Marc Schmidt (1970) works as an independent director of documentary films. After a study in filmtheory at the University of Utrecht and an education at the Art Academy of Tilburg, he started working as a sound technician and video editor. In the meantime directing documentaries raised his interest, is are now his main occupation.

Research Marc Schmidt
Photography Marc Schmidt, Aage Hollander, Marlou van den Berge
Sound Marc Schmidt, Sander den Broeder, Wouter Veldhuis
Editing Katarina Türler, NCE